Be Still and Know I am God

I am emailed a lot with my opinions on curriculum or how to home school your children. So I thought I would try to put into words my philosophy on home schooling.

I do have some home schooling tools I prefer. However I don't feel it is the tools that are going to make or break your success in home schooling. Many of the packaged home schooling plans model the school environment and are a formula for burnout.

My original reason for home schooling my daughter was so she wouldn't be in public school. If the opportunity has arisen at that time to put her in private school, we would have. Now I feel the best place for my children to be is a home. We wouldn't put them in a private school even if we were offered a full scholarship.

God has taught me my first priority as a parent is to train them up in the Lord. They need to learn to love Him with all their heart, soul and mind. Nothing comes before that. So many times we judge our failure or success as a home school mom on what the world thinks the children's academic level should be at a certain age. 2 Corinthians 1:25a  reminds us that " the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom" . Our goals are not to get the world's approval and even if we were to get the world's approval it would be worthless to God.

2 Peter 1:3 also tells us "His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (emphasis mine) God doesn't supply us with almost enough, He supplies us with everything. It isn't God and a great curriculum, God and the right activities, God and .....; it is God period! That doesn't mean He won't lead you to tools to use, but you must seek Him first.

 Proverb 111:10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

You want wise children, teach them to fear the Lord. You want children with good understanding, teach them to follow his precepts.

I have found that this can only be done by bringing your children home. I am talking to home schooling moms, "Bring your children home". Home school moms in general seem to have their kids running all directions. They feel the need to be in the best programs, have the best of all the worlds. Then they wonder why they feel overwhelmed and inadequate. God said, "Be still and know I am God". Be still! Spiritual growth comes in stillness. Busyness tends to fill us with an artificial pacifier that takes the place of God. We feel the kids aren't socialized enough, put them in more activities. Then aren't learning enough, put them in more classes etc.... We pull our kids out of the world, yet we are trying to bring the world into our homes. The longer you run like this the more unsettled your spirit will be.

There can be peace at home. It isn't normal for kids to constantly fight, it isn't normal for teenagers to rebel. You must bring your family back home. Drop the activities. I would suggest listing every single activity you have and praying over it. For your children to truly learn, they need quiet, unfilled days at home. Children need to learn character and self-discipline before the can learn for themselves. They need to deal with heart issues that will carry into every area of their life. They need a daily routine of chores, responsibility and Bible and relationship building with you. God said, "my burden is easy, my yoke is light". If you aren't finding home schooling "easy and light", maybe it is because you aren't home schooling His way.

I would highly recommend going to http://homeschooloasis.com and reading everything on her page.

Blessings,
Kristin

If you still want some curriculum suggestions, click here.