Monday, July 31, 2017
Kindergarten curriculum?
So, if you've looked into homeschooling at all, you know there are TONS of curricula out there, and none of it really covers everything.
One publisher will be perfect for reading, another math, so on and so forth.
Then comes the issue of cost. If you can't bundle all subjects from one publisher, you pay more in shipping and miss out on bundle "deals".
It's overwhelming. It can be quite intimidating, and I say that coming from a school teachers experience in picking out the curriculum for a middle school language program.
Also, I had read blog after blog about moms who jumped in with a set curriculum and soon became stressed and overwhelmed. Either it was too much, not enough... they began to worry about falling "behind" and being a failure.
Not how I want my first year to go.
So instead, I go on Pinterest ( 😔guilty) and search for things my child needs to know for kindergarten and learn in kindergarten.
Amazingly, it comforted me because it really was stuff I could teach without a set bought curriculum. I knew that I could pretty much make do with free/cheap and make-your-own stuff. Cause really, it's kindergarten. A child's ability to focus isn't fully developed, they learn more through song, play, and hands-on life than books and lectures.
This is how I wanted my homeschool to be anyway, very hands-on and parent led. God trust me to educate my children, I'm going to take it seriously.
(Deut 6:5-9)
So I start planning. I download phonics flash cards, print worksheets, and math worksheets. Find math and money flash cards at yard sales. I get familiar with the easy reader section of my library. I think about the different games we play and how they can help her learn.
I think about teaching the family tree, address and phone number, emergency contact info, public workers (police, fire, etc)...
I join a local Facebook mom group and feel out what they do - ask for advice and recommendations.
Oh yeah, I was ready. She was turning four and I was ready for her to start "school".
- Yes, I think I over-plan a bit...
Then one day, a friend invited me to the open house of her homeschool community, Classical Conversations.
And I learned, yet again, that I was missing some foundational structures in my planning.
Did you know that there's a Modern education model and a Classical education model? I didn't.
I had to learn more - and I am still learning more about it.
What I can say for now is, I feel God wants me to use the Classical Christian model of education for my children.
I'll tell you more about why I chose this and what it is - hopefully in my next post.
I leave you with this -
Proverbs 1:7-9
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Rewind
Back-tracking a moment.
Ok, gonna talk finances. Please understand, this is my story. Non-judgement zone. It works for me, it may or may not be right for you.
If you've read my previous entries, you know we don't currently pay rent nor have a mortgage. God provided in a miraculous was about four years ago.
And yet, it still hasn't been easy. Plus, we know the time is coming when that will change. Even so...
We dropped below the poverty line in income. We qualify for every possible financial/government aid out there, yet use none of it.
~ let's derail for a secondary topic.
😱 Why not use government assistance!?!? - you may ask. Well... We feel as though God wants us to trust Him to provide, and not trust the government. I'm not saying it's a horrible thing to use any government assistance, I'm saying that we (hubby and I) have prayed and discussed about it. Most of the programs are designed to help people get on their feet when they hit a hard time - temporary help. This living on one income is something we plan on doing for a while, so we need to figure out how to make it work. And you know what? God provides every time.
Now, back to my original topic - making finances work on a tight budget.
First, I know we are blessed to not have rent/mortgage. However, we still have to cut corners EVERYWHERE because, contrary to what people believe, my husband does not make a 6digit salary working on computers.
The computer repair business in a small city is not very lucrative.
How we manage to not over spend:
1: Trust, pray, obey. You know how I said we don't use gov't aid because we feel God wants us to trust in His provision? Well, thats step one.
Pray and find out what God wants you to do financially, and do it. Trusting Him, even if it seems crazy.
2: Savings account. We don't have a massive savings, but over time God has provided us a decent buffer in the bank to start an IRA (great considering you don't retire from being a SAHM and hubby won't 'retire' either) and build up a decent amount to provide either a good down-payment when we buy a house, or when we have to move provide a few years worth of rent until we can buy. It also gives us some comfort for when health issues arise.
3: Divide and conquer so one of the pair isn't overwhelmed by the lack of money. This also involves trust - of your partner.
~ My husband deals with the "bills". Electric, medical, insurance, broken vehicles, etc. All the monthly stuff and the big stuff, he takes care of.
~ I am responsible for food, child/school supplies, and daily whatever (gas...)
