So here we are it is the end of the school year. You spent your days playing, doing housework, hanging out with friends, and doing some homeschool…okay okay well doing a smidge of homeschool. So now you are sitting here wondering was it enough? Did I fail my child by not sitting her down at the table for more hours to do set aside school work? Am I doing exactly what all those people who demand I put my kid in the school system to “socialize” her thought I would? Is this going to turn out okay for my kid? The answer is yes it was enough, you are not a failure, and what other people (aside from your husband) think does not matter.
Sure, there might be areas for tweaking, improving the schedule, or even overhauling to start new next year. But should you worry? Absolutely not. There is no need to guilt trip yourself because you know better than that. Make changes to your homeschool out of joy, excitement, and hope, NOT GUILT.
So here is my encouragement and reminder you are doing fine. And here are 3 reasons why:
1. Homeschool Knows No Timeline
One of the biggest beauties of homeschool is that we are not chained to the education system with its rigid schedules and trivial standards. Of course we do not want our child to be “behind” but are they really behind if they did not finish the math you wanted them to get done this year? Or are you possibly working from the perspective of a school system? You do not have to hit any standard at a certain time if you feel your child is not up to speed with his peers in an area, tomorrow is a great day to work on it! We get to homeschool anytime any day we want.
Time is on Your Side
The gift of time is such a powerful tool to the homeschool mother. We have the opportunity to make every simple moment into a learning opportunity. Learning does not have to occur seated at a desk. Words can be spelled in the car, new ideas discussed at the park, math at the grocery store, a retelling of a read aloud can be done just about anywhere minus the library, the life cycle of an insect can be taught in the garden and probably should be. Time is not scarce when we use it wisely. Every monotonous task can add value to the education of your child, time is on your side mama.
2. There is Always Next Year
As home educators we want our kids to grow up to be life long learners. So why do we get so hard on ourselves for what we did not get to this school year? Fortunately we have so many years to look forward to in homeschooling. That is not to say we should just give up on reaching our goals for homeschool. But having the long view in mind can help us to know what step to take next. Guilting yourself about what you failed this year will not make you a better home educator next year. However, assessing areas of weakness in your homeschool whether that be particular subjects, schedules, or the types of material used can be a great way to prevent those areas of weakness in the next school year.
Make Each Year Better
As our children are growing we too are growing in our mothering which includes homeschooling. Have grace for yourself and know it is okay if you did not meet your goals for this year. Use this as a learning opportunity for yourself. Identify your areas of weakness as a home educator. Set reasonable goals for the upcoming school year. Ask other homeschool mamas how they are doing it (keeping in mind you do not have to do it the same way), if it helps you great, if it does not then forget it. Next school year is a new beginning.
3. You Just Might Be Ahead
Reality is you might not be behind in the grand scheme of things. What do you really care about for your child? When you imagine your future grown child what are the most important qualities they have? My guess is that character traits are going to be more vital to you than the cognitive abilities. It is really easy to love someone who is not “well educated,”but has the fruit of the spirit. On the other hand it is extremely hard to love some Einstien genius who bears no fruit. If you are worried you did not meet the educational goals you had this school year have faith that those will come because in fact they are far less important than the spiritual growth of your child. Your child might seem behind in the world but they will be made ahead (if not on earth in heaven) if they bear fruit.
Growth Will Come with Fertile Soil
So what you are saying is school does not matter? Yes and no. Character development takes the utmost importance over education. The two are not against each other and in fact work in perfect harmony. A child who is loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, and has self control is a much better student than one who has none of these fruit. So if you are tilling the soil for these fruit in your child’s heart fear not for the Lord is gracious, the cognitive abilities will come with time. Spending extra time to intentionally work on these spiritual aspects of your child is far more important than the school stuff.
So Worry Not
We are human. We make mistakes. Maybe this homeschool year was full of them, but maybe not. Running in the park, singing songs in the car, asking questions, and making memories are all experiences that have benefitted your child. Each moment you spent talking with your child was a learning opportunity for her. You have not failed, so do not worry if your child is behind. Look ahead there is so much beauty and goodness in store.
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