When did I first hear about homeschooling?

I have come across a couple of different blog posts within the last couple of days which were linked up to The Homeschool Village and the linky about when we first learned about homeschooling and our reaction to it.  So, I figured, why not write my post.

Link up your History!  Share your post when did you 1st hear about homeschooling and what was your reaction?  Did you have a mentor to help you get started?

I will start by saying I always loved school and was looking forward to the school experience for my children.  I remember when my oldest was born, 18 years ago, we still lived in Queens, NY (one of the 5 boroughs of NYC).  I would pass by the local elementary school imagining what it would be like to take my son there in 5 years time for the first day.  Then we moved, and moved again, and again.  Anyhow, we made it to a rural Pennsylvania town and I started going to a Mennonite church with my friend and neighbor.  This was in the early to mid '90s.  I started attending regularly and eventually accepted the Lord and became a member of the church.  I really do not remember when I discovered 2 families in the church homeschooled.  (That number doesn't sound significant until you realize that, besides our family, there were only 5 families attending this church and only 3 of those had school aged children.) So, my first exposure to homeschooling was visiting my friend's house and realizing they had a neat side room arranged and devoted to school.  Shelves full of homeschool curriculum, nice neat desks, etc.  Their children were so well behaved and smart.  I was so impressed and wanted that for my children.  When my (now ex) husband and I moved into a different apartment in 1996 I thought we might be able to homeschool because we had the entire back apartment as storage and I thought I might be able to fix it up for a "classroom."  He would not allow me too.  He was not a Christian and anything that had to do with church he was against, and because the people at church were the ones homeschooling, and it was the reason I wanted to homeschool, he was dead set against it.  I didn't have very clear reasons on why I wanted to homeschool back then, but I knew I wouldn't win, so I let it go.  Four years later he filed for divorce anyhow and then I was forced to work to support the children, they had to go to a babysitter after school and I saw no way of homeschooling.  I know this is not to be a bash on public schools, but I do have to say I have seen my 3 older children struggle through the public school system and I am more determined than ever to homeschool my young children with my new husband.  When we moved to our new house and had an extra "bedroom" I started thinking about homeschooling again.  This was 3 years ago.  I still was envisioning a special school room being a necessity. After all the research I have done these few years I now know that not to be true. And my reasons for homeschooling have changed and multiplied.  I now realize I only wanted to homeschool 14 years ago because the other families were and I wanted to fit in.  Now I have real convictions on why I want to homeschool.

Head on over to this post I wrote earlier in the year to check out my reasons for homeschooling.