Spunky Homeschool

My Greatest Challenge

Jun. 28, 2006 at 11:23 PM

Earlier today I posted the question;
What has been your greatest challenge so far in homeschooling your children?
I've received many excellent responses. Both at HSB and at Blogger.    For me, the greatest challenge has been having a picture in my mind of what homeschooling is supposed to look like - the mythical perfect homeschooler. I would compare myself to that perfect ideal and those that I thought lived it out. It didn't help that I had met a few families early on that used one particular homeschooling curriculum that presented this ideal rather strongly. We didn't use the curriculum, but somehow their ideal mixed with my own insecurities created an image in my mind of what a homeschool family was supposed to be. Try as I might, I could never compete with that ideal any more than I can the image of a super-model. Consequently, everything I did never seemed quite good enough. In the quest for perfection, I'd change methods or curriculum. "Ditch and switch" characterized the first few years of our homeschooling. But the minute I'd switch something new would come out that was "better" than what I was using. This was challenging to overcome, until I finally ditched the image of perfection and switched my focus away from my ideal to God's plan for our family. Doing so helped increase my confidence to homeschool and I actually began to enjoy my children. Imagine that! Instead, of focusing on what I thought they should become, I began to concentrate on who they were right then and enjoy them. It was actually a relinquishing of control and letting God help fashion and shape our family into His image not the perfect image in my mind.

There are no perfect homeschool families. There are no perfect home school mothers. There isn't a perfect method or curriculum. But there is a perfect God, who takes all this imperfection and somehow turns it into something good. To God be the glory.

Related Tags: , , ,

3 Comments and Trackbacks

posted by KarenW on Jun. 29, 2006 at 11:01 AM

My greatest challege? I've had a lot of them. I guess the biggest thing has been being on the mission field. We took our first trip to Romania, a survey trip, in 1996 when my oldest was in kindergarten. An interrupted schedule seems to be our routine.

posted by Anonymous on Jun. 29, 2006 at 11:59 AM

Thanks so much spunky for the chance to meet with you, and for asking my question to the masses! So many great responses and so many challenges to take into consideration- but regardless of the challenges that may lay ahead for me, the hubby and our two girls I must believe that the rewards and blessings that come from homeschooling out weigh that any challenges that may come our way..

posted by momofsix on Jun. 30, 2006 at 10:19 AM

Great post! I am always amazed at those who get caught up praising the curriculums rather than praising God for academic success. I have always found that when we recognize our weaknesses, take them to the Lord, and pray that God gives amazing successes. Our academic successes, relationship successes, and so forth come from Him first. It is fun to find like minded homeschoolers. Thanks for your post.

Post a comment!