Aug. 19, 2006 - My "Seven Habits of Highly Effective New School Years"
   Maureen at TRINITYPREPSCHOOL is asking fellow homeschooling bloggers to share their Seven Habits of Highly Effective New School Years. (You can check out what others are saying by clicking on the link above.)
Here are mine:
1. Take some time to decide what it is you would like your children to learn this year and formulate a plan, whether it is for the whole school year or just the next week. It is also a good idea to create a daily schedule and try to stick to it. However, remember not to become a slave to any schedule, but make your schedule work for you. (You can see mine in my last posting.) 2. Start each day with prayer and continue in prayer throughout the day. “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 3. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you’re in this alone! II Corinthians 3:5 says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."
4. Our little ones are not perfect, but rather they need to be trained in the way they should go (see Proverbs 22:6). Webster, in his original 1828 dictionary, defines train as follows: To discipline; to teach; to form by instruction or practice; to bring up. Our children need to practice obedience and self-control, kindness and goodness, but first they must be taught. We must remember that they learn this godly character mainly by example. 5. With training, comes correction and discipline. Solomon tells us in Proverbs that he whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:12). We, as parents, have been instructed to withhold not correction from our children (Proverbs 23:13a). 6. Be patient with your children, as well as yourself. Isn’t it true that we desire our children to be patient? How can our children learn patience if we do not model it ourselves? I grew up hearing my mother sing The Patient Song – “Have patience. Have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry… Remember that God has patience too….” I struggle with this one and have to often (very loudly) remind myself to be patient. 7. And last, but definitely not least, it is extremely important to remember the numerous reasons WHY you are home schooling.
| 
