What we forget is they have free will. We forget that all the teaching and love in the world cannot cause them to make good choices. I mean, when we have friends that are like-minded we grow and when we walk in the way of scoffers (Ps. 1) we do not seem to walk as closely. The same thing happens to them when they leave home. Their free will kicks in and all you can do is Trust the Lord to fulfill His Word in their lives.

So what do you do? You teach your children and cling to God's promises.  God is faithful He will see them through to completion, He promises. His Promises are not like Man's that He should lie. If we train up a child in the way he should go, He Will Return. The lessons learned by the Prodigal are deep lessons. Some of us need to be prodigals, in or out of Home School.

Our hope, our prayer, our teaching, their free will, God's plan.

Now Let's Talk about Girlfriends....

Cultivating friendships is like cultivating a garden, it takes time for them to bare fruit. When I plant my garden I think about all of the plants needs. The plant will eventually meet my needs, but I am thinking about their needs at the time so I look for ways to meet them.  The time I water them is equally important. Too much water can drown them, too little and they dry up, so I choose the right amounts at the right time. I do the  same with the Word of God.

As a Homeschooling mom, you have seedlings to tend and they need MUCH attention. They will get the bulk of it and possibly the first year or two while you are getting your bearings, friendships and adult contact may be limited. So seek out ways to blend the two whenever possible.

School is flexible, bend a little, School four days and have a play day in the middle so you can all have friends. If you are homeschooling all alone praise God for cyber girlfriends! 20 years ago you were all alone and nobody understood what you were doing!

 We used to pull out the game boards or craft or play at the park once a week.  In Florida we all met at the park on Friday afternoons, no agenda, just fellowship. On Wednesdays in New Hampshire, I would invite a different homeschool family over for tea just to get to know them. In Colorado we had a girls night out just to rubber stamp and scrapbook along with a five minute devotional which would spur on the conversation for the rest of the evening. And in Maryland my daugther and I took High Tea on the road. Once a month someone else would hostess our tea at their home. We would have a Bible Study and fellowship. But most importantly EVERY ONE of these activities included prayer. And here in California, the women's ministry person was smart enough to include homeschool classes in their Women's Bible Study along with the typical nursery provided! Shear genius. The kids bring whatever they are working on at home and do that for one hour (like a Study Hall), they do a Bible Study together and a craft like in Vacation Bible school. It becomes a one room school house for the morning and the kids love it! And the Mom's get to participate in the Women's Bible Study that they normally would have to miss out on, without taking away another evening with the family. I think it is pure genius.

So be imaginative. Be the friend you want to have to someone who needs you. Do something good for your garden to help all of you grow. If it isn't there, start it. If there aren't any homeschoolers near by befriend some one with children the same age as yours, in a year they will be homeschooling too.

Every best girlfriend I have ever had I have met at Bible Study and I still have those long distant friendships 30 years later. We still PRAY about everything.

Women need Girlfriends! Be one, even if for now it is only as an avitar!