I Remember Being A New Homeschool Mom
Posted By Jacque on November 19, 2008
We all start this homeschool journey with preconceived ideas and expectations of how it should go or what we ‘have’ to do to teach our children. We enter into homeschooling, knowing it will set us and our children free from the perils of the public school system, but sometimes those ideas and expectations are like shackles that keep us from teaching and loving our children the way we really want to. It is as if the method is more important than the goal. Which it is not. I have met a lot of new homeschool moms recently through Jocelyn’s meme on the HSBA Post: Homeschool Memoirs Meme and through Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte I have attended. I remember being a new homeschool mom.
Fifteen years ago, there were not so many resources out there that could be easily found, and considering I did not have the internet or even a computer, I had little in the way of outside encouragement. Add to that the fact that I was a 3yo baby Christian, just learning how to train my children at all. I feel for these new moms who are searching for the ‘best way’ to homeschool their children. I remember being a new homeschool mom.
Looking back to when I was a new homeschool mom, there are a few small things I can think of that would have made such a difference in my homeschooling had I only been told. I think I would have wanted someone to tell me we did NOT have to go into debt buying every complete set of each grade. I would have wished they had introduced me to a Bible-based homeschool method like HOW – Heart of Wisdom. I needed to know that God MUST come first. The WORD truly is our life, and outside of that, there is no wisdom.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.Isaiah 33:6
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
We get so caught up in what we learned in the government schools, and some of us just aren’t the ‘break the mold’ type of people. We were bound by society, and we have yet to break free. God is the one who can set our hearts and expectations free so that He is the Leader in our homeschools. If we bring all things through Him, we will not fail. It was He who told us to walk with our children and talk with our children to teach them His ways.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Read all of ‘these words’ of Deuteronomy chapter 6.
As society continues to move towards socialism, it is imperative that we stand firm in teaching our children as they need to learn. They are not cookie-cutter children. They each have their own strengths that we need to recognize and allow them to learn in, according to their bent (training up a child in the way they should go – according to their bent).
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
This is a freedom that will stop the tears and frustration. Some children just won’t read until they are nine. Period. Two of mine didn’t. They are voracious readers now.
The three books I suggest to a new homeschool mom are these: Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach (you can get a free 75 pp. excerpt online), Educating the Wholehearted Child, and Teaching the Trivium. I like Teaching the Trivium mainly for the chapters on teaching the Bible, as the method is not necessarily for everyone. Oh, and also, I found GREAT freedom to educate in high school through the 2004-05 Elijah Co. Resource Guide (get yours now-they are $1!!) and Barb Shelton’s Senior High: A Home- Designed Form+U+la. These last two are are EXCELLENT for the discouraged high school parent who has been relaxed homeschooling their children and feel lost at the high school level.
When we listen to God and see the hearts of our children, recognizing their purpose and needs and walking in that with them, there is a freedom that will take us places that far exceed our original little expectations!
blessings to you on your homeschool journey,
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10 Responses to “I Remember Being A New Homeschool Mom”
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Thank you for the encouragement Jacque! There are days when Timmy does NOT want to read then there are days when he picks up a book all on his own.
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Thank you so very much for this post!
I plan to homeschool my now-3 1/2-year-old son Adam next year, and I was thinking to myself, JUST THIS MORNING, “I wonder if it would be okay for me to try to contact Jocelyn’s mom and ask her if there are any books I should read to get prepared for homeschooling.” And then, I came to your blog, and here it is! A post just for me (no offense, everybody else! HA!)
Besides reading these books, is there any other advice you would give to someone just starting, or who will start next year?
Thanks again! This is so helpful for me!
Krystals last blog post..The Truth about Hydrogenated Oil
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These are my absolute favorites! Start with these. These are the ones that changed my perspective. Charlotte Mason’s Companion The Art of Gentle Learning is another one, but I have never read through the entire book, just picked out what was applicable.
I suppose I should add my fave homeschool websites, (like Robin’s HOW site and HOW blog).
Honestly, when I got a perspective of the Bible and God’s hand upon my children and how individual they are, that was it. Reading the Bible and really living life IN the WORD, as in, every moment is a moment to teach God’s laws, God’s promises, Christ’s salvation… it gives a different meaning to teaching and learning than most of us have ever known.
I did say that the Elijah Resource Catalog helped me in the high school years, but I have to say that the perspective given on Child-directed learning (NOT child-led) is revolutionary. I also had listened to some homeschool convention audio tapes by Chris Davis, which were wonderful.
No Greater Joy also has some good information about children and families that were not all that new to me, because my Mom, though she was not a Believer, trained us as children in a similar manner.
I would say that keeping your children’s hearts in the LOVE and admonition of the LORD and His WORD is the best way. All else falls into place, especially when you first start.
You are also more than welcome to email me!
blessings~
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Thank you so very much!!!
Krystals last blog post..The Truth about Hydrogenated Oil
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There are more than a few little things I wish I had known better when I started, but I guess that is what growing is all about.
And it can be very hard to let go of the public school mentality, or to stop comparing yourself to school.
