How Homeschooling Helped Us Build Faith, Talents, and Skills

Homeschooling is so important to our family because we think it provides the best means for us to achieve our goal of reaching heaven.

With homeschooling, we have an environment in which our Faith is nurtured and can flourish. It also provides the flexibility and independence we need to develop our child’s talents and hone his skills. These things are often overlooked in the traditional brick and mortar classroom.

As parents, we are responsible for training our child in Christian virtues, impressing upon him the reasons he has to follow his elders, obey the laws, learn about his faith, and behave with gentleness, kindness, and generosity.

As homeschoolers, we feel confident we have covered those basics, but also have had time to explore more advanced and valuable lessons that Benedict Joseph would not have been exposed to in a regular school setting.

Also, the flexibility of homeschooling allows us to have time for activities, like altar boy practice, piano lessons, and sports. These pursuits give us the opportunity to teach our son about morality (which unfortunately, is found so wanting in a pagan world) scholastic pursuits, or society in general.

I love that homeschooling is always based on what our child is ready for. Because of that, we always try to tap into those areas at which he will excel. For Benedict, one area was music.

Finding What’s Right For Us

Benedict Joseph took up piano lessons when he was five. Seton had indicated music education, specifically piano and violin lessons, help students tremendously, so that was an area we were ready to explore.

He is now 10 years old, and last month, he qualified for scholarship performance with the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association. He did well, playing two pieces from the Royal Conservatory of Music’s author Janet Geick’s “The Trucker” and “The Juggler.”

He recently gained a gold medal scholarship award with the local music teachers’ association, and last weekend, he garnered an honorable mention at the scholarship recital.

We are very proud of what he has done to develop his musical talents and know the flexibility of homeschooling has played a significant part in it all.

Seton also emphasized that participating in sports is important. Benedict Joseph took up swimming lessons and found this was an ideal fit for him. He is now level seven out of ten. Once he reaches level 10, he will be qualified as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.

Grounded in Faith

He is a member of the Federation of North American Explorers. Seton’s emphasis in traditional homeschooling and love for the Eucharist and the Sacraments also coincide with the FNE’s goals. More than any achievements in life, his spiritual development is of greater importance.

We chose Seton Home Study School because we knew the curriculum teaches him to be grounded thoroughly in the Catholic faith through the Baltimore Catechism, Catholic art, and history.

I like Seton because the subjects are both flexible and “meaty”. There is always something to learn in every subject.

I appreciate the great service we get from the patient staff when there is something we don’t know, and I feel like we could ask about anything under the sun and they would help.

They do not just say, “We’ll pray for your family”, but listen and send complementary literature and suggestions on how we can handle any concerns.

Seton has helped us in tremendous ways to overcome educational challenges. At one point, it was time to memorize the multiplication facts, and there was a struggle. I called one of the counselors, and she was so generous and was gracious enough to send me some tables and instructions on how to use them daily.

It was my biggest challenge. I felt Seton was supporting me, and I know Seton staff are parents who have overcome challenges like mine, and they are always happy to pass along helpful tips and information they had learned.

What we like most about Seton is that the staff is genuine, faithful Catholics, who are parents and teachers. We appreciate that Seton books are researched well and written with substantial information that is never boring or too light. The texts incorporate Catholic stories and art in all subjects.

Putting It All Together

Our Catholic faith plays an important role in our schooling and family life in ways too numerous to count. When life situations arise that may compromise who we are, as individuals, we always ask ourselves, “Is this acceptable to God, and are we serving the purpose He wants for us?”

In our schooling, we pause and pray the Angelus, morning offering, Divine Mercy chaplet, and most especially, the Holy Rosary as a family. We read the Bible and lives of the Saints. We go to Mass, adoration, and interact with fellow families and the Catholic Federation of North American explorers, whom we find traditionally practice the Catholic faith powerfully through kneeling when receiving Communion and respecting others and oneself.

We start our day by praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart, reciting the morning offering, prayer to St. Michael and the Memorare. We then proceed to doing chores, such as preparing breakfast, organizing, and feeding the pets. During summer, we walk to church, go to Adoration, and play at the playground.

We then do our schoolwork. We make religion our first subject of the day. We do memory work from the Baltimore Catechism. We do floor exercises afterwards. If this is not possible, we take a walk outside in the afternoon as a family.

During lunchtime, we read more Baltimore Catechism, continue with the subjects, and do light chores. Piano lessons, sports, and FNE meetings make up the bulk of our afternoons and weekends.

Our family has a veil apostolate, Fleur de Lis Veils, and from this, our son Benedict’s interest in website design, programming, and entrepreneurial skills are developed and applied, while learning to value the sanctity of life, and devotion to the Eucharist.

A piece of advice I would like to offer to new families is not to despair. You can do it! If something is hard at first glance, it is not the end of the world. Homeschooling affords the opportunity to learn Godly values and protect to our children until they are ready for the world.