Make sure you work through all parts of this series to get the full benefit, friend. Here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and you've found Part 5!

In part 5, we wind up this series ask the big question that brought you here:

SHOULD I quit homeschooling?

I'm going to be brave. I'm going to say the thing that is "forbidden" in the homeschool community. There's one option we've yet to address in this series, so I want to say it here:

Have you ever considered QUITTING homeschool? Are you burned out or overwhelmed? Or has a life situation gotten in the way of your plans? Here is a GREAT series with a very thorough workbook for processing through the decision of whether to stop hom…

You can stop homeschooling.

There! I said it! You can put your children into public or private school or whatever suits your family's needs best during this season (however long that may be). The Homeschool Police will not come and arrest you. (I'm pretty confident they don't actually exist!)

I have personally been in a season where an unexpected pregnancy left me feeling completely overwhelmed and incapable of educating my two oldest children. I did not want to make my decision out of fear or worry, so my husband and I went to the Lord. I had a variety of women who love the Lord praying for us and our decision, and we prayed hard for weeks. We went to God's word over and over again, until we had absolutely no doubt in our minds that putting our girls into school for that season was what he wanted us to do. We had incredible peace, confidence, and optimism for what God had in store, though we could not wrap our mind around it all.

That season of them being in school lasted only a month. And that's because God took me on a journey during that one single month, in my heart, that brought me from being an unenthusiastic, burned-out homeschooler, to being a passionate, enthusiastic advocate for homeschooling.

I thought putting my girls in school was an opportunity to see growth in them, and it absolutely was! They made new friends and had experiences they would have never had otherwise. But putting my children into school was much more about what God wanted me to see, know, and fully realize about the opportunity to home educate.

He wanted to give me a perspective of what a bad day in public school can be like compared to a bad day in our homeschool. He gave me new perspective on how I am the one who has been called and equipped to teach my child who has learning disabilities, better than anyone else. He reminded me that I have been handpicked to be her teacher and despite feeling like I constantly fail, he's upholding me every step of the way. He taught me lessons about how much freedom we have in our days and in our schedules. He helped me to have a fresh perspective and a rejuvenated focus on who he had called me to be and what he was consistency equipping me to do.

There's a lot more to it than that, but ultimately, I do not regret that time at all. I rejoice in all that God did in my heart during that season in preparation for the busyness that was coming with our new baby and for all he did in my girls as THEY ultimately chose to return to homeschool.

God is so faithful to answer our prayers, even when we absolutely cannot imagine an answer aside from the one we have for ourself.

So if you and your husband are seeking the Lord, you are reading His Word, you have your hearts and minds open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and you have a community covering your family in prayer, and you are STILL being led to put your children into school (or maybe just put one child into school) then follow HIM with freedom. God knows your child, your heart, and your family, and he has a great plan for you.

There's so much grace in our educational choices. We can't "mess up" beyond what he can redeem and restore. When we are fearful about these choices, we discount his amazing grace!

I hope you have an answer! I hope you can now say with confidence IF you should stop homeschooling.

I want to congratulate you if you've worked your way through all 5 parts and the lengthy workbook. You made it through a WHOLE BUNCH of self-reflection and real talk. I'm proud of your hard work and diligence. God will, without a doubt, honor your faithfulness in seeking HIM and his desires for you as you make these challenging decisions during difficult seasons.

I hope, that through this process, you've been able to make a decision that you feel fully optimistic and peaceful about as your proceed with your child's education, no matter what that may look like. I also pray that you felt freedom to be honest with yourself so that you (and your family) can choose the next steps that are right for each of your children and your family as a whole.

May God bless you, keep you, and shine his favor on your home and your children!

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