How I manage my set of finances:
* I have, over the past two years, written down every penny I spend in a notebook. One page, one month (Date, place, amount). At the end of each week I do a weekly tally to see if I'm on track over-all. At the end of the month, I see my total, but I also total up the groceries, eating out costs, and gas separately. Then I see if I can cut any more corners.
Let me tell you, this has been a GREAT help to me. When I started staying home, I was spending nearly $600 a month on stuff. Now, I tend to stay around $450.
How? I see where my money is going.
Example: I spent way more on groceries than I do now. I learned that even using coupons and sales, I spent more weekly at certain grocery stores than others.
We have a LOT of grocery choices. For me, Aldi cut my weekly grocery bill nearly in half (no joke). I also buy discount bread at the "day old" bakery in town. We live on eggs - when a dozen eggs is less than $0.90... I feed my family a healthy breakfast of eggs, liver mush, toast... Pretty much daily. $4.00 a week, breakfast for four people. Can't beat that.
~ Unfortunately, I have also cut costs in less healthy ways out of financial necessity. At Aldi, I can buy a can of veggies ($.46), Vienna sausages ($.39), and a box of Mac 'N Cheese ($.33), mix together and have lunch for my daughters for three days. This isn't a weekly thing, but it does happen...
Anyway, I also saw how much even grabbing a quick lunch off the dollar menu once a week was costing.
This encouraged me to start packing lunches when the girls and I will be out all day. Not the nicest meals, but affordable.
Other ways God has shown us to cut costs:
* We don't pay for TV. We don't really watch any TV (that's a different rant), so we have a tv and DVD player. That's it. No cable, satellite, Netflix....
* Our internet is only on our phones. This cuts costs, also cuts the desire to be on it all the time.
* During nice weather, I do not use the dryer. I have a clothes line, I use it regularly.
* We have a garden and preserve our food regularly. Canning, freezing, etc.
* We buy meat in bulk, on sale, and freeze it.
* We also don't shy away from rabbit, deer, etc. We have friends who like to hunt but don't like to eat venison. If they give us the skinned deer, we process it ourselves and freeze it. We also raised rabbits for a while - for the meat. It's a lot cheaper.
* We live a good bit outside of town, so we only go into town twice a week and do all our running in those days. With a 30 minute drive, the less often we take it the better (other than hubby, who drives the distance to work. Then again, he drives a car with good gas mileage, not the big thing I lug the kids around in.)
* Hand me downs... and downs... and downs... My children are two of nine cousins on my husbands side. Clothes get passed around. We also get hand-me-downs from church friends and pass them around. Between that and grandparents, I think I've spent $20 buying clothes/shoes for my children.
* When it gets to the end of the line, we consign stuff. There are more than five consignment stores in town, I take boxes around to each one. It helps. Yes, I donate stuff too, but when you need money (or store credit), consignment is a great idea.
* Reusable stuff. Cloth diapers, mommy cloths... It's a bit gross to transition to, but really once you do it a while you stop noticing. You really do save money in the long run, and you can get used cloth diapers pretty affordably.
* Being willing to do some work (yes, even as a SAHM). This is where school comes into play for me. I chose to join Classical Conversations (more about that later). It's not the cheapest, but because it's a curriculum and coop combined, there are ways to save money if you are willing. I first volunteered to help do the art/music, which would have simply off-set the tuition cost. Then, the need arose for another weekly tutor, and things in my personal and prayer life aligned to tell me to step into that role - which provides more of a financial help.
- Some moms become consultants for companies (Usborne, ThirtyOne, Avon....) or find an online/ work from home job. I know a few who work odd shifts so they are home during the day. That way they have some extra income without having to leave their children. Kudos to those women, I've done part-time work but never something quite that demanding.
So remember - Where Hod guides, He provides.
It may take time to adjust. It may be a bit "uncomfortable".
Yet... If God wants you to stay home and mathematically speaking it seems impossible, well... Isn't He the God of impossibilities?
Matthew 19:26
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Proverbs 3:5-6
" Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Ok, gonna talk finances. Please understand, this is my story. Non-judgement zone. It works for me, it may or may not be right for you.
If you've read my previous entries, you know we don't currently pay rent nor have a mortgage. God provided in a miraculous was about four years ago.
