3 Thought Provoking Challenges to Examine Your Homeschooling Success

At this time of year, many homeschooling families are wrapping up and evaluating their current homeschool year and starting to make plans for the next homeschool year. We (at Hip Homeschool Moms) hope this guest post by Tehila is a blessing to you as you evaluate and plan. ~The Hip Homeschool Moms Team

When I started homeschooling our children several years ago, the big question was what curriculum to use. It was all new to me, and the more I researched, the more overwhelmed I became with the choices available. I eventually settled on one that would work well for our family.

However, as the months and years have gone by, I have realized that the academic training that the children are gleaning from their books is really only a small part of the education I am providing for them.

Far more impressing on their young hearts are what they see and hear within our home. The memories, the convictions, and the truths that they will carry with them for life are the ones that we as parents should be focusing on first and foremost. It is these that will last and be remembered.

Here are few questions that we can use to examine whether what our children are observing in their daily lives around them is what we are really wanting them to learn:

Spiritual Values

Are our children seeing us devote time to God’s Word, to prayer, and to serving others? Do they get a sense that God is the top priority in our lives and that communing with Him is the most important part of each day? Do they understand that the moments in our lives are precious gifts from Him and that the time He has given us is to be spent well in ways that glorify Him? Or do our children see us spending hours of our time on social media, television, and watching movies on Netflix?

What spiritual priorities and concepts of how to use our time on this earth do we want to instill into them as an example to be taken into their adulthood?

Relationship Standards

Do our children see us treating other people in a Godly manner, the way we would want to be treated? Respecting our husbands unconditionally, being patient with slow supermarket check out tellers, being compassionate to those who are unwell. Do we yell at them impatiently on our way to church and then put on sweet smiles as we walk through doors to greet our fellow believers? Do our children see us parents being authentic people, the same out of home as we are at home?

How would we like our children to treat others when they are grown up and out there in the world with their own families, and how can we train them to walk in integrity by our own example?

Heart Attitude

What are our children hearing from the lips of their parents? Do they hear us being critical of those who disagree with us? Have they become accustomed to our gossip of others we know, or grumbling with discontentment at our circumstances? They should hear us being gracious, forgiving, loving, and thankful as part of our daily conversation. Do they hear us turning to God in prayer when we have need or require direction and in praise when He has provided for us or blessed us in some particular way?

In what way would we like our children to respond to others in their heart attitudes and words, and how can we ensure that they are in the habit of turning to God throughout their days in response to His goodness and the trials He allows?

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These are challenging questions but ones that we must ask ourselves regularly. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as each family is so beautifully unique. It is healthy to take time out to examine ourselves as parents, especially as homeschooling parents, since our children are around us 24/7 and are exposed to our lives so much more regularly than school going children.

Our children may be up to their age level in math, reading well, excelling in spelling, and knowing their geography and history down pat. But if we are neglecting to train them by living righteous lives in their midst, they will leave home in 5, 10, or 15 years from now having learned bad practices and ungodly behavior from us. It is never too late to start exemplifying Godly characteristics in our home, and we shall surely reap the wonderful benefits of seeing God seeking, God loving, and God fearing children as a result.

May He truly guide us in being aware of our words, attitudes, actions, and priorities so that our homeschooling years may be blessed, significant, and continue to bear excellent fruit for all eternity in our children’s lives.

What area do you feel you need to work on within your home that will improve the Godly education your children will take with them for life?

 

 

Tehila is an Israeli, God-loving, husband-serving, child-nurturing mom of five sweet little ones whom she homeschools. She resides in beautiful New Zealand from where she blogs at Women Abiding – Encouraging women to abide in God and His Word. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Visit her here to receive a FREE eBook that she offers to all moms!