Homeschool Built on Christ
Posted by Mandy | 0 comments
So You’ve Chosen to Homeschool
Maybe you recently made this decision, or maybe you’ve been homeschooling for years, yet you feel unsure, lost, confused, and are left wondering, “Why, exactly, am I doing this? How do I do it?”
Start at the Beginning
Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. [Psalm 127:1]
Start with Yourself
When you build a new home, you must first clear the land. Sometimes that means clearing away an existing building. Often, we must clear away our own intentions, expectations, and preconceived notions before we begin homeschooling. If your children have already been in an institutional school, you may have to help them clear away those as well.
Start with Christ
Begin your journey with prayer. Pray about the method you should use and the direction you should take. Begin each day with prayer. If you section out subjects, you may want to even begin each subject with prayer.
Don’t be stubborn. Understand that God knows best, and be open to and aware of His direction. It is easy to get focused on your own plan and agenda. God knows your children’s strengths and weaknesses. You may feel they are behind. Stop comparing your children and yourself to other
homeschooling families. It’s not a race.
Remember, God is the architect. He has the blueprint. We need to follow it in order to have the outcome He desires.
Set the example
Inspirational author Wilferd A. Peterson said, “Our children are watching us live, and what we are shouts louder than anything we can say.” Peterson has a great point. If we want a lesson to stick, we need to teach by example. This is called discipleship. Jesus taught his followers by
walking the walk, not just talking the talk. We cannot expect our children to have a foundation in Christ if we don’t. We cannot expect our children to love learning if we don’t.
Keep your children close. Allow them to help out as much as possible. Yes, it will take longer. When they are young, give them a verbal “play-by-play.” Tell them what you are doing, and explain each step. Don’t rush it or be impatient. I know, this can be difficult to do, but the more you practice it, the easier it will be for you to do without feeling hurried. Be calm. Be kind. Be patient. That’s the key.
Sow the seeds
If your children seem uninterested in something like numbers or colors, you can easily sow the seeds of knowledge without sitting them down and cramming in lessons (which will only frustrate them). Go on walks, and point out the colors of flowers, cars, and houses. Count how many cars are in the driveways. Count how many windows on a house. When you start out, just point out that there are “two cars” in the drive way. “A red one and a yellow one!” After doing this several times, you can ask them the questions. “How many cars in that driveway? What colors are they?” When you give your children directions, use colors and shapes if possible. For example, “Sally, can you pick up the green, rectangular box of wipes?”
Find little ways to sow the seeds. Allow your children to “catch you” praying. Allow them to say a prayer when you begin a session or before a meal. If everyone around the table wants to say a prayer at lunch time, allow it.
Children are known to have endless questions. Try turning the tables! Ask them the questions. Get their opinions, ideas, and thoughts. Here are some great lead-ins for questions.
“How do you feel when…?”
“How do you think ____ feels when…?”
“What do you think we should do in this situation?”
“Why do you think…?”
“What would you do…?”
Psalm 37:5 reads, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Commit your way. Commit your life. Not parts of it; all of it. We have a tendency to separate “church from state,” so to speak, but the bible says we need to be in Christ and Him in us. If that is so, then there is no separation at all. Let God guide you, let God guide your home, and let God guide your schooling.
Over the next few months, we’ll explore these areas more in depth, so stay tuned!
Mandy is a homeschool graduate who has set out to homeschool her three young munchkins in an unschooling meets discipleship method. In her column “Delightfully Discipled,” she gives a glimpse into the curious minds of her children as they follow their natural instincts to explore the heights and depths of knowledge and are led though Godly discipleship. She blogs at MandyMom.com and Noggin News.
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