Back To School 2019-2020

With school starting back up, the internet is FILLED with last summer trips, memorable first-day-of-school photos, and moms mourning and/or celebrating sending their kids off...

...Then there's the homeschool moms.

Growing up, I never would have guessed my children would be homeschooled, but here I am—organizing our morning menus and enrolling my kids in something called "forest school". I gave my oldest the option to choose between art classes at a local college or to explore nature freely at forest school and of course, without skipping a beat, she chose the latter. Our $200 can now be put towards savings though. No complaints here!

The number of teaching philosophies (and parenting philosophies for that matter) being pushed on parents these days is staggering—as if we needed one more thing to make us feel inadequate, right? I find myself envying those who lived in a time when the internet had not yet been born. Feeling conflicted though, I realize how heavily I rely on it for information and communication. Still—I long for the quietness of mind that would come without screens surrounding us.

Whether you're sending your children to public school or teaching them at home, this post is for you.

 I grew tired of playing the game of my-kids-need-to-be-the-best-at-everything, so I decided to ditch the old definition of school and create my own that tailored to our family.

Let me repeat that last line: "Tailored to our family".

Before you continue, please understand I believe each family's needs are unique and that the "one size fits all" mentality is not admirable.

Through Abigail's preschool and kindergarten years, we went strictly by our curriculum; not leaving a single worksheet blank and cramming in as much as possible. This led to many tears, guilt on my end, and distance between us. Thank the LORD for making children so forgiving because it normally just resulted in a tense day. I thought I was doing what was best for her education because I've seen the other end of the homeschool spectrum (Free-range & unschooling) and I didn't want my children to be uneducated. How would they be able to do what God calls them to if they know nothing??

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

   

Then I stumbled upon child-led learning and Montessori ideology and was absolutely blown away. You mean my children are already equipped with the God-given curiosity to learn what's needed?

*throws all the worksheets in the air*

    

While bookwork definitely has it's place in our education, it is NOT my foundation. I used to stay up till the sun rose, with planner in-hand, scheduling our structured school weeks. Now, it is left blank and we fill it daily with the opportunities God gifts us. Family Bible time, cooking, conflict resolution, baby/animal/plant care, healthy habits, independent silent reading, observing, social skills, manners, science experiments, library trips, exploring nature, Sunday school, sign language, sight words, "life math", mission work, household chores, swimming, dance class, painting/drawing, bedtime reading, and so so much more. From the day I gave Him control of my children's education, He has provided bountiful teaching opportunities. 

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 3:11

No matter where your child is being taught, you can give God authority over their education. If they are thriving in public school and sharing the gospel to their peers, that's such a wonderful mission opportunity! If they are thriving in the home; using their special talents to please God, Hallelujah! But, if you notice the benefits in your current situation are not outweighing the disadvantages, please prayerfully consider making a change.

My children are still small and their gifts and talents are still developing, so I will continue to teach them these things that will help them flourish through this living education. As they grow, the lessons will too, but I am just the guide. And He is our teacher.