Dear UNDECIDED -ON- HOMESCHOOLING MOM...
If I knew then what our homeschool life was going to bring us—the rich relationships we’ve formed, the adventures it’s gifted, and the freedom it has provided us—I would not have yelled at God, at the top of my lungs, to leave me alone as he pursued me to follow this sacred calling. Like you (maybe), I wanted something more grand than teaching ABCs and sitting through yet another library storytime. I wanted a thriving career where shiny quarterly awards were distributed and a business professional dress code was required. At least that’s what I was taught to desire.
When Career Goals Collide with God’s Plans
In January of 2019, I was being recruited for my dream job as a project manager. It was finally happening! I was strongly encouraged to apply with a near guarantee that I’d be picked up for the next team that was being built. Except when I sat down to apply for this long-awaited position, an unsettling hesitation completely took over my ability to see this application through.
I closed my laptop and took this matter to prayer. In hindsight, that specific step should have been done prior, but at that point in my life, I thought the next step to success was above the need of prayer.
What happened next was a series of unfortunate goodness. I couldn’t apply for the job in peace, and the PM recruiting team had to move on. My then-current position was being cut because of budget, and every job I had my eye on had been filled. My entire friend group and community would all go with it. Suddenly, what was my entire existence and life’s pursuit was being plucked from the tight grip of my hand, one by one.
Yelling at the Sky
I realized all the doors in front of me had been closed, and I knew enough to know it was the work of a force I had been ignoring that was calling me to veer off this highway. The very hand of God had blocked my ten-year career plan. Enough ignoring turned that seemingly easy road I was on into a complete wreck, and debris began to fly.
The Idea I Couldn't Shake
Leave me alone! Stay out of my life, you're ruining my life's work!
“Leave me alone! Stay out of my life, you’re ruining my life’s work!” I bawled towards the sky with every ounce of frustration I had, as I knew I couldn’t ignore this other than gentle leading. Three months into that same year, I found myself pulling our son out of four-year-old kindergarten. Financially, it didn’t make sense for me to go back to work when my salary would only cover daycare.
As I lingered around the house, the small still idea of homeschool started popping up. I looked online for some questions and answers, but few options and forums were available. I couldn’t get a clear picture of what homeschool was supposed to look like or if I could even properly do it.
I sheepishly brought up the option to homeschool with my husband, and his eyes lit up! The conversation became something serious with a clear vision over days, and I dove into finding answers from any resources I could find. Could I actually do this?
Realizing I Was Already a Teacher
In the questioning of my own abilities, I made a list of all the things I had already taught our son. I had taught him how to walk, how to read, count, and even use sign language before I taught him to speak his first words!
Maybe I was already his life-teacher? Maybe I was already naturally equipped to add school to our home life? I became convinced that I was the perfect person for this job!
We said yes as a family, and I took the summer to prepare. I bought the fanciest curriculum I could find (classic rookie move) and made our spare room a decked-out kindergarten, complete with bulletin board borders, chef’s kiss!
We threw ourselves into a life of unknowns, but certainly one of obedience to a calling I had no idea was ever an option. We had slow mornings, too many arts and crafts, and I read as many books as I could with my son on my lap. That first year was dreamy, quiet, and unforgettable.
Exactly one year later, in March of 2020, the world went indoors, and the homeschool community erupted! Up until that point, we didn’t know a single family that was homeschooling. There wasn’t a co-op within miles or even a playgroup operating within the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We had been very alone in our journey, though we always made the most of it.
But once COVID hit the masses, my messages swarmed with questions like, “How do I start homeschooling?”, “What’s legal?”, “Do you want to build a snowman?” (Literally, a Facebook group had started with this post title by a mother who was starting to homeschool her children and asked for a group to form in her area, in the middle of a Wisconsin winter.) My natural and spiritual eyes had opened to the realization that I had been “plucked” from my perfectly planned life and placed in the position of a suburban pioneer. I had been gracefully given a little over 365 days to make all the first-year homeschool mom mistakes to pave a road for those who would come after me. That was almost seven years ago, and the messages have not slowed down, not once, from families in desperation who want to know more about how they, too, can start homeschooling.
I have been immensely fulfilled over the years to know I have acted like a bridge as families go through the decision-making process of bringing their children home. I have seen relationships heal, peace return to homes, and in my own personal experience, I have had childhood craters in my heart back filled with the redemptive time I have spent with my own children.
I have had childhood craters in my heart, back filled with the redemptive time I have spent with my own children
For the Mama Still Deciding
The picture is greater than we can comprehend, and if you’re feeling that tug to take your next steps in homeschooling, believe that there are droves of people depending on you to see beyond the now.
I challenge you, dear Undecided-on-Homeschooling mama, to ask yourself this question,
“Who am I pioneering for?” Who needs you to throw out the ten-year plan and take a leap of faith in unfamiliar waters? Whose future is hanging on your next step to bring your children home?
Whose healing is waiting on the other side of your yes? I’ve since never so shamelessly yelled at God. He saw people from places I could never reach and opened my eyes to an eternal partnership with Him through homeschooling. I could never have thought up this life for myself, thus giving a very real meaning to the verse found in
Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Blanca Montelongo
Blanca is a homeschooling mom and U.S. Air Force veteran called to homeschool in 2019. She mentors families, leads a local co-op, and is pursuing a Master's in Ministry with a focus on education. She loves books, ’90s music, sourdough, and her family.
This article first appeared in the Fall 2025 (September) issue of Texas Homeschool Magazine.
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