And yet, it still hasn't been easy. Plus, we know the time is coming when that will change. Even so...
We dropped below the poverty line in income. We qualify for every possible financial/government aid out there, yet use none of it.
~ let's derail for a secondary topic.
😱 Why not use government assistance!?!? - you may ask. Well... We feel as though God wants us to trust Him to provide, and not trust the government. I'm not saying it's a horrible thing to use any government assistance, I'm saying that we (hubby and I) have prayed and discussed about it. Most of the programs are designed to help people get on their feet when they hit a hard time - temporary help. This living on one income is something we plan on doing for a while, so we need to figure out how to make it work. And you know what? God provides every time.
Now, back to my original topic - making finances work on a tight budget.
First, I know we are blessed to not have rent/mortgage. However, we still have to cut corners EVERYWHERE because, contrary to what people believe, my husband does not make a 6digit salary working on computers.
The computer repair business in a small city is not very lucrative.
How we manage to not over spend:
1: Trust, pray, obey. You know how I said we don't use gov't aid because we feel God wants us to trust in His provision? Well, thats step one.
Pray and find out what God wants you to do financially, and do it. Trusting Him, even if it seems crazy.
2: Savings account. We don't have a massive savings, but over time God has provided us a decent buffer in the bank to start an IRA (great considering you don't retire from being a SAHM and hubby won't 'retire' either) and build up a decent amount to provide either a good down-payment when we buy a house, or when we have to move provide a few years worth of rent until we can buy. It also gives us some comfort for when health issues arise.
3: Divide and conquer so one of the pair isn't overwhelmed by the lack of money. This also involves trust - of your partner.
~ My husband deals with the "bills". Electric, medical, insurance, broken vehicles, etc. All the monthly stuff and the big stuff, he takes care of.
~ I am responsible for food, child/school supplies, and daily whatever (gas...)
How I manage my set of finances:
* I have, over the past two years, written down every penny I spend in a notebook. One page, one month (Date, place, amount). At the end of each week I do a weekly tally to see if I'm on track over-all. At the end of the month, I see my total, but I also total up the groceries, eating out costs, and gas separately. Then I see if I can cut any more corners.
Let me tell you, this has been a GREAT help to me. When I started staying home, I was spending nearly $600 a month on stuff. Now, I tend to stay around $450.
How? I see where my money is going.
Example: I spent way more on groceries than I do now. I learned that even using coupons and sales, I spent more weekly at certain grocery stores than others.
We have a LOT of grocery choices. For me, Aldi cut my weekly grocery bill nearly in half (no joke). I also buy discount bread at the "day old" bakery in town. We live on eggs - when a dozen eggs is less than $0.90... I feed my family a healthy breakfast of eggs, liver mush, toast... Pretty much daily. $4.00 a week, breakfast for four people. Can't beat that.
~ Unfortunately, I have also cut costs in less healthy ways out of financial necessity. At Aldi, I can buy a can of veggies ($.46), Vienna sausages ($.39), and a box of Mac 'N Cheese ($.33), mix together and have lunch for my daughters for three days. This isn't a weekly thing, but it does happen...
Anyway, I also saw how much even grabbing a quick lunch off the dollar menu once a week was costing.
This encouraged me to start packing lunches when the girls and I will be out all day. Not the nicest meals, but affordable.
Other ways God has shown us to cut costs:
* We don't pay for TV. We don't really watch any TV (that's a different rant), so we have a tv and DVD player. That's it. No cable, satellite, Netflix....
* Our internet is only on our phones. This cuts costs, also cuts the desire to be on it all the time.
* During nice weather, I do not use the dryer. I have a clothes line, I use it regularly.
* We have a garden and preserve our food regularly. Canning, freezing, etc.
* We buy meat in bulk, on sale, and freeze it.
* We also don't shy away from rabbit, deer, etc. We have friends who like to hunt but don't like to eat venison. If they give us the skinned deer, we process it ourselves and freeze it. We also raised rabbits for a while - for the meat. It's a lot cheaper.
* We live a good bit outside of town, so we only go into town twice a week and do all our running in those days. With a 30 minute drive, the less often we take it the better (other than hubby, who drives the distance to work. Then again, he drives a car with good gas mileage, not the big thing I lug the kids around in.)
