More To Learning Than Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic

So, I promise that we will get back to sharing fun DiY projects with you soon, but this season of life has been more about rest and learning (and stretching).  ;) While we are always learning, I feel like this season of needing more rest is finally nearing an end with a much busier, exciting season ahead.

I am very blessed to be able to stay home with my four children. We homeschool. Right now, I have two in school; in the fall, I will have three in school.
To say that it has it's challenges is on some days, a big understatement. However, even on the most challenging of days, there is still no where else I would rather be than here, in our home, teaching my children and learning with them.

One of the hardest parts of our school is honestly me. That fact is a really hard one to swallow and even harder to admit but it's true.

Some days, my patience is far less than it should be; some days, it is hard to find. Some days, I simply don't feel like doing it and am tired. And most days, I feel inadequate; questioning whether they are getting it or not; questioning whether I have done enough. I want learning to be fun for them. I often don't feel like it is fun for them.

I want them to be given every tool and opportunity to learn and be successful.

As much as I dislike this and I mean, REALLY dislike this, I sometimes find myself comparing what my kids know to others kids their age. That becomes one more thing to make me feel more pressure and a bit a doubt. It also makes me put more unnecessary pressure on them, whether I realize I am doing it or not.

Here's the deal. I think most every mother, whether stay at home mother, working mother, or homeschooling mother, questions her abilities often, if not daily sometimes.
As for me, I am tired of these questions.

I was talking with a sweet friend of mine on the phone recently. She also teaches her children at home. We were sharing various things about this and she said to me, "Ya know Jen, there is so much more to learning than reading, writing, and arithmetic."
I know this, but man oh man, did I need to be reminded!
And I thought, "YES! Yes, there is. You are so right!"

This simple statement reminded me of the many reasons why our hearts were for homeschooling in the first place.

We want our children to learn so much more than simply reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are wonderful things and they are so blessed to have the opportunity to learn these things.
However, our hearts are for them to learn so much more; to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ, to learn His word giving them a firm foundation in this life, to learn what it means and looks like to love people, to learn what it means to be apart of a family, to learn how to care for a family, how to care for a house.....all of the practical things that they need to know to live in this world.

I want my little girl to learn what it means to be a godly wife and a mother and how to practically carry out these things in caring for her husband and children one day. I want her to learn how to be a lady and not just a lady, but a lady after God's very heart.

I want my boys to have time to explore nature as little boys should. I want them to learn what it means to be a godly husband and father and how to do so in practically ways that glorify the Lord and provide for their families.

I want my children to be free to learn and not be subject to any labels that someone else may give them.
Each one of my children are very different from one another. They like different things. And they definitely learn in different ways. I get to be here and learn the best way to teach them individually!

I want them to be free to be children throughout their childhood and not pressured into growing up too fast.
They are only little for so long and it is such a short time that goes by all too fast. I want them to be given the gift of being a child.

These are just a few of our reasons for our family.

The reading, writing, and arithmetic will come. It will click with each child when that particular child is ready. One day, they will just get it. Until then, what's the hurry?

Why waste another second of life worrying about when they will get it or the "what if's"? Why not just teach them what they need to know, enjoy that precious time that you get to literally watch them learn and grow, and trust that God will do the rest?

Ah......it feels good to lay the "what-if's" down and trust.

It's almost as if that is the way it is supposed to be! ;)

Enjoy right now, today....there will never be another day just like this one.
-Jenny