Danas last blog post..A homeschooled mass murderer
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I wholeheartedly agree! I just purchased my own copy of Heart of Wisdom because I kept trying to underline in the library’s! =8-0
I have found in 17 years of homeschooling that getting my children’s hearts and turning them to Jesus is THE most important thing. Sometimes that happened in *spite* of me! LOL!
A few beautiful verses:
The familiar Mt. 6:33 “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God,and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I have found that true! When I focus on God’s Word and His priorities, He takes care of the “these things” like writing, math, etc!
My all time favorite, Isaiah 54:13 (I think it was really meant to be a hsing verse!) “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great will be the peace of thy children.” (I have a whole story about that verse–I’ll have to blog about it someday!
The bottom line for me is RELATIONSHIPS! God, spouse, children. All else flows from that!
Well, I didn’t mean to post over here in your comment section! LOL! You can tell I’m passionate about this, eh?! (And I had one that didn’t read until 8 1/2, and at 15 I had to LIMIT her reading because she ALWAYS had her nose in a book! Another didn’t read until 9ish and I have had to do the same thing!)
Great post (yours, I mean! ::blushing smiley::)
Blessings!
Trisch
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I agree Dana. It is a difficult thing to get out of the ps mentality, and it is even harder when the world’s mentality is to focus on the pss’s world. I mean, the entire country, retail, television programs, movies… most media, in fact… all things seem to revolve around the way the pss goes -their absence of God and promotion of humanism and socialism. Anyone who lives in the world and lives IN the world will continue to have a hard time separating themselves from the pss mentality.
Trisch~
You know that I absolutely do NOT mind your comments – or posts as comments! thanks for your Scripture references too.
Since we started homeschooling from the WORD, our lives have been completely changed. We learned so much and have brought our hearts home to the WORD and to family.
We seemed, for awhile, to gravitate around the fact that homeschooling was what bound us to our home for a long time, but when God opened our eyes to what he has planned for us as we keep our children home, life and learning just exploded. When Deuteronomy 6 became a verse to hang our hats on, we grew closer to God, closer to each other, and homeschooling became a means to walk with them and talk with them, instead of just teaching them the 3r’s and keeping them from bad influences.
I think as the world gets worse, we will have no other choice than to train our children to trust in the LORD and hold onto their hearts. NO ONE cares for our children as we do, and NO ONE feels the responsibility to God as we do for them. And I believe that is as it should be. I believe God did command us in this manner.
blessings~
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I have been homeschooling for 2 years now, but it’s only been in the last few weeks that our lives have dramatically changed, and that is because we are now leading Christ centered lives, or at least trying to.
Sorry for the delay Jacque, I know that you have been after me to live this way since we met, but I’m/we’re doing it now!! *HUGS* Thanks for all the prayers and support!!
I was homeschooled as a child, so I had no worries about knowing how to do it, even as a single parent I was confident I could do it, but I have encountered so many behavioral problems that our lives just seemed to be a mess. I was yelling all the time, and wasn’t a very nice person to be around. In exchange for my behavior my two girls were arguing and fighting all the time, NEVER listened to me, and many other problems that made our overall life misery!! I have been saved since I was a child, but have spent my lifetime drifting to and away from God. Anyway, a few weeks ago my life hit a critical meltdown, I had no where else to turn, and so I found myself turning to God. PTL!! Anyway to make a long story short, I devote my time to God, reading my Bible, praying, and reading the Bible to my girls. Love and peace are now part of my life! Oh sometimes I still yell, but not as much, it seems controlable now, which is a change. The girls still argue, and still ignore me sometimes, but we are working on it!! They are asking questions about what I’ve read to them from the Bible, we are all memorizing verses, my oldest (9) has started reading the Bible herself too!!! My youngest (7) suggests praying to God for every problem!!
We still have a long way to go, but I thank God everyday that my girls are home with me, so that we can learn God’s way together.
Sorry for the long comment, but just wanted to share with you all!
Vickis last blog post..Forgive the Lapses
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Thanks for this article! I am brand new to this homeschooling method. I do feel convinced it will help me raise my children successfully. I also feel lost at times because there is SO much that I still have yet to learn. I just find goodies, work books, puzzles and fun placemats with maps, presidents, the solar system, for a dollar or less. I am getting the hang of it and also for the first time, I am paying close attention to how Landon and Brady learn. They both are SO different and I need to pick up on their ways. I am glad for homeschooling moms like you guys online that are full of great ideas!
Charlenes last blog post..Yay*
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Thank you so much. I found your website though the Homeschool lounge. I needed to read this tonight. This is my first year back to homeschooling. I am just feeling somewhat overwelmed. There are days that things just don’t seem right. There are days when I feel like I am hurting my children instead of helping him. I lose patients with one of my sons often. I wish I could learn to not do this. He has been hurt by the public school system so much. I wish I had never put him there. Biggest Mistake of my life was having him there. He is in 3rd grade now, sometimes he is so stubborn. He does not have any patients either. I think we might be too much a like =). Anyway.. Thanks for this blog, and thanks for the wonderful music on you page. It is great! I don’t know how to add you to my blog, but my Blog address is http://michellebbz.blogspot.com/ I would love for you to add me to yours.
Kindest Regards,
Michelle
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