What a development! The sacrifices we’ve made, the lessons we’ve learned, since choosing to homeschool our child 

My wife and I took a leap of faith, changing our entire lifestyle in May 2021 to homeschool our son and provide him with the kind of upbringing and quality education that totally aligns with our faith. 

Now, a little over two years later, we’ve seen our sacrifices pay off in ways we could have never imagined. 

First, let’s talk about the sacrifices. 

Before our son was born, we were a couple that one of my friends termed “DINKs”: dual income, no kids. It hasn’t been easy, but looking back, we wouldn’t change a thing. 

Financially, we weren’t rich, but we were very comfortable. If we wanted to buy something, we rarely had to weigh the costs and benefits. We just bought it. We could afford to dine out whenever and wherever we chose. We could travel when and where we wanted. We had luxuries such as high-speed internet, multiple streaming services and cable TV. 

If my wife wanted a new pair of shoes, we bought them. If I wanted a new Chiefs T-shirt, we bought it, no problem. We even had plenty left over to put away in savings. Money was not a serious concern for us then. 

All of that changed when we took the leap.  

When we decided I would stay home to raise, and eventually homeschool our child, we lost approximately one-third of our family’s income. We weren’t DINKs anymore. 

So, to make ends meet, we had to change everything about the way we used our income. We could no longer afford to dine out multiple times a week. We cut the cord on luxuries like cable and all our streaming services. We don’t travel much, and when we do, we stay with friends or family to make it affordable. And we rarely, if ever, have money to save. 

In short, we must weigh the cost and benefit of every purchase and every expenditure we make. 

Perhaps even bigger than the monetary sacrifice was giving up my career with the federal government. 

This was the kind of career many people dream of, with good pay, tenure after a couple of years and excellent benefits. It’s one thing sacrificing luxuries such as dining out, entertainment and traveling, but giving up the security, sense of belonging, relationships and friendships that come along with a career like that was particularly difficult. 

Now, for the good news. It has all been worth it! 

Our son’s development has been nothing short of remarkable – which we strongly feel is a direct result of the choice we made to trust God’s plan for us before he was born.  

At a time when the CDC has lowered its developmental standards for children, our son is thriving. Not only is he ahead of the current CDC milestones for childhood development, but he is ahead of the pre-existing standards too. And not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. 

His communication skills and awareness are such that almost anyone with whom he comes into contact is amazed. Educators who work with my wife, his Sunday school teachers, neighbors, other parents or people he meets in public – all ask when he started preschool and want to know which one. 

The looks on their faces when we tell them he’s only 2 and doesn’t attend preschool are priceless. The smiles he brings out are even more so. Even our pediatrician is surprised at the rate of development she sees in him between visits. 

His emotional development has been impressive too. He is very sweet and loving. He regularly tells us, his extended family, friends, other children and even his toys how much he loves them – which, he says, is “a lot!” Or, spreading his arms wide, he says “this much and more!” 

He shows empathy, too. If he hears someone cry, especially a baby or another child, he’ll attempt to soothe them. He also shares in the emotions of the characters in his favorite books, whether it’s happiness, excitement, sadness or another emotion.  

Just to be clear, my wife and I aren’t special. We haven’t done anything any other parents can’t do. Perhaps the only difference is, we simply made the decision to give him the best foundation we could. 

For our family, that meant changing everything to provide an in-home parent and to raise him ourselves. No daycare in the world can give him the one-on-one attention he gets from us. Our son’s development is the reward for that decision. 

And it isn’t just our son who has seen amazing development over the last couple years. My wife and I have as well – but that’s a story for another time. 

A little over two years ago, God gave us the gift of a beautiful, healthy baby boy. When He did, we felt called to give our son a more traditional, perhaps some would say old-school, upbringing. It hasn’t always been easy. In fact, sometimes it’s been downright difficult. 

But it’s always been worth it. God has made it all possible, and we thank Him every day. 

We realize every family is different and everyone’s financial situation is different. However, if you feel God is calling you to take a similar leap of faith for your children, do it. Whether it’s homeschool, Christian or private school, or having a stay-at-home parent like us, you won’t regret it. 

We don’t, and we believe God will reward your family just as He has ours.