I never enjoy accepting help, particularly homeschool help. I’ve always had a very independent personality. In fact, whenever my grandma talks about me as a child, she always talks about one thing—how self-sufficient I was, even as a toddler. And I never really grew out of it. Even now, I hesitate to pick up the phone to ask a friend to watch the kids. And if someone asks me how homeschooling is going, the answer is often an enthusiastic “Great!” even if I cried five times the day before.

Homeschooling Is Hard

But the Lord is slowly working to cut away at that thick, hard shell of pride that has enveloped me. He’s used my circumstances to show me how weak I really am and how much I do need help. One of the circumstances that He has used is homeschooling.

When I first started homeschooling, I had no idea how hard it was going to be. I was a homeschool grad, and my parents made it look pretty easy. But I realize now that there were so many things that I didn’t see as a child. I never saw the late night grading marathons or planning sessions, the early morning prep-work, the constant challenge of balancing homeschooling with the rest of life. I started wishing that my whole kitchen had a self-clean feature. It didn’t take me long to realize that homeschooling is hard. Really hard.

Not Going It Alone

Thankfully, that first year, my husband had the foresight to know that I couldn’t do it all alone. I was going to need to accept some homeschool help whether or not I wanted to admit it. He encouraged me to include a few BJU Press Distance learning courses alongside the textbook subject kits that we ordered. Initially, we used Bible 2, English 2, and Science 2—only three courses, but what a difference they made!

I decided that year that I loved BJU Press Distance Learning courses. Here’s why:

• They held my daughter’s attention. In fact, I never felt that I had to sit with her to make sure she was paying attention. I was free to do other things—like clean the kitchen—while knowing that she was getting an incredible education.
• They enhanced my daughter’s learning experience in a way that I never could. These courses include features such as video tours, interviews, and dramas. Replicating the same experience would have taken me hours—hours that, as a homeschool mom, I didn’t have.
• They did all the hard work for me. I didn’t have to think about how to pace the course, how to grade her work, how to make each lesson interesting, or how to explain a difficult concept. Now, they didn’t eliminate all the work; I still had to grade papers and do some prep work, but overall these courses saved me tons of time.

As our children grew—we have three school-age children now—we have added more Distance Learning courses. These video courses have not just become important timesavers for me—they have become sanity savers. I’m honestly not sure how our homeschool would function without them.

If you’re looking for help in your homeschool, I would highly recommend that you try a Distance Learning course. Preview any of the courses on the BJU Press YouTube Channel, and check the special offers page for current discounts. You’ll be amazed at the difference Distance Learning can make!