Finding The Joy In Homeschooling: Interview With Krista
One of the reasons I titled this blog “our life” homeschooling was because I wanted to share, not only our family’s life homeschooling, but because I wanted to share “our life” collectively as homeschoolers. That is why I regularly post interviews with everyday homeschoolers just like you! I hope you will be encouraged by reading Finding The Joy In Homeschooling: Interview With Krista.
Introduce yourself.
Hi! I’m Krista. My husband is Dave and we have been married for 17 years. I am blessed with six wonderful children and love homeschooling. We have four boys and two girls, their ages are 12, 10, 8, 6, 2 and the baby is 4 months. This is our seventh year homeschooling. Our family is from Colorado. Last year we decided to move to Florida and we absolutely love it.
What attracted you to homeschooling?
It was on my heart to homeschool at the age of eighteen even though I did not know anyone who homeschooled. I honestly had no idea what homeschooling would be like but I had my mind set on that path. I knew the Lord wanted me to teach my children at home.
How do you homeschool all your children and still have time to do the things you enjoy?
I am a planner. I love planning out the next school year and gathering all the books I want each child to complete. Well, the past two years brought some traveling opportunities for our family and of course it all happened at the start of the tradition school year. Did I mention I do not like to feel behind? The previous school year we went to Virginia in August and since we drove I brought some school books along. We did quite a bit of reading in the mornings before heading off to the beach, one of our favorite things to do together as a family. We drove to the Outer Banks in North Carolina several times while on that trip, which created many fun family memories. This current school year started off with another blessing from the Lord when our son was born.
Since we took some time off when he was born our homeschool year got off to a later start than I would have liked. Shortly after this time we had another opportunity to travel for a month. So, here I am as a homeschool mom starting our year off the first week in December. To my surprise when we returned my children hit the books hard and with a great attitude on top of it. In a month they completed the equivalent to several months of work. Our family has been able to enjoy some wonderful times because we homeschool.
How do you manage being with your kids all day?
I love being with my kids. Of course not every moment brings joy. Yes, some days are very challenging. Homeschooling can be hard. It definitely is not an easy journey but often the hard things are the most rewarding. Ultimately, it really is the Lord who gives us the strength to do what he calls us to do. The mornings in our household are quite busy and sometimes a little chaotic juggling school and little ones. In the afternoon we all take time for some quiet.
There are opportunities daily for character training and learning to get along with siblings while at home. I am truly overjoyed when I do see my kids helping each other. There is also tremendous joy in seeing my older children get excited watching their younger sibling learn new things. Many times I do not even have to teach colors, basic addition, etc. to my younger children as the older ones have already done so and find delight in it. They often like to share what they know.
It was quite fun to see the excitement from everyone when our fifth child learned to walk. It surprised me that the whole family would enjoy such a milestone and not just mom and dad. Aylah, our oldest daughter, adores and loves her two youngest brothers so much. It delights my heart to know my children have their siblings as best friends and find enjoyment in siblings much younger than they are.
Can your kids actually enjoy learning?
Yes! For many of our early years schooling at home I poured myself into teaching my first child. I spent three years teaching my oldest how to read. Reading was a struggle for my son. He did at least like listening to me read and I later discovered he loves audios. I have learned that sometimes it takes years before you see the benefits of homeschooling. Then one day, many years down the road, I see my son walking around with a book, something I thought I would never see. I was shocked when he decided on his own to read through an entire series of chapter books, which he finished in one week!
One of the joys of homeschooling is seeing your kids work on their own without being told. I love finding my children doing chores or helping another sibling or even working through their math book. Although not planned, my kids are thriving on being able to work through one subject until it is finished. Homeschooling provides this opportunity and flexibility. They can focus on one thing then move to the next. It also delights my heart when an older sibling is helping their younger sibling with school. I just love watching my daughter read to her siblings and the enjoyment it brings to everyone. Recently, my oldest two have been grabbing a new missionary biography or history book and reading it on their own.
One of the reasons I have chosen to pick all of my own curriculum is because when you are excited about what you are teaching it makes a big difference. Dave and I both love how homeschooling allows us to decide what we want to teach our children.
I like to read during lunch time when all the kids are surrounded at the table being quiet to get some extra school material in for the day. Sometimes we would read a missionary biography and other days we would read a book just for fun. Many times when we finish reading a chapter all the kids are so excited to keep reading they would start chanting for the next chapter. Or other times I would find my oldest getting the book we are in the middle of reading and set it on the table before we gathered for lunch. What joy it brings to see these little glimpses of them enjoying what we are learning together as a family.
What is your greatest joy in homeschooling?
Doing what the Lord calls us to do is fulfilling and brings tremendous joy. My mission as a mom is to disciple my children. So much of what I enjoy teaching is beyond academics. I want to share my values and the most meaningful thing I could ever teach them is about the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we can get focused on the wrong things and get caught up on curriculum and academics. In our home I like to start the day off with morning time where we gather to read the Bible, sing hymns, go through catechism, biblical worldview, scripture memory and character training. We also incorporate a few family Bible studies in throughout the year.
Since moving we can now take time off during the week and enjoy a day at the beach. I am convinced that our family would not be where we love being so much if we were not homeschooling. I feel so immensely blessed to be at home homeschooling the Lord’s children. I think the best way to teach our precious little ones about the Lord is when they are with us. We get the privilege to spend so much time together as a family. Being with the children that the king of the universe created and gave to us as a gift is a blessing beyond anything else and brings one of the greatest joys to my heart and I hope this can be true for you as well.
Krista’s Favorite Resources
The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black
Institute for Excellence in Writing
Not Consumed – Still Singing and Kids Bible Studies
Missionary biographies by Janet & Geoff Benge
Krista’s Favorite Read Alouds
Summer with the Moodys series by Sarah Maxwell
The Farm Mystery series by Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Castleberry
Looking for more?
I hope you enjoyed reading Finding The Joy In Homeschooling: Interview With Krista. If you would like to read more stories from everyday homeschool moms like you, take a look at Our Life Homeschooling’s Gallery of Mom Interviews. This collection features homeschool moms of all types who share their homeschooling stories. Each interview focuses on a different topics. By reading these interviews, you are sure to find a friend with whom you can relate!