Build a Strong Foundation

by Tim
(Illinois)

Initially my wife and I chose to homeschool because we did not want to place our children in the public school system. The re-birth of our faith told us that that would not be a good decision and the cost of Catholic or private school was prohibitive. So we chose to homeschool.

We've been homeschooling for 12 years now, and when I look back, I see how teaching our children at home has given us a wonderful opportunity to build a solid foundation for both our children's faith and their educational journey.

The first 12 years of Catholic homeschooling to me is like building the foundation of what will be a magnificent building or better yet a church. It takes a lot of planning, hard work, some times painfully hard work, and perseverance; much like building a foundation for a large home, office building or a cathedral. It is slow, tedious,tiring,dirty job with a lot of sweat and when it is all done it does not look very attractive. But once that building starts to develop above the ground it is quite a sight to behold.

The next time that you walk into a very old building and are impressed by how this magnificent structure has lasted for so long take a look at its foundation. That strong solid foundation allowed it to survive many years of strong storms and fierce weather.

That is why we homeschool: to give our children a solid foundation of academics and faith so that they are prepared to withstand the storms of life.