BFS #101 - Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

My worst struggles? Where do I even begin?!? I'm the president of a local homeschool group, I'm not supposed to have struggles!! Didn't anyone tell you that? Seriously though, there have been many struggles in our homeschool adventures, but the benefits and rewards far outweigh them, so the struggles really don't matter much. God is always reminding me to depend on Him completely and when I try to take on too much myself, the weight only brings me down. My children are wonderful, I love them both dearly. They love learning so far, but there are days where we all simply want to close the books, put away the school supplies and go out and have fun! Sometimes when a concept is too difficult, it's best to wait until attention spans can last longer. When we're too tired from the stresses in life (for us it's been because my Dad is dying), it's good to sit down, watch a good movie, play a fun game, or just spend quality time being together.

I used to be the type of homeschool mom where I felt that every single problem in every single book had to be done. Oh baby, I am SO over that!!! I can remember days where I felt so bogged down with books, that I was ready to send my kids off to public school. One day several years ago, I even took my teachers book and threw it across the room and said "School's out for the day, I quit!" My son was happy, but shocked that I threw my book! (Yes, I apologized for my childish behavior, but honestly, it did feel good to throw the book!)

Now-a-days, if my children understand how to do something and do it well, we skip the rest of that section and move on. After all, how many public schools do you know go through and complete every single page in every single book they give the students on day one!?! None that I know of. We usually have a 4 day school week, with the 5th day being make up and educational extras, but sometimes other things come up. It's OK to put the books aside once in a while. This past year we had our son tested for the very first time. We were VERY nervous, but you know what? He passed with flying colors! So, either he's very smart and doesn't need school (which is highly doubtful!), or we're doing something right! Bottom line is this...teach your children how to learn so it's fun, what to learn, how to apply it in their lives, and they'll go far! Our number one priority is to keep God in the center of all we do. That makes school so much more fun!

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."