Posted in Homeschooling

In the nearly eight years that I have been homeschooling my children, I have learned many things.  One of the things I have learned, and at times must re-learn, is that no two school years are the same.  There are no ideal conditions for homeschooling.  Interruptions occur, and sometimes life gets in the way of school work.  New babies come, children hit road-blocks in their learning, there may be a death in the family, or a move, or a sickness.  When these things happen, formal educational studies sometimes have to take a backseat for a short time.  Does this mean that children are not learning at times when school work is put aside for "real life"?  Certainly not.  In fact, I have found that the years that have the most challenges to regular school time are the years when my children grow the most educationally (and often spiritually and in character as well). 

There have been at least two or three of the past seven years when I have come to a point that I despared to think that my children just didn't accomplish as much in school-related activities as I had planned.  And then, I have actually thought through how much they have experienced or what kind of learning they have done on their own.  I then begin to realized that at those times when I think my children are not doing much school, they are still doing plenty of learning.  Often, the "interruptions" (which are ordained by a sovreign God for a specific purpose in our lives) are learning opportunities in and of themselves.  For instance, a new baby being born into the family is a perfect opportunity to teach children a myriad interesting facts.  My children have learned much about pregnancy, childbirth (without going into unneccesary details they may not be mature enough for), and caring for a newborn.  They have seen pictures of babies at different stages of gestation, learned terms like umbilical cord and placenta, and know just what changing a diaper entails.  Aside from all these things, they have also learned what a blessing and pleasure it is to hold and cuddle a brand-new baby.

Many times, the most important learning taking place at these times is character-related.  Children learn by example, and the example we give them in times of stress or change can help them grow and mature in their character.  Having to put others needs before their own, caring for those who are sick, or giving extra help with housework when needed are all opportunities for children to learn and grow.

There may be no such thing as the ideal school year.  Things may not go as we guilt-ridden homeschool moms plan or hope.  But that doesn't mean our children aren't learning.  They may be learning much more than we could have taught them with the best curriculum money can buy.  They are learning about life.