La Mamá is the Best Teacher Ever!

I had been an elementary teacher in Lima, Peru, for 13 years when I began dating Viviano. Ours was a long-distance relationship, and we communicated via webcam.

As our relationship developed, Viviano shared that if we were to marry, we must homeschool our kids and be open to life and a big family. Initially, I thought to be open to life and a big family? That’s my dream come true, but homeschool? What is this? I didn’t have any idea, and, at that time, the word homeschool didn’t exist in my mind, my vocabulary, or the Spanish dictionary.

My good friend Gina told me it’s a huge blessing if your future husband gives you those conditions. In Peru, most moms must work long hours to support their families and send their children to school. Gina told me, “You will be so blessed, and your children, too.” But still, I wasn’t 100% confident to say yes to Viviano.

Viviano saw my doubts via webcam and introduced me to his sister. She homeschools with Seton. We met by webcam, and she showed me her beautiful classroom with her two oldest kids, Ben and Bella. They were around seven years old.

I talked with them—very respectful kids, happy, innocent, and pure, like angels. When I saw that, I thought, I want this for my family. It’s all that I have dreamt of since I was a child: to have a big family, have my own school, and be the teacher of my kids.

As Viviano says, “The mom, la mama, is the best teacher ever!”

I Said Yes to it All

So, I said yes to this new adventure of husband, family, language, culture, country, and homeschooling.

Now, after 15 years in the USA, I have no regrets. I am so blessed that I said yes to Viviano and the best Homeschool Program ever, Seton Home Study School.

Looking back, I can tell moms whose first language is English that Seton Home Study is a piece of cake. Read each assignment thoroughly, study, and persevere. You will succeed.

But, if you run into a problem or need help understanding an instruction, call or email the counselors. They are patient and helpful, encouraging me to contact them as needed.

Today, our oldest, Santiago, is 14 and in eighth grade. I started him in Seton’s Pre-Kindergarten. Next is Maria de Jesus, she is 13 and our seventh grader. Francisco is 12 and in fifth grade. Maria Fe del Rosario is ten and in fourth grade. Maria Angelica is eight and in third, and our youngest, Antonio, is seven and in second grade. This is my sixth year teaching second grade, and I am kind of an expert in that grade.

Each of our kids is unique, with different personalities and ways of learning. Seton fits them all and can even adjust if there are special needs. Best of all, our Catholic Faith is integrated into all the subjects, which is wonderful as I am learning about our Faith with my kids.

Usually, our schedule is morning Mass, breakfast, homeschool, and sometimes noon Mass if we don’t go that morning, and then lunch.

In the afternoon, homework, extra activities, dinner, reading about the saint of the day or another book about our Catholic Faith, and quizzing the kids about what they read. At the end of our day, we pray the Rosary.

Faith is the Center of Our life

Talking about praying the Rosary, through the Seton Magazine and Seton Educational Media catalog, I found the Children’s Rosary DVD that I highly recommend. It helped us to pray the Rosary as a family. The Rosary is a beautiful devotion and has led us to other devotions, including Divine Mercy. Like Father Peyton used to say, “The family that prays together stays together.” I love that phrase.

The flexibility of the Seton program gives us time for receiving our sacraments, participating in devotions, daily Mass, the Rosary, and making holy hours.

This flexibility also allows my kids to participate in our Parish, St John the Baptist. The girls are in Little Flowers, my two oldest boys are altar servers, and all my kids go to Junior Legion of Mary every Thursday.

I was asked what are the greatest benefits of homeschooling. I said I am blessed to be in control of our children’s education and so thankful that we’re enrolled in a remarkable program focused on Faith, knowledge, and virtues.

I’m so glad I said yes all these years ago. Homeschooling our kids is an amazing grace.