Teach Them In The Way They Should Go

Now that Nemo is four years old, everyone seems to think it is their business to ask why he isn’t in school, or suggest that he must be so excited to ride on the “big yellow bus” (fondly referred to as the “loser cruiser” by my husband).

Even if it weren’t for the degradation of parental rights and family values in our public school system, I would still feel just as passionate about this issue. If your child learns his/her ABC’s or 123′s from another adult please don’t take this personally, but I’m going to do something very uncharacteristic of myself and bluntly state that, there is no way in hell we are going to send our children away to be “educated”.

No one else knows our children as well as us, no one else has the same priorities and goals that we do, and no one else can devote such love, understanding, patience, time, and care to them as myself and my husband can.

Atlas, practicing his vocal skills

With that said, as the schooling years approach, I have been researching homeschooling methods and philosophies instead of prepping my children to be taught by a stranger in a foreign environment.

There really are so many good homeschooling methods out there, but I have yet to find one that I stand by wholeheartedly, and so I imagine that our kids will have a very eclectic education.

I am not going to sit Nemo down at the age of five and begin a pre-fab cirriculum, but I do feel it is important to have an idea, a basic framework, for how we want to approach learning so that we stay goal-oriented and able to do less, but more useful and meaningful work.

Daphney, helping me to fold our cloth wipes

For this reason, I have begun writing down the values and priorities that Glen and I have discussed which we would like to pass on to our children. These are things that only we as their parents can teach them, so it is to our whole family’s advantage that we are able to integrate their learning into our day-to-day lives.

What are these things we want them to have a foundation in? In no particular order, they are:

• Understanding the Bible and Christian doctrine. How to love God with their hearts, minds, and bodies
• Personal health habits, including nutrition, hard work, and relaxation
• How to learn anything they want to learn
• Team work – their role in our family, church, community, job, and future family
• Skills to help them in their roles listed above. Things like communication, financial independence, homemaking skills, and kindness and compassion for others
• The basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic so they can function easily as adults and learn what interests them without difficulty
• Awareness of American and global government, our God-given rights, and how the media works
• Creativity, ingenuity, imagination, and thankfulness. Things that encourage contentment, personal discipline, and good behavior
• Pursuing their interests as a vital way to glorify God. No guidance counselors recommending colleges here! My kids will figure out what they were made for all on their own if we can help them to be honest with themselves

I suppose you could call this our homeschool philosophy, but it also covers our family philosophy. In so many ways, family development and homeschool learning converge and benefit each other. I am just so very thankful Glen and I planned ahead (before we were married) so that we can gradually develop our homeschool as our children blossom.

My grandparents bought this dress for me in Hawaii when I was a little girl!

Children are not little buckets to fill up [with knowledge], but little trees to grow. Give them a chance with all the love and patience your heart can muster. ~ Dr. Raymond and DorothyMoore, The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook

In an era when homes and families face tragic deterioration, the homeschool evidences these values that once held homes and families together. ~ Dr. Sam B. Peavey, quoted in The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook

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