Dear Homeschool Mom.
As I type this letter I want to talk about things that I wish someone had talked to me about when I first started homeschooling.
1. Curriculum ain't all that. :) It isn't REALLY. BUT it can certainly be helpful. :) Curriculum is merely an aid in teaching our children. It can help to shape minds, teach important concepts and save us time.
It can also lock us into a set pattern or way of doing things that may not prove beneficial and you know what... THAT'S okay! Sometimes curriculums are just not a good fit. It provides an opportunity to do one of a few things... rework that curriculum into something usable, find a new home for the non-working curriculum and then find a new curriculum, or fight your way through what you have at hand.
As I type this letter I want to talk about things that I wish someone had talked to me about when I first started homeschooling.
1. Curriculum ain't all that. :) It isn't REALLY. BUT it can certainly be helpful. :) Curriculum is merely an aid in teaching our children. It can help to shape minds, teach important concepts and save us time.
It can also lock us into a set pattern or way of doing things that may not prove beneficial and you know what... THAT'S okay! Sometimes curriculums are just not a good fit. It provides an opportunity to do one of a few things... rework that curriculum into something usable, find a new home for the non-working curriculum and then find a new curriculum, or fight your way through what you have at hand.
2. It's okay to take a day away from school....and not worry about turning it into a field trip or a hands on learning day or a.. whatever you think you SHOULD make it. Just take your day. I did this recently when I had a whole whack of outdoor work to do and a single sunny day in which to get it done. :) I worked hard, the lad pitched in here and there, and we had a productive day.... just not a schooling day. And you know what? Today he did his schooling and didn't complain a whit about doing it until he ran into a snag and then figured a way out of the snag (of his own doing too!). :) I was so pleased with him for figuring it out on his own and not needing me to help him. :)
3. It's okay to be different from those around you. Seems a simple thing to say isn't it? But it's hard. When everyone around you schools using workbooks and hands on experiments and whatever else, it can be hard to school in your own way. It's hard not to compare your way with another persons, or for people to query what you are doing and why. It's a part of who we are.
But I want you to rest assured. You know your child(ren) best. If you love them, and watch them, and pray over them... God will guide your path in the training and raising of them. Train them up in the way they should go. And let the rest be.
But I want you to rest assured. You know your child(ren) best. If you love them, and watch them, and pray over them... God will guide your path in the training and raising of them. Train them up in the way they should go. And let the rest be.
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