Well, hello! I’m back from my blogging break! Honestly, standing here today, I’m equal parts happy to be back and equal parts sad my month is over so quickly. It was nice to have that bloggy-space in my brain empty!
We’re beginning our 4th week of school and I think (hope? pray!) we are hitting a stride. I am feeling a little more confident in what we are doing. Plus our playroom turned semi-schoolroom is finally put together and clean! It’s amazing how much having a desk and being able to find your pencil when you need it is a big stress-reliever!
So far this partial-homeschool has been eye-opening. I can see new things about my daughter, about myself, about schooling and about what I want for our family. Here are my
TOP TEN THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM OUR FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL
1. Uniforms Are Cute
The two days a week Lydia does go to school, she has to wear a uniform. And I think she is the cutest thing ever.
2. Homeschooling Does Not Make You Holy
When I start reading homeschool blogs and I see all the amazing things these moms are teaching their kids, I get jealous. I so want to be the mom that leads my kids through creative and fun education. I want to intertwine God’s Word with Science, Math and Reading.
And I start feeling like homeschooling is the only way one can really really really live out our blog’s namesake verse,
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV)
How else can I talk about them all the time if they aren’t with me? And although this is one reason I’ve chosen to do this type of schooling, homeschooling does not make for automatic God-following, Jesus-loving kids.
I have spent entire days this past month focused on worksheets and handwriting and I haven’t remotely mentioned God or talked about Him when we sat down and got up. In fact, I was just trying to make it through the day without yelling at my kids!
No matter how often your kids are with you or in what capacity, you have to spend your time reminding them of God’s laws and love. This can be in the carpool line, at dinner-time or while you’re conjugating verbs in your schoolroom at home.
3. Just Being With Your Kids Is Not Enough
This kinda goes along with #2. I have to actively remind myself and purposefully put forth an effort to impress God’s words on my kids’ hearts. If that means talking about God the Creator during Science, or showing patience while making dinner or disciplining when they disobey, I have to make sure I’m doing it in such a way to point to God.
I know that seems so obvious. But because I’ve added a new hat and a new role to my parent-child relationship, I have just seen how much more purposeful I need to be with them in every area of life.
4. My Kindergartener Does Not Know How To Use an Eraser
Seriously. This has been a mini-lesson every day for a month. Who knew this is what I’d be teaching her?
5. 2 and 5 Year Olds are Different
While Lydia is doing work, I’ve set up tot trays for Asa. Watching the two of them “do school” in their separate ways has been eye-opening. It’s a great reminder in how different they are: learning styles, encouragement needed, love language, etc.
6. One on One Parenting
With Lydia gone to school, I am able to have a few hours of Mommy & Asa time. It has been really precious. I love hearing him talk uninterrupted and do things all by himself. It’s been good for him and me.
7. Sibling Love
But then right after a fun day of Mommy and Asa time? Asa can hardly wait to get back to his “Eeeya”! They love each other so much and both of them talk about how they miss the other one when Lydia is at school.
Can I just say this is one of the top 3 reasons I wanted to homeschool? I want my kids to be best friends!
8. School Supplies Are Fun
I’ve always loved back-to-school because of the new school supplies! And my favorite new school supply this year? This Mala Paper Holder from Ikea with giant paper roll ($13 for both!):
We seriously use this every day–for making lists, drawing pictures and more. It’s the best thing EVER!
9. I Can’t Do This Alone
One of the main reasons I like this partial-homeschool we’re involved in is that I have a group of moms and two teachers who are on the same page as me. I can email Lydia’s teacher at anytime to clarify something or ask a question.
I’ve also been able to save an assignment for when Daddy comes home. It’s helpful for when everyone is tired. And my husband likes to be involved with Lydia’s school.
And of course, I’ve gained a lot of insight from the online homeschooling community. There are so many fabulous mamas out there doing so much good stuff in their homeschools. I have to take a step back and remember I’m a newbie and can’t jump into all that at once.
{Speaking of online homeschool communities, did you see our newest partner, The Homeschool Village there in the sidebar? They are an online community written by 20+ different homeschool moms with lots of encouragement, reviews and ideas. Please check them out!}
10. School Makes Me Organized
Who knew? I have to keep all Lydia’s assignments organized which has in turn, made me organize Asa’s day. Which is making me actually keep up with my To Do list! I’ve got file folders, a notebook and even spreadsheets! What has happened to me?!
:: :: ::
School has definitely been an adventure. And I’m excited about this new season of our life. In case you were wondering (or worried) Impress Your Kids will not turn into a homeschooling blog. I may share stuff about our homeschool day with you once in awhile because it just is our life.
I want Impress Your Kids to be the place for parents who don’t get to spend hours a day with their kids, who don’t have a craft closet, who don’t know what kind of resources are out there, for those of us who want to do more but just wish someone would do the hard stuff for them. I’m not claiming to be any kind of awesome parent that knows how to do everything just right…that’s why I’m here. I need the accountability to spend purposeful time with my kids. And I want to share the things I’ve done so you can stick it in your own little file and use it when you need to. I hope you feel that I am trudging along next to you looking for the same encouragement and inspiration. I just want to raise my kids for Jesus and hopefully encourage you along the way!
So, how have you been this last month? Are your kids in school?
linked to Top Ten {Tuesday} at ohAmanda
Sarah in GA says
was just thinking along the lines of what you listed in #2 & #3. we are starting week 5 of school-at-home and it is so much easier to create a learning growth environment then it is to create a spiritual growth environment.
ohamanda says
Exactly! And I don’t want to forget…or let the learning environment overshadow the spiritual growth.
Leigh says
fabulous! They are all right on the money!!! We just started today, and it was a huge labor just to make it through the bit we did… and your list came at a perfect time to encourage me!!!
Mozi Esmes Mom says
You almost make me want to splurge on some sort of uniform… but seeing my daughter do school in her jammies and cat mask and tail is awfully cute, too!
Totally in agreement with #2. Thank you thank you for putting it out there… 🙂
Katie Orr says
“Homeschooling does not make for automatic God-following, Jesus-loving kids.”
HSing may give us more opportunities to impress our children, but I am with you, that many of my moments of HS involved me praying that I wouldn’t lose it.
For many reasons, we have decided NOT to HS this year and it has been a very tough decision to make, I think because I have bought it to thinking that HSing is the “best” way to teach my kids about Jesus.
Love what you said here:
“No matter how often your kids are with you or in what capacity, you have to spend your time reminding them of God’s laws and love. ”
In this way, we all “home-school” in that we teach our kids about Jesus, regardless of where they learn about fractions.
And, the IKEA paper holder-Love it! We have it, too, and it is great.
ohamanda says
Have you read this by Mandi Ehman: http://motherhood.yourway.net/homeschooling-is-not-optional/
It’s exactly what you (we) are saying! Home should be a school ALL the time!
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ohamanda says
This is good, Katie. I’m glad to hear your take on it.
Annie says
I concur whole heartedly with everything and #10 especially hits home for me. We just completed our 7th day of homeschooling. I am getting more and more organized as the days go by. Not only with my to-do’s, chores and such but with decluttering and relieving my family of too much stuff.
I am also homeschooling a kindergardener and 2 year old. It’s fun and challenging too. 😀
ohamanda says
Oh. Then you and I need to be on speed dial. How’s the homeschooling going?
susan says
Thank you! your closing paragraph summarizes exactly why I love your blog.
ohamanda says
Thank YOU. Your last sentence made MY day. 🙂
Kirsten says
Love, love love this post!! All true! We did a co-op our first year and my daughter loved it. Then I got brave and now do it all at home and love that too 🙂