I was trying to think about my own experience of how I was homeschooled and I was surprised about the thoughts that started coming to me. I don’t really remember in great detail the different “school” subjects that were taught but I do remember different morals, values or disciplines that my parent’s taught me. I remember that they taught me to think critically about things. Still to this day, I remember my Dad say “You take the meat and leave the bones”. When I hear or read or see something I know to line it up to the word of God and not just accept it because of how it sounds. I remember that I was told by my parents numerous times that I could do anything and be anything that I wanted to be. After my homeschool experience, I had confidence that there wasn’t much I couldn’t do with my life if that’s what God wanted. I had a strong foundation in the Lord so that when they sent me back to highschool, no one could change my mind about what I should believe in and why I should believe it. I also remember how they instilled marriage values that I apply today in my marriage. My Dad would always say “Don’t forget you always date your mate”
My mom was probably what you would call “A Relaxed Homeschooler”. We did all the subjects but she was relaxed about schedules and how much we did. I think part of the reason all my syblings and I homeschool our children is because she didn’t “Burn” us out on homeschooling. The school subjects are important and they are needed so that our kids can be furthered in accomplishing what God wants, but its the moral and values that we daily encourage our kids with that they will remember. I need to be reminded that I have this rare opportunity to speak into their life and help shape them into who God wants them to be. Every one of my kids are “world changers” who will be used for God’s glory. May he give me the wisdom on how to partner with Him in the process.
Things I wish my parent would have done differently. I was a very structured kid, so the other side of it, is that I wish there had been a little more sturcture. My mom ran a home daycare and my dad helped with the homeschooling too. Things were always different everyday of the week so I knew that that was probably a hard thing to accomplish. I wish my parents hadn’t let me go to public highschool. I did great in highschool but I think I would have done better in homeschooling. I would have learned more and been able to explore my own interests and hobbies. Public highschool to me, at the time, was a waste of time. I have a theory about homeschoolers and public students. I think it takes longer for a homeschooler to mature when they are young because they do not have the peer pressure around them to get them to grow up quicker, but I think once they start to mature, they keep maturing thru out middle school and highschool. The public school student matures quicker but in highschool stops maturing for awhile because they are surrounded by peers their same age and do not have any mature people around them to help them to notice their immaturity. This is obviously not the norm for everybody, but its interesting to think about.
My encouragement to my fellow homeschool mom’s is to say to you, it is worth it! Every battle that you fight with your little ones. Every prayer you send up to heaven on their behalf. All your time and energy that you are choosing to pour out on these wonderful God given “World Changers” is worth it! God has called you to a great mission of shaping these little ones into who they are meant to be. I think of Mary the mother of Jesus, or Queen Esther or David or Joseph and I ask myself…who in the world were their parents? What awesome things did they instill into these kids that they would do the great and mighty things that they are known for. We do not know if in our very home if the next Queen Esther or the next King David or the next Thomas Edison or the next president is living right under our very roofs. I had a friend recently encourage me with a quote from a pastor I like to listen to and he said “God is in a good mood! All He asks is that we partner with Him” I love that quote because it reminds me that I am not alone in the homeschool journey and all I have to do is partner with God and these beautiful children will be raised up to be the men and women of God that they are supposed to be.
Those are my thoughts for now…Loving God, Loving Homeschooling
Good Night:)
Living the Adventure 