* Hand me downs... and downs... and downs... My children are two of nine cousins on my husbands side. Clothes get passed around. We also get hand-me-downs from church friends and pass them around. Between that and grandparents, I think I've spent $20 buying clothes/shoes for my children.
* When it gets to the end of the line, we consign stuff. There are more than five consignment stores in town, I take boxes around to each one. It helps. Yes, I donate stuff too, but when you need money (or store credit), consignment is a great idea.
* Reusable stuff. Cloth diapers, mommy cloths... It's a bit gross to transition to, but really once you do it a while you stop noticing. You really do save money in the long run, and you can get used cloth diapers pretty affordably.
* Being willing to do some work (yes, even as a SAHM). This is where school comes into play for me. I chose to join Classical Conversations (more about that later). It's not the cheapest, but because it's a curriculum and coop combined, there are ways to save money if you are willing. I first volunteered to help do the art/music, which would have simply off-set the tuition cost. Then, the need arose for another weekly tutor, and things in my personal and prayer life aligned to tell me to step into that role - which provides more of a financial help.
- Some moms become consultants for companies (Usborne, ThirtyOne, Avon....) or find an online/ work from home job. I know a few who work odd shifts so they are home during the day. That way they have some extra income without having to leave their children. Kudos to those women, I've done part-time work but never something quite that demanding.
So remember - Where Hod guides, He provides.
It may take time to adjust. It may be a bit "uncomfortable".
Yet... If God wants you to stay home and mathematically speaking it seems impossible, well... Isn't He the God of impossibilities?
Matthew 19:26
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Proverbs 3:5-6
" Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Pre-homeschool
Pre-schooling M'ija (my eldest) was ideal. Truly.
She was the only child for three years, so it was easy to dedicate exactly the time needed (while still getting housework done!)
We read daily (I'm a bookworm, we both were happy), did the educational puzzles regularly, counted everything, compared big/small, etc. All. The. Time.
She's also been the type that wanted to sit on my lap. All. The. Time.
So, the learning aspect of play was just... Easy. Ideal, really.
And cheap. Seriously, yard sales and consignment stores. Alphabet puzzles, shape and color puzzles abound.
I also bought those little puff balls used in crafts; they're great for counting, color sorting, comparing sizes, all sorts of stuff.
After her little sister was born, she CRAVED extra mommy time. Understandable, she was used to my (mostly) undivided attention.
Cue nap time!
So, when baby went down for her naps, I spent the time counting, doing puzzles and phonetics, and reading to M'ija. A lady from church bought a collection of Dick and Jane books, and one day, not long after her 4th birthday, I decided to let her try to read.
Shock! She can sound out many of the sight words... I was impressed. Ecstatic even.
I wondered what else she could do, so I bought math flash cards. Yeah, she can add and subtract up to ten easily / she can add more, but it's difficult because she uses her fingers.
Preschool for her was really what everyone dreams preschool would be.
Even as MiSol got older and napped less, M'ija could do things on her own (tracing words, mazes, 24-48 piece puzzles, etc) while I was trying to get the youngest to just stop crying.
Oh, yeah, the "other child".
Can I just say that preschooling one child is VASTLY different than trying to teach two?
First, your time is now divided.
Second, you have to figure out a different personality and learning style.
Third, jealousy. Oh my... I never dreamed how green the eyes of my precious children would turn (figuratively).
Happily, my eldest still loves any opportunity to learn, so she will do word tracing, reading, etc while I wash dishes (the table is right behind my back, it's easy for me to turn and look), do flash cards and math when she wakes up early from her nap, stuff like that. I can even get her to read to her sister!
MiSol, the littlest? Yeah, haven't really started with her yet. She's the type that doesn't sit still for more than... 15 seconds. I'm a bit behind, comparatively, but she does learn from her sister.
I'm coming to the conclusion that the little siblings, while they miss out on the large amount of one-on-one time the oldest gets, they see the older ones doing things and learn from example. It balances out eventually. I'm still waiting, but certainly....
The beauty (and uncertainty) of homeschool is that it's different for each child.
Beautiful because it's personalized for your and their needs.
Uncertain because, if one way works for one child but you have to do it different for the other, you're not sure if you are doing it right.
I'm not sure if I'm doing it "right" with my second. She's happy, healthy, seems to be mostly on track with the others in her library group... She's just not moving as fast as her sister was.
