Book Review: Homeschool Bravely

"Start being brave about everything." 

-Catherine of Siena

How often do we consider courage when we think about our daily tasks?

Last year, I discussed the virtue of courage with a club of 9-13 year old girls at my parish, and asked them the question, "Can you share with us something brave you've done this past week?" A long silence followed. One of the girls said, "I don't feel like I've done anything brave. My life is just...normal. I don't have chances to be brave."

I agreed that most of us don't have the chance to be Joan of Arcs or Corrie Ten Booms. But courage is a virtue we're all called to. Courage is facing our everyday, normal lives with trust in God and confidence in His care for us. Courage is starting a new creative project when everything in us would rather binge watch Netflix. Courage is getting up early to have alone time before the toddlers are up. Courage is telling a friend we're praying for them and love them, when we might feel awkward saying something personal.

For me--every day--courage is homeschooling my children.

When I saw the description of Jamie Erickson's book on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it:

Many homeschool parents have a long-term relationship with self-doubt. "Did I make the right decision?" "Could someone else do this better?" "Am I robbing my kids of something by not sending them to ‘regular school’?"

What if there’s a better way?

Not a 3-step technique or a shiny, new curriculum, but a change in perspective that transforms the way you plan, teach, and homeschool?

Homeschool Bravely teaches you to see homeschooling as a calling, helps you overthrow the tyranny of impossible expectations, and guides you through the common bumps in the road, including how to:


juggle school and parenting with toddlers at home
teach a struggling learner
plan with the end in mind
accept your own limitations without feeling guilty
stay the course even in the face of criticism
Reclaim your hope, renew your purpose, and transform your homeschool. Because the truth is: God will use every part of your homeschool, even your fears, faults, and failures, to weave good plans for your kids.

Keeping to my policy of 100% honest reviews, I wasn't pulled in my the first third of the book. Much of it involves Biblical affirmation of the vocation to homeschool, and I felt this was unnecessary for me. I've always wanted to homeschool and never--even on the rough days--doubted that God called me to do so. I also think it's a very personal calling, that there are many ways to educate our children, and that it's not for everyone. Jamie Erickson wasn't denying this (at all), but I can see how some on-the-fence schoolers might feel a little pressured by her Biblical quotes and enthusiasm.

But then... the last 2/3 of the book. Suddenly I couldn't highlight on my kindle quickly enough. Suddenly I felt as though the author was speaking directly to my heart, as though someone had emailed her a list of my homeschool mom insecurities and asked her to write a book to snap me out of it.

One of the topics that most spoke to me was the section on our priorities and ultimate goal in homeschooling. Erickson asked the bold--and surprisingly simple to answer--question: what do you want your children to grow up to be? For me, the answer is a single word: SAINTS.

With that in mind, Erickson suggests, reconsider your priorities in homeschooling. Are they serving that end goal?

I asked myself, what are my priorities for homeschooling? First, always first: to raise my children to be saints. Second, to encourage my children to learn fearlessly for the rest of their lives. As Erickson pointed out, there are plenty of smart people in the world. Sure, being smart will help you along certain paths to holiness and service. But the world desperately needs people who are kind, selfless, passionate, and compassionate. Is my homeschool curriculum allowing my children to grow in those areas? If so, I need to calm down about the details and minutiae. If not, I need to reevaluate my choices, making sure character is prioritized over academic success.

Within this framework, so many of my insecurities about which curriculum I was using for spelling or grammar or math suddenly seemed unimportant. The time I "waste" every morning reading books aloud and studying art and reading the Bible as a family suddenly seemed like a crucial part of our day.

Although this book is aimed at homeschooling parents (and does contain chapters and chapters of practical advice that are golden for homeschoolers but would not apply to non-homeschooling parents), I think all parents would benefit from this ultimate-goal-focused prioritizing. Is getting on that soccer team or getting straight A's in science going to bring them closer to the adult you want them to be? Maybe...maybe not. But it's worth remembering that the goal, not the details, is where your focus as a parent needs to be.

With that firmly in heart and mind...how much easier courage can be.