The Lebahn Family was living an average life in the suburbs, with Austin going to work and Rebekah at home raising the family. The busy mother’s days were filled with children, school, and trips to the grocery store. In 2018, Austin Lebahn’s grandparents spoke about selling their nearby dairy farm and that changed the life of the younger Lebahns and their five children.
“We’d have maybe an hour of family time and then it would be time for bed,” said Rebekah of week days in their previous life. “I would be waiting for my kids to come home from school.” She wanted more time in a day with her children.
Rebekah was homeschooled up to college and Austin was homeschooled his last two years of high school. They met through a homeschooler’s sports program and when they met again in college, a romance blossomed. Five children later, they made a new commitment, this time to their family. They decided to take on farm life and homeschooling all at once (read here about the farm side of the Lebahn’s adventures).
“I grew up on a farm,” said Austin who was running a heating and cooling company with his father, Tim Lebahn. The father and son business partners purchased the 330 acre farm, from Tim’s parents, Kenneth and Delores Lebahn. It had been a dairy farm, but with guidance from Rebekah’s grandparents, Kenneth and Alice Highfill, who ran a cattle operation before retirement, the new farmers would run a beef and poultry farm and also sell eggs.
Of the many homeschooling programs offered, Rebekah and her three siblings were a part of an academic co-op called the Lighthouse Gang, currently Lighthouse Christian Academy. It was highly structured with parents teaching and their children attending, one day a week. During that day, students would get classwork, for the rest of the week, to take home and return to the academic co-op for review and testing.
“I just appreciate everyone that was before me because I didn’t understand how much they poured into others and their full time responsibilities were weighing on them at the same time,” said Rebekah whose mother taught anatomy at the co-op. Her mother, Laura Berry, worked nights, full time, as a nurse and saw to her children’s education in the daytime.
In addition to the academic co-op, Rebekah’s mother encouraged her children to participate in social co-op programs for homeschoolers. Rebekah played volleyball, was a cheerleader, in an astronaut club and was treasurer of her chess club. Austin played basketball.
“Once we started, I realized how much I was missing,” said Rebekah of her newfound time with her children. In May of 2018 they said their goodbyes at the children’s schools and started their new life, a few towns away in Mansfield, Missouri. Rebekah drew on her experiences to try out and shape her own style of teaching. “We learned a lot the first year. I was trying to emulate a school day environment which I quickly realized was not feasible.”
She had an active one year old, Talia. Their son Thatcher was deaf until he was three. He had just had surgery that completely replaced his hearing to one-hundred percent. There were new issues to address such as overstimulation from suddenly being able to hear, difficulty sleeping from the newness of sounds at night, and in turn, being tired during the day. It wasn’t working out for her or the children. She took a step back and found the local homeschooling social co-op.
“I had great mentors and friends that were loving me through that phase. And my husband was very supportive,” said Rebekah. The other home schooling mothers suggested a period of unschooling. It involved more playing, reading books to her children and having conversations. The kids were still learning, but it was a needed break. They found solutions to help Thatcher sleep better and Rebekah found a bookstore in Springfield, run by two homeschooling mothers, called Pilgrim’s Way. She said, “It was a breath of fresh air and we had rhythm in our days again,” of her newly established curriculum.
The Lebahn Family follows the Charlotte Mason style of homeschool learning which is more hands on, reading books out loud, going on nature walks and having children write about what they see. Rebekah teaches the core subjects from an aqua colored, well lit room full of windows, with classical music playing in the background and vistas of their farm on three sides.
“I like the freedom they have, to go at their own pace, pursue interests, and learn more applicable daily life skills,” said Austin of his children’s education. Rebekah differentiates the instruction according to each child’s level. Her oldest son, Tohbee, has “graduated” from the school room and often takes his assignments to work on independently. He said, “Mom lets me learn things on my own. I taught myself how to solve a Rubik’s cube; fly a kite better. I like reading books from the library about facts, along with war history, different cultures, countries, and joke books.”
