You Are Going To Miss Things

One of the troubles of being a mother, especially a homeschool mother, is feeling the pressure of personally covering all the bases.  It's a well-known myth that a homeschool parent has to know all the subjects with letters behind their name in order to provide a well-rounded education to their child.   It's this lie that convinces a lot of really good parents that they couldn't, nay SHOULDN'T homeschool because they would most certainly overlook something important and mess up their kids.  I feel all of that.  But then I still homeschool.  By choice. We're not forced by circumstance or specific educational needs.  I've always wanted to.  But now that I'm in the throws of almost 3 students, I have to admit: It's a lot.  I don't regret it, but I do worry that I'm going to miss something.  And then I'm reminded of a truth that new homeschoolers don't like to here.  

You are going to miss things. 

*gasp* 

Sometimes they will find what they need somewhere else. 

*gasp again*

And that's okay.  It's actually more than okay.  It embodies what homeschooling is all about.  Teaching them a love for learning so that they can learn anything at any time.

My oldest son has always enjoyed drawing and coloring since he was little.  Handwriting wasn't too big of an issue so I never payed too much attention to his pencil grip until around 1st grade.  He would complain that his hand would start hurting if he had to write very much.  I figured he was exaggerating to get out of work, which I still assure you is a thing with him.  However, at that point I started looking at his pencil grip and realized it wasn't quite right.  It was off just enough that it could be making his hand hurt, but he was not interested in making any changes.  We got those rubbery grips that you put on pencils to help re-teach your fingers and of course he hated them.  So, I chose the guilt rather than the fight.  Fast forward to today, an October morning in 4th grade when we hadn't discussed the subject in months.  He picks up his cursive handwriting book first thing and works on it over breakfast.  After a few minutes he informs me that he figured out what he was doing wrong with his grip!  "All I had to do was move this finger around there. See?"  When I asked him where that came from, he showed me a page in the handwriting that talks about it.  Well, what do ya know?  

If we teach them to love learning, they can then get whatever knowledge they might need.  Worrying about small things that you will likely miss, shouldn't hinder you from sharing this time with them.  God is a wonderful partner when it comes to their education, as long as we don't forget to utilize all He has to offer!

A Note of Encouragement for Worried Parents

As someone on social media so eloquently stated, there are no good choices in all this mess.  So I'm going to assume that there is something about your child's educational circumstances this fall that worries you.  Some parents have to work and have no choice but to send their kids to school.  Some have online options but feel like either way, they don't like it.  Maybe some of you are choosing to homeschool for the first time ever and not really liking that option either.  Parents like me who homeschool still aren't happy because our co-ops and extra-curricular activities are complicated at best too.

I don't have answers to all of the concerns for sure, but I do have some encouragement to share.

No matter what scenario you end up choosing or being stuck with this fall, I want to encourage you that it can be okay.  Some are worried about health, some are worried about education and some are just plain worried!  We've always tried to make intentional choices to bring about the kind of results we want.  In all of these scenarios you might be faced with, I think there are a few things you can do to help things go smoother this fall.  

Begin every day, every meal, every difficult conversation with a prayer.  

Use this semester to encourage and teach your family to cover your life in prayer.  Ultimately, we are not in control of so much, but as believers we have the ultimate arsenal in prayer and our relationship with Jesus.  No matter the dangers, discomforts or disappointments, God wins and we will be blessed through Him.

 

Cultivate a desire to learn

It's common to find yourself trying to make your kids learn something instead of considering how to cultivate in them a desire or love of learning.  An easy way to do this is reading together.  Children learn and grow through reading and being read to.  If you can spend time as a family reading, perhaps before bed, you will be stimulating their minds towards comprehension and curiosity of all kinds. The questions and conversations we have in the midst of reading together are so important and perhaps of the greatest value. My family is on the next to last book in the Chronicles of Narnia and we have an enormous collection of shared memories and experiences through reading together as a result.

Revisit what health and wellness looks like in your family.

