Homeschoolers are Resilient
Homeschoolers are resilient - even in the midst of extreme difficulty. Everything is not always peaches and cream, and sometimes trauma happens ... sometimes LOTS of trauma. If you are having an extremely difficult time, with situations far beyond your control, please read this mother's story and be encouraged. She has wonderful 20/20 hindsight about what works when dealing with family trauma.
Hi Lee,
You helped me out a couple of years ago, and assisted me with a high school transcript for my son Landon. I was just beginning to deal with some brain tumors and several surgeries and so appreciated your help. Things are still not as easy for me as they used to be and I did very little homeschooling with my then 13 year old Austyn that 2008-2009 school year.
We really have had our share of trauma these past almost 6 years. In October 2004 our 19 year old son Brad died in a tragic accident. The grief made it nearly impossible for me to concentrate on teaching Landon and Austyn or for them to concentrate on learning. It was nearly a year of just spending time together and not putting any pressure on them to accomplish much in the way of school work.
I really do not see that this set them back in any way.
I cannot imagine them having to have been in a public school setting during such a traumatic time in their/our lives.
Homeschooling gives us the flexibility to just stop and take a break and resume when the time is right.
I thought I would give you an update on Landon. In June he graduated with honors from Eastern with a degree in business administration and economics. He did get two scholarships of $2000. We didn't really have the time and energy to pursue more, these past 2 1/2 years have been filled with doctors, hospitals, surgeries etc. Landon, now 21, lives in Spokane and in January of this year started a business called Community Restorations, he buys and restores foreclosed homes. He bought a home for himself too, remodeled it and moved in the month of December. Landon is our 5th child homeschooled and another success story. One to go! Actually our final child, Austyn, now 15 took the compass test and passed. In a year he will begin dual enrollment. He is interested in taking a computer class there so he will probably do that this September.
I enjoy getting your email newsletters, thank you and thanks for your help back in 2008 when I really needed it.
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Thanks again,
Linda in Washington
Wow, I love receiving emails like this; they are so encouraging! For more encouragement, you may also enjoy my article, What If? Homeschool High School Without Fear.
Are you homeschooling through tough times? Please share!
Please note: This post was originally published in September 2010 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.