My First Day of Homeschool
As a homeschool advocate, I love it when a young couple tells me before they’re even married that they plan to homeschool their children. I’d like to say I had that kind of wisdom and foresight as a young man or that even as a new father, I was just as committed to my children’s education. The truth is that God had to get my attention with a providential two-by-four before Rachael and I took the plunge and began homeschooling. That was 29 years ago, and I thank God daily for His grace to redirect our steps and set us on this journey even when it wasn’t the life blueprint we had designed for ourselves. God’s sovereign plan was so much better than mine, and we were blessed to enjoy this adventure with our seven children over a twenty-six-year timeframe (1996-2022).
The Decision to Homeschool
No matter when a family decides to homeschool, the magnitude of the unknowns can be daunting. Parents can be overwhelmed by everything this choice means for themselves and their family. It’s often said that homeschooling is a lifestyle. There is no doubt that when a family commits to homeschooling for the long haul, this lifestyle comes to define them in many ways. Meanwhile, throughout every season of change and growth, in every blessing and challenge, threads of wonder are woven together with daily routines and rhythms, as in a tapestry. Over time, a beautiful picture takes shape, capturing the family’s unique culture and colored with God’s grace.
I love how homeschooling shaped our family. I love how my marriage to Rachael was affected by this lifestyle. We worked together in ways I never imagined on our wedding day. In fact, I would have never predicted that my career path would lead to my current role as the publisher of creation-based science, math, and Bible curriculum for homeschooling families. But once again, I thank God for redirecting my steps so that my own plans wouldn’t get in the way.
Children’s Books
As a publisher, it’s natural that I love books. As the saying goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Books can be very influential in shaping minds, worldviews, career paths, and lives. That’s why I decided to write some books myself. My desire has been to write beautifully illustrated books for preschool children that help instill a biblical and Christian worldview. There’s nothing quite like it when a book captivates a young child’s imagination, and they want to read it over and over. My motivation comes from Psalm 78:6 — to tell the children yet to be born. With this in mind, my first book (published in 2010) is dedicated to my own seven children. Book number two (published in 2013) is dedicated to the children yet to be born (i.e., my grandchildren, the first of which would arrive in 2015). So far, each of my nine grandchildren has a book dedicated to them, including my latest, titled My First Day of Homeschool. It’s this new book that I want to tell you about.
You see, it might come as a surprise, but none of my books are homeschool-specific. Sure, they often depict an intact family, church settings, and outdoor scenes. Some might imply homeschooling, but none talk about it directly. My latest breaks that trend and is one hundred percent a homeschool book.
My First Day of Homeschool
If you get the book for yourself, I hope you and your children will find the story familiar and endearing as a family of beavers establishes its unique homeschool culture. As you will see, the main character begins learning from day one and continues throughout his childhood. He realizes he is loved and has value. He learns to walk, talk, and ride a bicycle—natural milestones one would expect as a child has more birthdays. His family reads the Bible together, and he makes a profession of faith, a momentous step he will spend a lifetime coming to understand and appreciate.
You will notice that our little beaver friend learns to read when he is eight, the average age for human children to begin reading. Some children are ready to read when they’re five, while others won’t read until they’re eleven, so don’t panic if your ten-year-old has not yet finished the complete works of Jane Austen and William Shakespeare.
You will also notice that this busy beaver is not confined to a desk or a classroom for hours on end, nor is the education he receives measured in test scores or grade levels. Yet we see evidence of real-world skills and knowledge through his actions—building things, cooking meals, putting science into practice, and exploring the arts. Here, the freedom and discovery available to homeschooling families are fully displayed. The young beaver exhibits self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and relationship wisdom—he demonstrates a servant’s heart, making his family meals and putting the needs of his younger siblings ahead of his own needs and desires.
When he turns eighteen, he describes graduation as his “last” day of homeschool. Why does he put the word “last” inside quotation marks? For one thing, he has become an enthusiastic lifelong learner. He loved school, which is quite the opposite of how many students today describe their educational experience. Also, he continues his parents’ legacy by marrying and raising a family. Thus, the story comes full circle as he begins a new “first” day of homeschooling, teaching his own children.
Shop This New Title
You can get a copy of the book (or any of my other nine illustrated children’s books or adult devotional) on Amazon, where it is printed on demand and shipped within a few days.
Get the kiddos, snuggle up on the sofa, and enjoy reading My First Day of Homeschool. We hope that your preschoolers will ask you to read it again and again, and they will be inspired by thoughts that are true, right, noble, excellent, and praiseworthy.