Especially for those families who are genuinely worried about their health this fall, make sure you are teaching your family what healthy looks like.  Of course, a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and clean meats is a great place to start, but don't forget how much water you drink, what kind of sleep habits everyone has, and how much time you spend outside (make it a LOT!).  We are a big advocate of supplements and that has proven helpful in all of this mess.  Shoot me a message if you need some ideas.  Finally, ensure your family has space to talk about their feelings.  All of these changes are driving me nuts and I need ample time to process it.  Our kids need it too.

Focus on the good.

We haven't been told anything really, but Mr. Butler half expects to continue working from home for the rest of the year.  It was a struggle at first, but we are LOVING him being home all the time.  It is absolutely feeding our relationships with each other and I am so thankful. There is personal growth happening all over our house, something I have craved for a long time.  I NEVER would have ordered 2020 in order to bring it about, but here we are.  And it's important to be thankful.  If your kids go back to school, help your family be thankful for some kind of normalcy and teachers eager to help your kids.  If you decide on an online or homeschool set up, lean in to the family time and a new shared learning experience.

No matter what educational situation you have this fall, know that I am rooting for you! Taking good care of those kids is what it's all about.  If you have any needs along the way, especially homeschooling or education related, don't hesitate to contact me.  

  

When the Twilight Zone is Normal...

Boy, that went off the rails in a hurry, didn't it?!

 I am having a hard time putting my feelings down into words, I guess because there are just so many of them competing right now.  I love the down time for so many reasons.  Spring projects, little to no urgency most days, Mr. Butler is available a lot more, and just the richness of home.  So, this quarantine state is providing so many beautiful things right now.  On the other hand, we are in a Twilight Zone where everything is just so different and, let's face it, WEIRD!  I appreciate having Mr. Butler home where I can get a hug almost whenever I want, but working from home is challenging to all of us and definitely takes some getting used to.  We all miss our extended people.  There are some people we know truly fighting for their life in this or at great risk, which is just scary and stressful.  A lot of people are in danger financially because of all this through no fault of their own.  And nobody really knows when this will be resolved.  So, yeah - WEIRD.

Aside from the weirdness of it all, I have two things to share. 

#1 Whatever is good, DWELL on these things.  If ever there was a time where we are tempted to drown ourselves in panic, worry and fear, it is now.  And if there were ever a time when the Bible's teachings of hope, faith and trust are relevant it is now! Instead of panicking, now is the time to dig up all of the things you've learned before on times of trouble and utilize them.  Here are some of our favorite resources to fill our minds with positive thoughts:

Our good friend, Jonathan over at Pure and Simple Bible offers so many resources and encouragement.  In addition to his regular podcast, this week he's been doing live Bible studies on his Facebook page.  His videos and podcasts are great things to listen to as a family or in the car!

Seeds Family Worship is one of our favorite playlists on Spotify to play around the house.  All of the lyrics to their songs are scripture!  It's encouraging and a great tool for memorization.

Praise & Harmony is a series of recordings that feature a capella music.  We love listening to these in preparation for going to services.  With that being so limited right now, songs like these are even more important to us!  They are available on Spotify too!

#2 Invest in your HEALTH.  So far, there is a lot about this virus that is not fully understood and most anyone who claims different is probably lying.  It DOES seem to be true in most cases that healthy immune systems handle this pretty well. On top of respecting the social distancing state we are in, it seems logical to seriously take stock of your health practices and makes sure they are working for you.  Those who know me, know that I take my family's health very seriously and have invested a lot of time and money trying to teach and provide all the elements needed for strong immune systems in our little family.  For us this means a clean diet, quality supplements, lots of time outdoors (Vitamin D) and exercise, good sleep schedules, and always working to minimize unhealthy stress.  We're not perfect in all these things and certainly do not know all there is to know, but I feel confident in my understanding and resources not to be afraid for us.  If you are afraid and interested in ways to build up your health, send me a message and I'm happy to share with you what I have learned.