Comparisons. We know we aren't supposed to compare, yet we do anyway. It's a battle that leaves us feeling insufficient.
Then I remember - God blessed me with these children.
*Proverbs 17:6
"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."
*Psalm 113:9
"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."
He has a plan for me with these children.
*Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
*Isaiah 54:13
"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children."
So I will pray, I will do my best, and trust God with the outcome. I believe, as long as I keep God in the center of it all, I will one day be able to say what John said in 3 John verse 4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
She was the only child for three years, so it was easy to dedicate exactly the time needed (while still getting housework done!)
We read daily (I'm a bookworm, we both were happy), did the educational puzzles regularly, counted everything, compared big/small, etc. All. The. Time.
She's also been the type that wanted to sit on my lap. All. The. Time.
So, the learning aspect of play was just... Easy. Ideal, really.
And cheap. Seriously, yard sales and consignment stores. Alphabet puzzles, shape and color puzzles abound.
I also bought those little puff balls used in crafts; they're great for counting, color sorting, comparing sizes, all sorts of stuff.
After her little sister was born, she CRAVED extra mommy time. Understandable, she was used to my (mostly) undivided attention.
Cue nap time!
So, when baby went down for her naps, I spent the time counting, doing puzzles and phonetics, and reading to M'ija. A lady from church bought a collection of Dick and Jane books, and one day, not long after her 4th birthday, I decided to let her try to read.
Shock! She can sound out many of the sight words... I was impressed. Ecstatic even.
I wondered what else she could do, so I bought math flash cards. Yeah, she can add and subtract up to ten easily / she can add more, but it's difficult because she uses her fingers.
Preschool for her was really what everyone dreams preschool would be.
Even as MiSol got older and napped less, M'ija could do things on her own (tracing words, mazes, 24-48 piece puzzles, etc) while I was trying to get the youngest to just stop crying.
Oh, yeah, the "other child".
Can I just say that preschooling one child is VASTLY different than trying to teach two?
First, your time is now divided.
Second, you have to figure out a different personality and learning style.
Third, jealousy. Oh my... I never dreamed how green the eyes of my precious children would turn (figuratively).
Happily, my eldest still loves any opportunity to learn, so she will do word tracing, reading, etc while I wash dishes (the table is right behind my back, it's easy for me to turn and look), do flash cards and math when she wakes up early from her nap, stuff like that. I can even get her to read to her sister!
MiSol, the littlest? Yeah, haven't really started with her yet. She's the type that doesn't sit still for more than... 15 seconds. I'm a bit behind, comparatively, but she does learn from her sister.
I'm coming to the conclusion that the little siblings, while they miss out on the large amount of one-on-one time the oldest gets, they see the older ones doing things and learn from example. It balances out eventually. I'm still waiting, but certainly....
The beauty (and uncertainty) of homeschool is that it's different for each child.
Beautiful because it's personalized for your and their needs.
Uncertain because, if one way works for one child but you have to do it different for the other, you're not sure if you are doing it right.
I'm not sure if I'm doing it "right" with my second. She's happy, healthy, seems to be mostly on track with the others in her library group... She's just not moving as fast as her sister was.
Comparisons. We know we aren't supposed to compare, yet we do anyway. It's a battle that leaves us feeling insufficient.
Then I remember - God blessed me with these children.
*Proverbs 17:6
"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."
*Psalm 113:9
"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."
He has a plan for me with these children.
*Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
*Isaiah 54:13
"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children."
So I will pray, I will do my best, and trust God with the outcome. I believe, as long as I keep God in the center of it all, I will one day be able to say what John said in 3 John verse 4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
Friday, July 21, 2017
Preparing to Homeschool
I'm a bit of an over-planner by nature. I don't freak out when things don't go as planned, but I can't stand to not have a plan.
- Did I mention the first homeschool convention we went to, my firstborn wasn't even born yet?
Yeah, so I was planning my homeschool before I even quit my public job. Before I had even given birth to a child.
Crazy? Yeah, possibly, a bit...
What were my expectations, anyway?
1. I was public schooled
2. I taught public school
These greatly influenced my thought as to what my homeschool would look like.
I actually wanted to buy a school desk to put in the office or living room. I wanted the cubby for all her school stuff, and a desk for all my teachery stuff.
