An Investment in Knowledge Pays the Best Interest

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” When my husband and I began homeschooling in 1994, this was our philosophy. We knew it would require a great deal of hard work and sacrifice, as it is with anything that’s truly rewarding in life. Yet, the task seemed daunting.

Our decision to homeschool was multifactorial. First of all, while we believe that academic education is important, we realized that life encompasses much more than that. We wanted our children to achieve our perception of true success, which goes far beyond financial prosperity. To us, it meant that they would possess a love for God, strong moral characters, unquenchable thirst for learning, thriving relationships, and well-rounded knowledge.

Our hope was that this knowledge would not only help them excel in life but also empower them to impact the lives within their sphere of influence.

We also recognized that being in a classroom with peers day in and day out is an artificial setting which is not the most conducive for learning life skills. Looking at my own education, I attended private school and felt that I was prepared academically but hadn’t acquired other skills that would have been extremely useful- not only for my career, but for my personal life.

Additionally, anyone with children readily recognizes that each one is undoubtedly unique. We desired to give our sons the individual attention tailored to their specific personalities, strengths and challenges. We believed that his would allow them more time and flexibility to pursue their passions.

Fast forward 26 years, and we can see the fruits of our labors.

Each of our sons have integrity, growth mindsets, are strong leaders, best friends, and find their joy in giving. Our 28-year old eldest son has traversed the world as a sought-after photographer, graphic artist and entrepreneur. Our second born is an ER doctor at 26 years old, beginning his residency this summer. Our third born (22) plans to attend law school in the fall, having received several scholarships, including a full ride. Our 20-year old is an ambitious investor and entrepreneur.

We attribute their success, first and foremost to the grace of God. There were countless days that we felt as if we were failing, and tempted to give up, yet His mercies were new every morning. He gave us the foresight to place emphasis on developing critical life skills that go beyond the “three Rs” of education.

Through much effort, we struggled to supplement our curriculum with educational resources pertaining to: leadership skills, communication proficiency, business expertise, health and wellness, financial stability, conflict-resolution tools, time management skills, career planning, and techniques on establishing a growth mind-set.

But it was a cumbersome, time-consuming and burdensome task to tackle!

As technology became woven into the fabric of our lives, it became more challenging to resonate with our young people in a language they would understand. We also experienced difficulty in keeping them self-accountable, and motivated.

I now know that there is a much easier way.

Had Life and Career Prep courses and software been available to us, it would have saved us much time, money and frustration.

Utilizing technology, we can now transfer life-skills knowledge to young people in a format that will engage them and prepare them for the real world.  This can help home educators and co-ops more efficiently manage their goals, reaching this generation of students in a way that will motivate them and provide self-accountability.

Although our boys are now grown, we continue to be passionate about transferring knowledge to parents and young people. And, we’re also excited to share lessons learned, many of them from our mistakes and failures. We are just an average family, flawed and imperfect. When we were first embarking on this journey, we truly appreciated those that were willing to share their wisdom with us. There is much to be gained in the older conveying their experiences with the younger, and we consider it a privilege!