Is Hassle- and Worry-free Schooling Possible? Part 1

The number of ways to homeschool is limitless.  Families who use the exact same supplies do not school in the same way.  The books may sound familiar, but the commonalities could easily end there.  Even within a family, a parent may school her children differently.  One child works well independently, another needs mom right by her side for everything.  One learns best by listening and still another has to keep his hands busy for any hope of processing the lesson. 

This is why...

These possibilities and freedom for diversity is the richness that is homeschooling.  Each and every homeschooling child has the opportunity for an individually tailored education.  I think it is a good sign when I see differences in homeschooling.  It takes thought and purpose to develop a lifestyle that enhances family life, and it will look different from family to family—and even year to year. 

Sadly, there does seems to be a commonality in homeschool families I see, especially those in the first four or five years.  The most devastating part of this is that it has no place in any home where Christ is Lord.  It is the worry I see that breaks my heart.  The frantic, desperate and even fear-driven atmosphere doesn’t help learning and it throws the worst kind of monkey wrench into a smoothly running family.

...I homeschool.

I said that I see this most often in families at the beginning of their homeschool lives.  I think this is because time gives perspective.  When we can see first-hand—Oh, Lord let us learn by seeing, rather than having to experience every painful road—the futility of fretting over the details during the homeschool day, we learn to relax.  

Think about parenting in general.  You know the stereotypical first time mom who fusses over every sniffle and owie.  They pore over the experts’ books, and panic at every milestone.  On the other hand, the mom who has five or six kids has learned that the kids heal, the kids are resilient and that the momma-hearts don’t need all that fluster.

The same is true for homeschooling.  We begin with the charts and standards.  They need to read by February 3, know their addition facts up to twelves by March 6 and really should understand the digestive system before May 17.  And if we are going to finish that workbook by June 1, we need to do four pages every day. 

Experience teaches us that meeting those deadlines at the expense of learning, relationship and self-esteem doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  We realize they will get it.  The question is, will they get it and still be in one piece?

Just like the wise mother advises the young mother that the child will not cross the graduation stage in diapers, so can the experienced homeschooler assure the new homeschooler that they will not enter the world illiterate.

(Continued tomorrow!)