Generation NeXt Parenting

Letter to Homeschool Parents of young kids:

Dear Homeschool Parent,

If you have two minutes to read this note, I hope you do. I'm writing it to encourage you, because I remember there were days in my homeschooling journey when I thought, "What am I doing? I'm ruining these kids. This is a a big mistake." Maybe you feel the same.

If you are homeschooling young kids you are in your TOUGHEST years. Things WILL get easier. Just remember to make it fun and don't get too stressed about the academic part of it. Homeschooled kids will learn. They DO excel! Interacting with you on a daily basis (learning faith and truth and love) will matter more than memorizing the presidents, honestly it will.

Just today Nathan (14) thanked me for homeschooling him. He watched a video about George Washington and was upset to learn that kids in school don't learn about the faith of our Founding Fathers. Yes, what you teach is important. Equally important is what your kids WON'T learn--humanistic philosophy, evolution, false history.

My kids are normal kids. Our school days were normal days. I'd give them work, they'd complain. I'd teach lessons, and they'd get bored. We read together, and we memorized Scripture. The kids entertained each other, and they fought daily. But we kept at it. They kept learning and growing. As high school approached, they did most of their work independently. I became more of a mentor rather than a teacher.

This year, Nathan (14) is watching DVDs from The Teaching Company for his curriculum. It's college-level, but he doesn't know that. All he knows is he really enjoys the lectures. And what I've learned is that his learning style is auditory, so this is the best teaching method for him!

Cory (19) graduated last May and he's in his fourth semester of college. He will get his AA this year and (God-willing) will have his AS and a certificate to be a personal trainer by next summer. He should have a BS in physical therapy by the before he's 22.

Leslie (16) is in her 2nd semester of college. She has a 3.7 GPA. She has always tried to keep up with her older brother, and her goal is to have her AA by the time she graduates high school.

AND THESE ARE THE KIDS I THOUGHT WOULD NEVER LEARN THEIR MULTIPLICATION TABLES!

Homeschooling trained my kids to learn and to work independently. It gave them a foundation of faith. It fostered close relationships between the members of our family. It allowed our kids time to explore the things that interested them. It connected them with other amazing, homeschooled kids. It allowed them to grow and learn according to their unique needs.

So, yes, today you may be ready to pull your hair out. Today the words Grammar, Geometry, and Geography make you shudder. But tomorrow you will have a kid who will be well-adjusted, loving, and will thank you for giving your time and your heart. Trust in that!

Keep it up!

Tricia

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 3:32 PM