Our Homeschool Journey~Part 2

If you missed it last week, here's "Our Homeschool Journey~Part 1" https://www.courtneymckenziethomas.com/post/our-homeschool-journey~part-1

As I wrote, I never dreamed I'd be a homeschool mom. At the time I began, I honestly could only say that my reason for homeschooling was because I just didn't have peace about sending my son to school. I had prayed about it, read every book I could get my hands on, discussed it with my husband and others, and prayed some more. I just could not in good conscience send him.

The first few years were extraordinarily hard. I worked one day per week, so we did school four days per week. Being a product of public schools, I thought we *had* to recreate school at home. I researched curricula and went with a friend's recommendation. We registered with the state and set out on our journey. It was daunting. I pushed myself. I pushed him. It was a whole new world for us, and I was terribly afraid I would "do it wrong."

I began to get my bearings after we finished our second year of homeschooling. I was not satisfied with the curriculum we were using. While it was academically sound, and he was excelling, I felt it was....rather dull. So, I began researching again. Little did I know that I was finally realizing the wonderful freedom that homeschooling brings!

When my son entered fourth grade, my middle daughter began Kindergarten and I began to see further the path God had laid before us. From the time she was born, my daughter had GERD (which at times caused gastritis) and a rare disorder called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. From the Mayo Clinic website,

"Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome is characterized by episodes of severe vomiting that have no apparent cause. Episodes can last for hours or days and alternate with symptom-free periods. Episodes are similar, meaning that they tend to start at the same time of day, last the same length of time, and occur with the same symptoms and intensity.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome occurs in all age groups, though it often begins in children around 3 to 7 years old. Although it's more common in children, the number of cases diagnosed in adults is increasing.

The syndrome is difficult to diagnose because vomiting is a symptom of many disorders. Treatment often involves lifestyle changes to help prevent the events that can trigger vomiting episodes. Medications, including anti-nausea and migraine therapies, may help lessen symptoms."

She had struggled with this from infancy, had taken medication nearly her entire life, and had scopes and other tests to try to find the cause. It is truly a diagnosis of exclusion and when her pediatric gastrologist gave me the information, I thought, "Great! Now we can treat this." But, it was more difficult that I imagined. We had to figure out her triggers, and try to head off each episode. I started to recognize the patterns for her specifically. She would get really dark under her eyes and not eat much. Then she would run a low-grade temperature that had no other cause (we went to the doctor countless times for "mystery fevers") and would be very lethargic. Extra sleep helped, but did not always keep her from having severe abdominal pain and/or vomiting. When we started school, she would get up, do her work, and usually spend the rest of the day on the couch or lying around because her stomach hurt or she was nauseated. Sometimes, she had fever. Sometimes, she would be fine for days at a time. We took LOTS of breaks for her to be able to get her work done. But, we did it.

And, during that time, as I cried out to God to help my child, I realized that perhaps this was another reason I was so convicted to homeschool years before. Had He not laid that on my heart with my son, I most likely would have worked full-time while he was in school and continued that with my daughter. It would have been disastrous for her. She would have been sent home nearly every day-no exaggeration!-with abdominal pains, vomiting, or random fevers. She would have missed so much school, I doubt she would have passed. But, God saw around every corner, walked the path before me, and eased me into a life I never dreamed I would lead. He knew how much my daughter would need me to homeschool her.

**Thankfully, she has been episode-free since 2016, and her gastrologist believes she has outgrown it!**

When my middle daughter began fourth grade, my youngest daughter began Kindergarten. By the end of Kindergarten, she couldn't read. Not only that, she could not rhyme words. Some days she knew letters and some days she didn't. She sometimes would look at me and in frustration say, "I CAN'T say it!!" She KNEW something in her brain, but could not get her mouth to cooperate and say the correct letter or sound. I thought it was more than a "readiness" issue, so I spoke with her pediatrician about getting her tested. We began with speech, as her problem seemed to manifest mainly in speech. Testing began the fall of her first grade year.

Her speech and hearing tests came back normal, but the testers noted she had an issue with automaticity...meaning, her brain does not automatically register what a letter is. So we were sent for educational testing to determine if she had a learning disability. She was diagnosed with mild ADHD (both types) and "specific language learning delay." I met with the psychologist and he told me that he and the educational tester did not agree on the diagnosis, but he deferred to her diagnosis. He would have diagnosed her that day with "specific language learning disorder," but the educational tester wanted to wait because she was only six. So I asked him, "What does that mean? Dyslexia?" And, he said, "Yes." Once again, I began researching what would help my child.

In the spring of her first grade year, we started working on pre-reading using Orton-Gillingham based curriculum (the best approach for people with dyslexia.) We have to take things one day at a time. She has cried in frustration. I have cried in frustration. But, we have also cried happy tears when it "clicked." Four years later, she is reading chapter books with ease. She LOVES to read! And, it makes my heart so happy! I worried that because it was such a struggle for her, she'd hate it. But, this child is tenacious. She works so hard, and I have no doubt she will go so far in this life because she is willing to put in the work.

God saw years before my children were even born that I needed to homeschool them. Maybe my son did not "need" it as much as my girls did/do. But, God set me on that path and when they had physical issues as well as learning struggles, it was not a foreign concept to me to homeschool them.

He is so, so good.

He is faithful.

And, because of how He prepared me, guided me, and has never left me, I firmly believe that anyone who is convicted to homeschool CAN do it.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."