What Would I Want to Know?

If I were just beginning the adventure of homeschooling I would want someone who had walked the path to tell me the truth and to tell me what was really important.  Being a homeschool mom is a tough job.  It's very tough!!  Not only do you have your household duties, but you have your children with you 24/7 (generally speaking).  If they are home with you there will be messes and lots of them.  You will never have a really quiet moment.  There is much activity---constantly.  There are incessant questions.  There are papers to proofread, books to read, laundry to fold, dishes to washes, food to cook, beds to make, math facts to drill, diapers to change, Bible verses to memorize..... and the list goes on!  And on!

There are also sweet moments of cuddles as you read with your little ones, deep discussions as you wash dishes with your older ones, fun times as you teach your middle ones to cook,  adventures to share as you study another time or place, the precious time of teaching your children to read and seeing that light switch on and always relationships to build and memories to treasure.

Last night I had an opportunity to share with some ladies who will begin the homeschooling journey with their families next year.  It's so easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed when we focus on the academics.  What math should you teach?  What should you use for grammar?  What about science, history and geography?  There are so very many methods and styles of homeschooling.  Unit study, classical, Charlotte Mason, textbooks, eclectic and unschooling.....which style do you choose?  So many decisions to make and really, each family must decide what fits them best.  What we have chosen for our family may not work in yours.  What we do this year may change in the next.  We are constantly evaluating our methods of homeschooling and the materials we use.

Parents must determine the course they will take for their family.   Parents must know why they choose to homeschool and what direction they wish to go.  They must have a vision and set goals for the family.  If you don't know where you are going or why, then what's the point?  I gave four goals to this small group of ladies last night.  I'm sure you could think of others, but I think these goals say it all and are in order of importance.  I fail to meet these goals in so many ways, but they do give me a direction to follow.

Goals for a Christian homeschooling family
1.  To be a family who loves the Lord.
2.  To be a family who loves each other.
3.  To be a family who loves to serve. (in the home, church, and community)
4.  To be a family who loves to learn.