Jul

6

What Is Your Purpose?

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

July 6, 2007 |

As long as I have been homeschooling I have seen it (and done it) all. One of the biggest problems I see in ALL homeschoolers, new and not so new, is that we feel like we need to do it all. It isn’t good enough to give our kids an education..nope..we have to surpass any OTHER education possible…So we stress over if we are getting enough math, if we should start 2 or 3 languages in kindegarten and which spelling program to use. And ultimately we burn out.
That burn out is a good thing, if you are experiencing it. Some people stop and give up at that point but since you are reading this I am assuming you are searching for encouragement and a solution.
Here it is.
What is it that you are trying to achieve?
I don’t care what the commercials say you can’t have it all. The trick to long term, sucessful homeschooling is to decide what your goals are and set your face like flint toward them. Not to say that you shouldn’t be flexible within those goals..but just that you should have something you are trying to achieve.
For our family, MArc and I decided that having 8 rocket scientists would be excellent for our retirement plan but that that would not be a good eternal goal. So our first goal is that our children grow up to be:
1. Dedicated to Christ in all they do
2. Responsible, well adjusted adults
3. Mature, compassionate, kind, dedicated
4 Have common sense
5. Have a love of learning

O.k..notice that none of those things forces me to jam the multiplication tables down their throat at age 2? Not that they should not learn multiplication but it does take the pressure off!
Reviewing those goals often helps me to keep learning difficulties in perspective. We can plan and prioritize our days/weeks/months without feeling like failures if we are unable to complete what is scheduled in any particular time period.
Because really, we all have those seasons in our lives where not only are academics NOT the priority but they shouldn’t be!
Last summer the kids at church were challenged by the kids church pastor to give sacrificially to missions. I have real issues with churches asking for pledges from adults and when they ask kids to pledge money it does get under my skin..but my daughter told her kids pastor that, although she could not pledge, she wanted to give.
She came home and asked if she could sell bread. At 11 she makes a pretty good loaf of whole wheat (freshly ground wheatberries) bread and I saw no reason why she shouldn’t. She spent time making flyers, making labels, grinding flour, making bread and distributing it ..and she gave well over one hundred dollars.
During that time some of her school assignments did not get done. I let it go, not because I am lackidaisical (gosh, is that how you spell that?) with her education but because she was getting another kind of education and developing skills and character traits that she would have a hard time developing within the pages of a text book. I felt no guilt or stress because she was operating within the bounds of my priority list…she was learning to serve and learning compassion. She raised the most money amoung the kids, went back to her academics and is richer for the experience.
I ask you again, if you are feeling frustrated, pushed, overscheduled and burnt out..What are your goals and priorities for your children long term? Write a list of 4-6 of them and use that to order your steps.
:) Your are doing great! Keep up the good work!

One of the websites that I really like is The Well Drained Mind Several people write it and it is alwan excellent place to go for encouragement and laughter, thoughtful words and advice. Give it a try!


Comments

4 Comments so far

  1. Summer on July 6, 2007 5:10 pm

    Welcome! Glad to see the homeschool blog here is picking up. :) I’m a homeschooler myself so I love reading others. I keep a homeschool blog on top of my mommy blog here at Content Quake. you can check it out at http://momisteaching.com

  2. Mom Is Teaching » Blog Archive » Do you have a purpose? on July 9, 2007 9:27 am

    [...] read an interesting post this weekend at Home School Central called What is your purpose? She shared her top five goals for homeschooling and talks about not putting so much pressure on the [...]

  3. Maureen on July 10, 2007 8:21 pm

    Hey….we’re blogging about the same general topic!

    Please consider participating in the “Vision Project”.

  4. homeschool on July 10, 2007 8:50 pm

    hi Maureen..I will! I need things to settle a little first..right now my vision is to survive the season God has me in with Marc’s illnes and all… :(

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