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Well, I need some encouragement and my oldest dd (14 and finishing 8th grade) does too. We have a strong homeschooling community that we have been a part of since she started K many years ago. One by one, each of the families we have been doing life with, has decided to send their 9th grader to Christian or public school next year - including family members that we are very close to. Please know that I understand everyone makes different decisions and I know many on this board who homeschool some and send others to school and I completely believe that each family is seeking the Lord for THEIR family and I would not judge those decisions. The thing is that we feel very strongly led to continue homeschooling through high school and do not doubt that God is leading us that way. Even if we wanted to do the Christian school, the cost is prohibitive, and the public school is absolutely out. However, we WANT to homeschool through high school and we're excited about it. BUT...I'm feeling pretty isolated and discouraged now that most of my close friends and family have gone the school route. And my oldest who will be a freshman, and truly wants to keep homeschooling, is feeling very isolated and lonely. It's been the most painful to have a very close cousin head to school last year and have a whole new set of friends and social life that she is not included in. So, I'm wondering if anyone here has a daughter close in age that might be willing to be an "e-mail pal" with her and become a friend so that she knows she is not alone in our calling right now. She is 14, loves animals and art and nature, has 4 younger siblings, including 2 adopted brothers from Ethiopia. If you have words of encouragement, I'd love to hear them! Please PM me with your e-mail if you have a child who might be interested in corresponding. Thank you!!

Tiffini,

I simply wanted to share that I'm praying for you and your daughter for the courage and confidence to continue on the path to which God has led you and to shower you with joy in this journey! I trust that the Lord will soon give you the reassurance you both are seeking.

Thank you for posting this need.

Tiffini,

I sent you a PM.

Jennifer

Tiffini, we have a 14yo finishing 9th grade soon with HOD RTR, and she LOVES dogs and animals, too. She said she would like to email with your dd. I will PM you.

Tiffini,

I just want to encourage you that we are also alone in homeschooling our high school aged son. He has no other friends who are high school aged who are also homeschooled, so we understand where you are coming from. Yet, I will encourage you that the high school years are truly the time when you begin to see real fruit in your child's life from the years of spiritual and academic training you have given your child up to this point.

These are the years with the most heartfelt talks, and the years where your child realizes why you are doing what you are doing in choosing to homeschool him/her. My son this year is a completely different person. He has always been a very headstrong child, and we butted heads in grade 7 and 8 at times, as he was pretty emotional during those years. Yet, he was growing and changing and we were molding him with God's help. He was not a rebellious son by any measure, but he was uncomfortable with his place in life and was seeking to find where he fit. Now, in grade 10, he is more comfortable in who he is, even though he realizes that he has a different background and upbringing than anyone else on our block or those who surround us. Even his cousins who were homeschooled through grade 8 went to public high school when they began grade 9, which made my son uneasy. However, I wouldn't miss this time with my son for the world.

These are the times that you have been leading up to on your homeschool journey. They are the moments that you have been working toward each day of each year. Homeschooling my son for high school has been the biggest and most unexpected blessing and gift for me on our homeschool journey. I have the privilege of being with my son during the day every day and of seizing the moments when he needs me most to have precious time with him. I get to watch him becoming the young man I always prayed he would become, and I can see him changing before my eyes.

If the Lord is calling you to homeschool through high school, He will bless your efforts beyond what you can expect. Be encouraged today!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
Your post just BLESSED me as I also have a daughter who will be entering 9th grade! Thank you for the encouragement.
Blessings,
April

I want to thank those who have replied and who expressed understanding. It is very good to know that we are not alone.

Carrie, thank you for replying and sharing your story and insights. Truly, I am already experiencing what you spoke of with my oldest dd. "Uncomfortable with his place in life" is a good way to put it. But I am seeing glimpses of her becoming comfortable with being "different" than most of those around her. Being different is harder the older and more aware the kids become, but it is so worth it as I look into the future and imagine all that God has in store for them. It is a joy beyond expressing watching her growth and maturity and this has given us the continued conviction to homeschool through the high school years. It is good to hear your experiences with your son, since my son coming up sounds similar. I love to hear the stories of those who have gone before us. I really am excited for the future!

I'm also so excited to see you and Julie again in Cincy in a few days and getting to order all of my new curriculum!!