A Life Well-Lived and Traveled

We are a family of three, gifted with one child, our son, Rafael. I am 43 and have been a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) since I married. Having a family is a dream I am thankful God has fulfilled for me. My husband, Emmanuel, is 45, the head and the sole provider in our family. I am so grateful for his job and that he can provide for us.

Approaching our 13th year of marriage, I enjoy and continue to focus on dedicating my whole heart and time to take care of my husband and son’s welfare.

Rafael is now 11 years old and currently finishing 6th Grade with Seton. He also attends as a 6th grader in a traditional Spanish school here in Argentina. Yes, he has been enrolled in 2 schools for four years now, Seton and his Spanish school “Pablo Pizzurno.”

The Best of Two Worlds

He enjoys doing both, starting his day at Spanish school and finishing his day homeschooling. His brick-and-mortar school has helped Rafael learn and improve his Spanish, develop social skills, make friends, and become disciplined. His time there is more enjoyable too because he studied the work in advance with Seton.

We began with Seton in 2019 and are very thankful for how Seton has helped us in many aspects of our lives. It was a challenge at first because, having no experience with homeschooling, we were hesitant about our decision to homeschool our only son.

We’ve been living in different countries, which made it difficult for us when it comes to the education of our child.

It was not an easy decision, but we chose to try the Seton curriculum as it is parallel to the educational program of our country, the Philippines. Moreover, we were attracted by the religious involvement of its teachings as we were educated in Catholic schools.

As mentioned earlier, my husband is the only provider. He has a good job but relocating has been challenging. It became more complicated when Rafael started schooling, but we never considered living apart from each other. We’ve always thought the best solution was for us to be together.

Rafael began schooling at age 4 in a traditional school in the Philippines. We have lived in Havana, Cuba; Guam; the Philippines; and now, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The challenge started when we moved here. The language barrier was the main hurdle we had to deal with since schools require students to speak their language. Argentina is a Spanish-speaking country, with only 15% of the population able to speak English.

It’s been challenging to not only learn and adapt to the culture but to the language too. However, we lifted everything to God and prayed for His will for us. We accept and trust that He will continue to guide us in any situation. Fortunately, Rafael was able to enter the school. Adjusting was challenging for him, and we noticed that the curriculum was not as advanced as we had in the Philippines. That is when we began considering homeschooling.

A Guided Path

My husband and I are products of the traditional schools. We had no homeschool experience, so the idea of teaching Rafael at home intimidated us. However, Seton helped me overcome my fear.

The precise and concrete explanation of their materials helped guide me. I know that no matter where we go, my child’s education will always be sufficient. We also needed help with time management, but with the sample schedule provided by Seton, it became easy to prioritize the duties that we must accomplish.

I never thought that I would become a teacher for Rafael. Initially, I was hesitant and intimidated, but with prayer and patience, my confidence grew and Rafael excelled in academic and non-academic subjects.

Now, I am confident and can guarantee that my son has the finest education, and I am grateful that he is growing up with the values we want to instill in him.

The experience of being his teacher has been my ultimate satisfaction knowing I could fulfill my duties as a mother.