Everyone home schools

Wait, what? Let me repeat that. 

Everyone

Home

Schools

Yes, even you who send your children to private or public school. You homeschool your children also. Just, differently than we who keep our children home. 

Deuteronomy 6:7-9

Let me back up a bit. 

We've finished seven weeks of homeschool. Since my oldest is just beginning, it's been a bit laid back. Ha, in fact, so laid back that I have to remind myself that we should "do school" at some point during the day. Through this time of trying to find what works for us, I have learned things. 

Starting off, we have finally settled into a genuine routine- that will shift some as weeks progress as we rejoin my littlest ones library group, etc..., but not too much. This routine has taken me time to figure out, because I want them to see me doing things I want them to learn to do. 

Every day we are home all day is the same. After the hustle of breakfast (yes, I cook breakfast daily for my family) and Daddy leaves for work, I sit down at the table with my Bible, notebook, and coffee. The girls either go to their room and play or color at the other end of the table. 

After I get done, we do some chores. Laundry, cleaning a room, whatever. I usually introduce/review some memory work while we do this. 

Next, we read. "We" usually being me reading to my children, but every once in a while I convince my older child to read something. I will read for... I don't know, until they lose interest or I lose feeling in my backside from sitting on the floor with them on my lap. We read stories, poems, etc. I like to read the Bible to them also, but don't do that every day (like I should).

Then, more play time.  As I prep for lunch, I like to have my school-age child sit and "do school". Math, writing/spelling, and the like. She is really good at writing her numbers and alphabet, so we are teaching her to spell her name, address, and the names of her family. Math is skip counting along with addition/subtraction from 0-19. We are working on phonics, but that requires me to be much more hands on. 

So, as I get lunch together, she knocks out one of the above mentioned subjects. 

Lunch, play, read again, nap. 

After nap, we have a snack and do more "school". I make dinner, Daddy comes home, and we never know what will happen next. 

So, why do I say that every person homeschool their child, then go off topic by telling you our schedule?

Because in figuring out a schedule, I remembered that my actions and the things I say are sometimes not the same. 

I am reminded that she learns from the way I behave, from the things I make a priority, from my actions and reactions. 

I think about the things I learned from my parents and their every day life. Things I didn't think about until after I got married, or after my first was born, or even until just this past year. Things they taught me by how they behaved. Even though they sent me to school to learn, life at home taught me about.... life. 

Back to Deuteronomy 6:7-9

"7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

My daily life, how I live, is teaching my children more than my words and planned lessons. 

Your daily life and actions teach your children so very much. 

See, I have her memorize Bible verses and stories and I explain them to her. Yet, if I don't also study, read, and memorize the Bible then she is learning that talking religiously is enough. I would be teaching her a falsehood by my actions. 

I also let her know I am learning with her. Some of what she learns I know, but I haven't been good at memorizing in the past and am working on changing that. 

Because I want her to learn that learning never has to stop. 

When we walk around our yard, and my little one reaches for my hand... I've learned to take it. Yes, I want her to grow and be able to take those hills on her own like her big sister, but I also want her to know that I am there to help her if she needs it. I want her to see it, her sister to see that I am there. 

• If my older one wants to hold my hand, I've learned to say yes to that as well. How much longer is she going to want to hold my hand? 

 Ah, the conundrum of parenting. Parenting done right is working yourself out of a job. 

Everyone teaches at home. If you send your child to school, you are teaching your child. Perhaps you are teaching them that what the teachers say is right - or that it isn't. You teach your child about authority, respect/disrespect, who to believe and trust. 

Honestly, if you send your child to public school, I pray God blesses you with figuring out the right balance of teaching Biblical principles, standing up for truth without being disrespectful, and all the other stuff you have to balance in allowing a secular system to teach your children facts. I don't see how you do it. 

But back to what I know you teach at home. 

You teach them how to believe in themselves. If you have low self esteem and show it, no matter what you say to your child they will learn from you. Trust me. 

You teach them how to make a family work (or how it doesn't work).

Relationships, faith, lifestyle, hobbies, work ethic, values.... these are taught at home. 

They are also taught in the public scene as well. 

Which is part of why I personally choose to homeschool. My child learns from my husband and I what values we believe to be most important. When they enter the public scene, they enter it with our guidance so they can learn how to properly handle the tough things they will face. 

Call me overprotective if you want. I don't believe that life has to be taught by the sink-or-swim method. It my come to that one day when my children are older, but they are young. 

I want to instill in their hearts and minds what is important. I want to back it up with how I live out my days. I want them to see me, imperfect but trying, and realize it is never to late to get things right. Better sooner than later, but never too late. 

Because everyone schools their children at home. I just also teach the intellectual "facts".

You are the parents. They learn from you, like it or not.