October was a crazy month at our house. A friend's husband passed away, we had grandparents come visit for several days, then we were hit with swine flu that hung around for two weeks. The last week of the month was spent playing catch-up and trying to get the house back in order. Our regular routine was pretty much thrown out the window for the entire month.
Where did homeschool fit into all this? When I flipped the calendar I thought, “Did my kids learn ANYTHING last month? Would they have been better off at the school down the street where they have substitutes when the teacher gets sick and the routine stays in place even when life happens?”
I suspect we all have similar thoughts at different times during our homeschooling years when life gets crazy and busy and things don't go as planned. It is easy to get discouraged and frustrated at times. However, as I thought more carefully about the month, I realized my children had been taught or learned many things which will probably be more valuable to them than the academics we would have covered.
For example, we talked at length about the plan of salvation and how blessed we are that our family is sealed together and can be together even when someone dies. We talked about serving and helping others and how we can't make them feel better, but the Savior can, and we are His hands here on earth. The kids helped think of things we could do to “mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”
When grandma and grandpa came they were able to show off their projects and papers and share the things they've been learning. The lessons “sank in” even deeper as they taught someone else what they had learned. It also gave them a chance to shine and feel the pride of accomplishment as grandma complimented their handwriting and grandpa challenged them with math story problems. (He was probably testing them to see if they are really learning anything, but they thought they were showing off.)
Then, when I was in bed with the flu, my 7 and 9 year old boys read stories to and played with the younger kids, raked leaves for us and the neighbors, played board games, and cooked several meals for the family. When they were sick, they read, watched educational videos, and slept. They practiced serving each other and showing gratitude when others served them.
While they didn't complete the assignments on my schedule, they were learning and growing.Most of the planned assignments will still get done, at least the important ones. They just won't get completed on the timetable I laid out in August. Heavenly Father had different priorities for our family this month.
The holidays are coming and I know from past years that life will get busy and our regular school routine will get set aside, but this year instead of worrying about the boxes I don't check, I'm going to focus on the lessons they are learning and the people they are becoming. Academics are important and it takes time to practice and develop those skills, but homeschooling is more than just academics, it is raising and nurturing righteous, faithful people who are prepared to make a difference in the world. It's learning gratitude and service. It's becoming Christlike. That's homeschooling-- the Lord's way.
