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Are
You a Double-Minded Mom?
James 1:5-8 -
{Modified for home school moms} "If any of your lacks
wisdom, (s)he should ask God, Who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to (her). But when (s)he
asks, (s)he must believe and not doubt, because (s)he who doubts
is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That (mom) should not think (s)he will receive anything from the
Lord; (s)he is a double-minded (mom), unstable in all (s)he does."
Whether you're
new to homeschooling or a veteran, complete with battle scars, one
of our major concerns is choosing our curriculum and teaching
tools. Of course, we want the best for our children, that's
one reason why we teach them at home.
Do I use
textbooks? Workbooks? Unit Studies? Unschool?
Charlotte Mason method? Delight-directed unit studies?
All library books and hands-on approaches? Do I wait until
my child shows an interest in a subject before I teach it?
All of the above????? Calgon - take me away!!!!!!!
As a
coordinator, one of the things I try to stress to new homeschool
moms is to NOT make things too hard on themselves, especially the
first year. The first year is a lot of trial and error and
there's no big mystery about teaching that is learned at a
teacher's college. (Besides, YOU have the teacher's manual!)
We are so
blessed and there is SO MUCH to choose from...too much, sometimes.
I also always advise those going to Ohio's Christian Home
Educators of Ohio (CHEO) convention, held every June, to go with a
shopping list. You can really break the bank at one of
those, or even shopping on-line...
A few years ago,
I received a call from a new homeschool mom; she had just taken
her daughter out of public school and was freaking out. She
called me and told me that she had just spent about $350 on e-Bay
buying school books for her daughter who was going into 4th grade.
"My goodness! What did you get?!" She said
she had 3 Rubbermaid tubs full of all kinds of things and
could I PLEASE come over and help her sort it out?
When I arrived
at her house, I told her she needed to "calm down and take a
deep breath because, at this point, I'm more worried about you
than I am about your daughter. You are too tense
and anxious and you're going to make your daughter tense and
anxious and you're going to ruin the experience for both of
you!"
After we sorted
through her tubs of books and learning aids, I handed her a neat
little pile of about 5 books and said, "Here's next year's
curriculum." She nearly fainted!
A veteran
homeschool parent told me that their rule of thumb is "pray
and then proceed. Trust that the Lord has answered your
prayers and then step out in faith and decide on your
curriculum." Acting on your faith in God's leading
takes away self-doubt and double-mindedness.
Here are some
helpful hints:
1) There
is NO perfect curriculum or teaching style. Give yourself,
and your child(ren), time to get used to your teaching style and
new curriculum. If you're new, you'll find in a month of so
that you will find your "flow." Be assured that if
you apply yourself and take the time, you WILL succeed.
After all, on one knows or loves your child(ren) more than you do.
2)
"It may be 'home' but it's still school.' " This
is my standard come-back when people ask me if my kids like being
homeschooled. For one thing, they've never known anything
else and I feel no shame in that. BUT...being children,
there are "those days." We all have them.
When you were in school or in the workforce, didn't you have
"those days"?
3) Your
curriculum is a guide, not a master. YOU are the master of
your curriculum. If you've studied the weather cycle
for the last 3 years and your child knows it, skip it!
There's no law that says you must complete every chapter, every
page, every paragraph in every book. Keep in mind that most
textbooks/workbooks are made for classroom crowd control.
You know what your children know and what they don't.
4) Don't
compare yourself to others!! Do you raise your children like
your parents? Your neighbors? Even your best friends?
Neither will your homeschool be like anyone else's.
5)
Join and use your local support group. This is why we're
here. If you or your child should have trouble grasping a
concept, SOMEONE in the group has "been there, done
that."
I hope you enjoy
your coming homeschool year. In the process of teaching our
precious children, let's not forget to take the time to enjoy
them. After all, even though we're their teachers, we are
still their parents. Sometimes they need a hug more than the
big red star on their completed paper.
Blessings from
Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
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