Questions I Wish Others Would Ask Me, and One I Wish They Wouldn't

Not much has been happening around my house, especially since I have been spending my nights tucked away inside the local grocery store office, so today I sat down and wanted to WRITE. I should be working on my new mansucript (which, for those who care, involves a boy named after Chinese food, old sailing ships used for interstellar travel, and robots that have turned into pirates) but I also wanted to send y'all an update.

But, as I have already said, not much has been happening around here. So I thought I would take some time to answer those questions I wish people would ask me but never do.

QUESTION #1: I want to be just like you. How do I start?

ANSWER: I'm so glad you idolize me, but, really, you shouldn't. If you are bent on being just like me, however, I recommend doing the following: 1) read lots and lots of books, at the expense of housework, adult conversation, and responsible child care; 2) spend copious amounts of time surfing the internet for just the right homeschool curriculum for the kids, and make sure to do this weekly since you'll need to change curricula at least that often in order to keep everyone going; 3) Stay up well past midnight on at least 3 separate occasions per week to spend time typing up the most fantastical and completely fictitious stories that may or may not grace the shelves of Barnes and Noble at some future date; and 4) juggle three blogs, take in a part-time job, homeschool your kids full-time, volunteer as cubmaster for a local cub scout pack, attend church weekly, nurse a baby, and find a few minutes to sleep each 24-hour period.

QUESTION #2: I love your hair. How do you get it to look like it does?

ANSWER: Oh, this hair? It's nothing, really. I'm surprised you noticed at all. I use only the best hair care products and tools donated by my hairstylist (thanks, Dad-in-law!), and I spend at least three minutes every day making sure it doesn't resemble Albert Einstein's 'do--I love the man's genius, but his hair leaves a lot to be desired.

QUESTION #3: You are the most talented writer I have ever met. What is your secret?

ANSWER: Oh, please, I'm nothing of the sort. But I'm so glad you enjoy my work enough to believe in me. My secret is XX XXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXX XXXXXXX X XXX XXXX XXXX XXX. (NOTE: Sorry I couldn't let you read that. It's a secret.)


There is one question I get all the time, however, that I wish people would stop asking me. I am going to attempt to answer that question below in the hopes that people will stop asking me so I can get on with my life. (I can dream, can't I?)

QUESTION: Why did you choose to homeschool?

ANSWER: This is a remarkably complex question, and that is because there is always a statement hidden behind the question. These statements range from, "I'm intrigued. Tell me more so I can see if homeschooling could work for my family." to "That seems like a big job. Tell me more so I can be grateful I don't have to have that much work to do." to "You are screwing up your children's lives, and I want to know what makes you think you are qualified to give them a decent education." Hopefully, the following story will take care of all of you.

I didn't choose homeschooling at first. But one day, when I was contemplating what preschool to choose for Ammon (this was back in, oh, 2001 I think), a strong impression came to me that homeschooling him was the answer to the "problems" we were facing with him. I use the word "problems" though they really weren't at the time, but we knew they could easily become problems once he was in a traditional school setting.

At first I was appalled, homeschoolers were WEIRD and I didn't want to have anything to do with them. But that impression stayed, and I spent many hours in prayer over the decision. In the end, Greg and I decided it was what Ammon needed and what the Lord wanted for our family.

I was nervous about letting the family know. I come from a very traditional family that places learning above all else, so I knew this decision would be met with much surprise and plenty of trepidation. But we forged ahead anyway. Some family members were very supportive, but I knew many didn't agree with our decision. Wisely, they remained silent about their opinion, however. I think most believed it was a passing fancy and I would quickly tire of it and the kids would be back where they belonged.

But we have been homeschooling ever since. I know there are some in my family who still doubt that this decision was a wise one. There are days when I agree with them. But all I can say is that I have prayerfully considered their concerns and my own, and I know this is where my children need to be. There are some subjects my kids struggle with--and they may not be on the same level as their public school peers--but I am intimately aware of these issues and we work on them daily. I have seen tremendous breakthroughs that I am certain would have never happened if my children had been shoved into a classroom with 30+ other students and one teacher. Now, I'm not saying public school is bad. Many children thrive in that environment. I wish mine did. But they don't. And so we homeschool.

It's not easy, there are bad days (and weeks, and sometimes even months) but it is also one of most exhilarating, fulfilling and humbling experiences I have been privileged to participate in.

So, why did I choose to homeschool? I didn't, really. God chose for me, but in hindsight it was one of His brighter ideas. Though my children are far from perfect, I can see how homeschooling has prepared them far better than public school ever could have. And I'm grateful I was brought along for the ride.