#1 thing she hears from moms is they feel inadequate - that's going to be a given. We will all feel that way.
Homeschooling is less about what you do or what type of curriculum you use and more about your family life as a whole - Build Relationships with your children!!
Think through - what are the elements that secure hearts for eternity? It's not about filling a bucket with information. It's about lighting a fire. Give them a passion for God, for life, for learning. YOU will be the key. You must have a passion for these things yourself. Lead by example.
Read whole books!
When your kids are younger, go back to the times of more natural learning, less technological. Get outside, go for walks, utilize books as reference materials, not just google.
Words are powerful - the child with the largest vocabulary will be able to worship more deeply, articulate more clearly, speak with more conviction.
Help them understand the many facets of our extraordinary God - He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, righteous, full of glory and grace and mercy....
DO NOT BE A PHARISEE!! Let go of the neurosis. It's not necessary or helpful. Love them, guide them, teach them, let them be child like, give them grace, build a relationship with them where they are comfortable coming to you.
Talk, talk, talk - together. Debate current event issues, pop culture. Get them to THINK!
Read whole books, have them write, and do basic math - yes, that is enough.
(She hired a tutor to help them prepare for SATS - her children scored extremely high)
Make sure needs are met - food for blood sugar - naps for younger kids - quiet time for everyone in the afternoon. Our brains need rest and time to refresh.
It's not about keeping a schedule, it's more about establishing rhythms.
Read whole books!
Make your home an enriching environment - set materials around the house - educational magazines, books, books, books - educational cd's to listen to on long car trips - keep electronics to a minimum in younger years.
They will have brain glitches where they just won't get it (i.e. fractions) set it down and come back later. Don't push. It will come in time. Give it a break.
Key to instructing your children - develop a relationship with them so they want to listen to you.
Love God in front of them.
Teach them to be voracious readers and good writers and spelling and grammar will naturally flow.
Be easy with your children. Every little thing is not as important as you think in the moment - that will become clear when they are grown.
Make your home The Place to Be! It is a resourse for living and learning and fun and relationship and loving God.
Read whole books. Read to them even when they are in high school.
Highschool is a prolonged adolescence. Kids 15, 16, 17 are quite capable of accomplishing great things. Expect more from them. Give them real life projects - i.e. her daughter wrote book proposal as a teen, son produced a music CD.
The goal is to ENGAGE your children, so they can think for themselves, so they will stand with God when they leave you.
Teach them to articulate their answer for the hope that lies within them.
Read, read, read. Whole books. Let them draw or color or build with legos or playdoh while you read. If their hands are busy, they may let you read to them for hours.
Celebrate the days. This is the day the Lord has made. Let go of legalism, ENJOY your children! It will fly by quickly!
Listen to music.
If you need to take a couple of months to just get your house in order, do it! Live your life. Education is not simply "school." Things come up. Don't fret about what you're not getting done. Life happens. Keep reading, engaging, building relationship, talking, loving God and each other.
Be an example. Be a mentor. God gave you YOUR children, knowing EXACTLY what YOU have on YOUR plate and YOUR limitations - there was no mistake. Work your own family's puzzle out - it is uniquely yours. Learn from one another, but do not compare. Every family will be different.
Read whole books.
God has a plan for your children - He will fill in the cracks that you miss - Think Big!
Stryder - the Lego master
Crazy hat night at awanas
Jayla's hat made from bendaroos
Dolly in Onyx's star wars contraption
11 comments:
okay okay okay! Read whole books! got it. ;)
Chrissy - I just want you to read whole books!! For your {smart}brain! :-) ((((RWB))))
Ejoyed this thank you for sharing. I prinked it out for Jason to read. Do you have any favorite whole books for kids ages 3-5 you would like to suggest? Thanks!
These are great things to remember Tisha. Do you have more notes from your night out. I would love to see them. Does she do that kind of stuff in her home often?
These are great things to remember Tisha. Do you have more notes from your night out. I would love to see them. Does she do that kind of stuff in her home often?
Heard about you from mutual friends, Jenn and Jody!Look fwd to meeting you in person some day!
And, oh... i really appreciate the grace that SC offers in her books, and at her conferences. Wish I could've been there soaking up those gracious words with you. Yay to great books. Yay! Yay! Yay!
Thank you Kim! Sally is wonderful. She has been such a 'success' parenting with 4 amazing children who are committed to the Lord, that I take her words very seriously. I'm glad you liked this.
I think we began reading the Great Illustrated Classics when J & O were about that age - if you'd like to try some, I have many you could borrow. There is a picture on every page, so it keeps it a little bit more exciting to them than it would be without. Otherwise, we have read about any and every book they could and would choose at the library. If they are interested in the subject, they are much more likely to sit still, right? :) I particularly enjoy all Dr. Suess books, especially the longer ones.
Thank you again :)
Monica - the meeting at Sally's home is on the first Tuesday of every month. This one was packed to the gills! Oh my, there were a lot of ladies there! She is so good though, it's easy to understand why. Anastasia is going to come along next time, would you like to come too?
Those are pretty much all my notes :)
Thank you for your comment!
Angela - so nice of you to stop by and say hi! I too am excited to meet you! I've heard great things about you. Maybe soon! Thank you again. :)
My favorite note was the one that said take time to get your house in order. That was very affirming for me. I'm just a newbie to homeschooling and we're doing K and PreK this year, but my house/life is a disaster and under construction etc and I was feeling guilty for just letting school slide for now, just until we have more order in our lives. I need to work on the house until the bad weather comes, then we can cuddle up with some "whole books" and learn like crazy.
I miss going to Sally's Tuesday night meetings... She is so inspiring! I have made it to her conferences in Dallas two of the years being down here. Her book "Educating the Whole Hearted Child" is one I use often for reference!! Do you remember going to the seminar oh-so-many years ago at New Life?
Blessings!!
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