I went to conventions and workshops (ask any school teacher, we do these a lot), took notes, and learned....
Homeschool does NOT look like public school.
DUH!
II Corinthians 6:17a "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord...."
Another stumbling block:
There are millions of curricula out there! How do you possibly choose what will work best for your child? I mean, I've done the differentiation for students, but this.... It takes on a new meaning when you're spending your personal funds (now cut back drastically) and you haven't figured out what homeschooling is really like yet.
Hard to prepare for that. I had four years of college, and a few years teaching before I had to worry about textbooks in the classroom.
I soon realized my "expectations" blew up into pieces and I could go no further because I hadn't asked the foundational questions:
- Why homeschool?
- What is the worldview I want my child(ren) to learn by?
- If she (they) only truly learn one thing, what do I want that to be?
- What type of person do I hope they grow up to be?
Let's face it - if I don't know the answers to those questions, I cannot properly plan my homeschool.
So? My answers:
- I want control over what my children learn. (Eph. 6:4, Deut. 6:7-9)
- I want to instill a Biblical worldview into their minds/hearts. (II Cor. 10:5, Rom. 12:2)
- I want them to learn to distinguish truth from falsehoods. (James 3:13-18)
- I want them to be dedicated, Christ followers. (Prov. 22:6, I Cor. 15:33)
Surprisingly, though this narrows down a lot of my choices, it was still overwhelming.
My oldest (M'ija) is a fast learner, I knew she'd be ready (and desire) to start school early. So I prayed. I knew I could forgo a strict curriculum her kindergarten year, but I wanted a PLAN.
Every thing falls to the wayside if I don't have a plan. May not go according to the plan, but it won't go at all without one.
Am I the only one like that?
Anyway, I prayed, scoured Pinterest and Google, read blogs...
Philippians 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus ."
Then we started "preschool." ..... https://www.flickr.com/photos/pastorcabbyjr/12307468365
- Did I mention the first homeschool convention we went to, my firstborn wasn't even born yet?
Yeah, so I was planning my homeschool before I even quit my public job. Before I had even given birth to a child.
Crazy? Yeah, possibly, a bit...
What were my expectations, anyway?
1. I was public schooled
2. I taught public school
These greatly influenced my thought as to what my homeschool would look like.
I actually wanted to buy a school desk to put in the office or living room. I wanted the cubby for all her school stuff, and a desk for all my teachery stuff.
I went to conventions and workshops (ask any school teacher, we do these a lot), took notes, and learned....
Homeschool does NOT look like public school.
DUH!
II Corinthians 6:17a "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord...."
Another stumbling block:
There are millions of curricula out there! How do you possibly choose what will work best for your child? I mean, I've done the differentiation for students, but this.... It takes on a new meaning when you're spending your personal funds (now cut back drastically) and you haven't figured out what homeschooling is really like yet.
Hard to prepare for that. I had four years of college, and a few years teaching before I had to worry about textbooks in the classroom.
I soon realized my "expectations" blew up into pieces and I could go no further because I hadn't asked the foundational questions:
- Why homeschool?
- What is the worldview I want my child(ren) to learn by?
- If she (they) only truly learn one thing, what do I want that to be?
- What type of person do I hope they grow up to be?
Let's face it - if I don't know the answers to those questions, I cannot properly plan my homeschool.
So? My answers:
- I want control over what my children learn. (Eph. 6:4, Deut. 6:7-9)
- I want to instill a Biblical worldview into their minds/hearts. (II Cor. 10:5, Rom. 12:2)
- I want them to learn to distinguish truth from falsehoods. (James 3:13-18)
- I want them to be dedicated, Christ followers. (Prov. 22:6, I Cor. 15:33)
Surprisingly, though this narrows down a lot of my choices, it was still overwhelming.
My oldest (M'ija) is a fast learner, I knew she'd be ready (and desire) to start school early. So I prayed. I knew I could forgo a strict curriculum her kindergarten year, but I wanted a PLAN.
Every thing falls to the wayside if I don't have a plan. May not go according to the plan, but it won't go at all without one.
Am I the only one like that?
Anyway, I prayed, scoured Pinterest and Google, read blogs...
Philippians 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus ."
Then we started "preschool." ..... https://www.flickr.com/photos/pastorcabbyjr/12307468365
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