Some more thoughts

When my brother told me that friends of his had read my "Day in the Life" post and became convinced they could not homeschool, I was amazed! Didn't you all notice I don't get up until after 8:00?! We only do formal schooling for at most 3 hours, from 9:30-12:30 except for Wednesday, where we do history in the afternoon?! I thought people would be ready to turn us in because our schedule was too light! LOL! The problem with writing down your schedule is that is everything sounds too neat and tidy--like everything just runs like clockwork. Well, sometimes that is true, but often it isn't! and the addition of each baby and each child who is ready to start formal schooling really plays havoc with whatever schedule I may have had. That's why I felt like I had to start homeschooling when Nathan was in kindergarten--so I could ease into it all. Believe me, there is nothing intimidating about teaching kindergarten to your own child! There are a zillion workbooks out there, even at Sams and WalMart! As I got more into homeschooling, I did more research and found different curricula I used, as well as different homeschooling styles. It was all gradual though.

Nathan is in third grade, so think back to your third grade class. You probably went to school form 8:00-2:30 or so. Your teacher would spend a long time going over various concepts a bunch of different ways in hopes of getting the slowest kid to understand while you were bored silly. You read little snippets of stories for "literature" and "reading comprehension". You were assigned several book reports of differing styles, ensuring that reading would also be "work". You did a lot of worksheets and busywork, and then you still had homework to do when you got hime. You were happy to not be learning, since it was so boring.

Well, in a nutshell, that's what I hope not to achieve with our homeschooling. I think that one of the most important things I could teach is how to learn and enjoy learning. Along with that goes a love of reading . Schools mainly focus on passing along information, especially if they must teach to tests. I can go deeper and help my children want to learn stuff on their own, as well as follow their own interests and move along in sujects as soon as one skill is mastered. I don't have to help 20 people understand a concept--just one! That's MUCH easier! I can surround my kids with great books so that reading is something they choose to do for fun--and why not?! The books are interesting and exciting, and you learn all sorts of cool stuff!

Really, every parent should be a "homeschooler", even if you contract out the academics. You have to be the one to model a love of learning, to encourage your kids to follow up on their own interests by taking special "field trips" with them, getting books out of the library that they find interesting, and so on. A teacher in a classroom simply can't focus all her attention on your child, so that part is up to you.

And if you are a Christian parent, God has called you to "homeschool" your child's character. (Deut. 6:6-8) He will be holding YOU responsible--not your child's school teacher--for the character development of your child. That requires you to search out teachable moments and stories that illustrate the Godly principles you are trying to impart. You must know your child and spend time with him to see what areas he is weak in, so you know what God wants you to be focusing on.

So in conclusion (finally!), instead of thinking that you could never homeschool, start thinking about how you already are or will be. And be open to the possibility that God may at some point call you to homeschool the academics too. That shouldn't scare you though--God ALWAYS provides the strength and ability to do the things to which He has called you. He is faithful! I am a testament to that! In some future post, I'll tell about how I knew that I would never homeschool (LOL!), as well as some of our shortcomings here, so you know I am definitely not up on some pedestal as "super mom" or anything. But for now, this post is long enough . . .

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or
imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen!"

Ephesians 3:20-21