In one of their typical days, Rebekah may start out the older, two girls with a book activity that is self-led within the curriculum, while she focuses on the younger ones. They take a break outside after the first round of learning. In keeping with the Charlotte Mason style of learning, there could be a nature walk with a narrative or drawing activity and sharing.
“I like our outside time, and science. I really like learning about our body and all the ways it does what it does,” said Temperance. They return and have a snack while Rebekah begins teaching science to all of the children as a group. The science reading usually leads into an activity, such as making a bird feeder or doing an experiment with a light bulb. When the kids are eating lunch, Rebekah reads history to them.
Aside from school lessons, the afternoons often involve farm chores or running errands. Rebekah also uses part of her afternoons for grading. She quickly learned to stay on top of grading, so she knows whether or not the kids are understanding the concepts being taught. When Austin is present, to work their family farm, the children are learning hands on farming activities with their father, like working with the tractor.
“Tohbee can air up my tire. He changes out the hitch if I need a different ball because I’m picking up tractors,” said Rebekah about her son’s practical skills. Of her husband working with the children, Rebekah said, “He is kind, he is patient. He’s so doting [especially with his daughters].”
One afternoon a week, after the Lebahn Family has their lessons, they join the social co-op, Ava (and surrounding area) Homeschool Co-op, so the children and Rebekah have socialization. Thatcher said, “I like soccer and gymnastics, park days, and playing with my friends.” During her second year of homeschooling, Rebekah offered to assist with activities at the co-op, as she had more of a handle on her time. The previous co-op leader said she was seeking a replacement. Rebekah was nervous.
“I stepped in as much as I could and did the best that I could. It was a learning curve. I wanted everything to be perfect. That’s gone out the window. Nothing is going to be perfect. People appreciated that,” said Rebekah. “I had a lot of people step up [to help with events]. A lot of grace is given to me and I appreciate that.”
One of the ways that Rebekah met the challenges of a rapidly growing group was to start a community page, so she wasn’t tasked with being the only person to answer questions. Most newcomers have multiple children and are also homesteading, so there is a need to address issues in addition to homeschooling. There were 120 families when she first took the lead, but with so many new families coming into the area, they now have 400 families on their contact list.
“I find satisfaction in welcoming these families,” said Rebekah. Part of the success of her co-op is what other parents are willing to offer through their networking, such as a member’s church opening a room to the group when the weather is cold. Other parents lead classes which Rebekah said she so appreciates. There is a homemaking class, a monthly S.T.E.M. based event, a game night for teens, and a story hour for preschoolers.
Rebekah is an organizer, with the co-op and at home. The running of her household functions around charts and lists. The kids earn one on one time with their mother on a chart focused on positive behavior; it could be a date with mom in a new park or shopping in the Dollar Store; they also like individual reading time with her. Homeschooling allows a flexible schedule. “I like the slower pace in my day. Wake up, enjoy my time, get my schoolwork done, go and do fun things,” said Tinsley.
Rebekah also gives individual attention by having the children help her in the kitchen, one child per meal. Not only does it give her one-on-one time with that child, but learning is still happening as they apply book knowledge to practical skills. “That’s my time with them. They’re learning things like half-cup measurements, how to broil, reading directions.” If the cookies they bake don’t rise, they learn to troubleshoot the issue.
“I like our dance parties,” said Talia. Rebekah added dance for physical movement and some silly time together. She also teaches them piano and sometimes connects lessons to the classical music playing during class time. To keep them up to speed with technology, the children research topics, learn typing and take art classes on-line on the family computer. Rebekah said, “I love the way homeschooling gives my children a love for learning. To be self motivated. To be self taught.”
In addition to the Ava Co-op link in the article, Rebekah can also be reached by email at rlebahn5@gmail.com
An article about the Lebahn Family building and running their farming operation is linked here.