By Camie Madsen
I didn't realize it at the time, but choosing to homeschool my son, especially when it meant pulling him out of mainstream public school, was an act of courage.
It took courage to try something we'd never tried before, because up until that point, we had always followed the expected route of sending our children off to school.
It took courage to stand up to the vice principal, who sneered at me for imagining I could teach my own child. Me, a mere mother.
It took courage to decide not to follow the teaching plan of a boxed curriculum, all neatly laid out for me, and to chart our own unschooling path, because it just felt right.
It took courage to field concerns from neighbors, friends, extended family, and church members, who wondered why in the world we were homeschooling.
It can take courage to homeschool.
It can take courage to homeschool despite the doubts that naturally creep in. Reading, writing, arithmetic, art, music, science, history, a foreign language- oh my!
It can take courage to homeschool in a neighborhood where everyone else sends their children off to the local schools.
It can take courage to follow your heart and do something out of the ordinary.
It can take courage not to compare your homeschool to others.
There is no doubt about it- homeschooling takes plenty of courage and for all you homeschooling moms and dads out there, I salute you. You have the audacity to take your child's education into your own capable hands. You have the tenacity to chart your own family's educational-course. You dare to do what you feel is best for your unique family, even if the world around you thinks you're completely nuts.