Posted in Homeschooling--the Best Choice We Ever Made

Did you ever try to drive to a new shopping center, and not know the way to get there? You know the scenario---you had a general idea of where this great new mall was, but didn't have the exact location, let alone the driving directions. I did this the other night, and what a time! I eventually found my way, but how I wish I had used MapQuest or Yahoo Maps BEFORE I set out for the mall. Perhaps I should have stopped somewhere in the area and just plain asked, "How do I get there?" How much time would have been saved, and how much easier it would have been, not to mention how much less stress and frustration I would have experienced.

The trip made me stop and think about our homeschool journey. Years ago, when we started homeschooling our oldest son, we had so little knowledge of what homeschooling was all about. We had a general idea of why we were homeschooling, and what we would like to accomplish, but that was it. Just a vague idea of where we were going, and no real instructions on how to get there. Let me tell you, we were lost in no time flat, and the stress and the frustration were the same as what I experienced when I didn't have a road map or proper driving instructions, and didn't really quite know where I was going.

A wise older homeschool mom gave us an incredibly simple idea. Decide where you are going, how you will get there, and why you want to go in the first place. Pretty simple, huh? A road map for homeschooling! Now, if you want to get technical, you can call it a "Philosophy of Our Homeschool."

Do you know where you are going, and why, on your own homeschooling journey? Or are you wandering around completely lost, or in the vicinity but not quite knowing how to get there? How will you get to your destination? If you haven't yet thought through these questions, I highly recommend that you and your spouse sit down and think these things through, and come up with your own personal road map.

To help you get started thinking in the right direction, I want to show you our first "Kin Family Philosophy of Home Education." It has been revised often through the years, and this first one was far from perfect, but the main points have remained unchanged. I hope that it will inspire you to put your own family's philosophy into writing. There is just something so ACCOUNTABLE about having this all in black and white. It helped our homeschool journey to have more peace and less stress and frustration.

The Kin Family Philosophy of Home Education

1. To put our faith in Jesus Christ above all else in our lives, and to obey His command to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul.

2. To follow the Biblical mandate to educate our children in all things, from waking until sleeping, at home and away.

3. To see that our sons grow, as did Jesus, in all areas---in wisdom, physically, spiritually, and socially.

4. To protect our children from worldly influences that would counteract our goals, until such a time as they are mature enough in all areas to withstand these influences.

5. To commit ourselves to integrity and quality in the education of our children in the core subjects; these include Bible, character building, mathematics, reading/language arts, great literature, history, geography, health and safety, science, physical education, foreign language, and current events.

6. To provide opportunities in art and music to include at the minimum exposure to the fundamentals, and appreciation of the masters and their works. Also, to provide instruction in any area they show an aptitude for.

7. To teach to each child's unique learning style, to be aware of his readiness to learn in each area, and to the extent possible, make learning and exciting adventure we share together.

8. To make the purchase of quality textbooks, learning tools, computer software, video and audiocassettes, and above all, BOOKS, a top priority in our budget.

9. To make available life experiences that will expand their knowledge learned in the classroom, and to never shelter them from the lessons of real life.

10. To prepare our children for responsible adult life by teaching responsibility, hard work ethics, integrity, financial responsibility, and the various life skills they will need to succeed as adults.

11. To make a firm commitment to obeying the laws and regulations concerning homeschooling in our state, except in such rare instances as they directly conflict with our religious beliefs.