I have a love of prisms. I have a thing about babies too.
That moment in the afternoon when the sun shines bright and rainbows dance on the walls and this baby lays happily on twisted bits of color...it makes me glad. Very glad, indeed.
Hi Rebecca, I've been thinking long and hard about education and am wishing I'd have homeschooled my children, but they're in high school now, and that makes me wonder if I'd have been able to tend to all the science and history, etc., that they'd need......I'm wondering whether you ever have any second thoughts about homeschooling, and how it's going as Corynn gets older? Will she be homeschooled through high school? Hope my questions aren't intrusive; I admire you greatly and would so appreciate your perspective and plans... So admiringly, Carrie
Carrie- of course that isn't intrusive! I'd be happy to answer your questions to the best of my Tuesday afternoon abilities.
Yes, we intend to homeschool our children through highschool. The other day I was driving the children to a store and we were discussing politics. When we finally got to our destination, a good 30 minutes later, I realized we had spent a half an hour discussing something way over their heads (or so I thought) because of a whim. I discovered another perk to homeschooling that I had never really realized before. That is, being around your children all day every day, they are able to ask questions and have discussions about things that just pop into their heads the moment they first pop. When a child is at school and a question pops into their head- even if they file it away for later- it is highly unlikely it will ever make it to the surface for discussion. This is incredibly valuable and one of the reasons why I look forward to those highschool years. And having a 12 year old now when just a few years ago I was in the midst of new mother-hood, I realize all too keenly that these years are fleeting and so swiftly passing it breaks my heart to think of missing any of it. The most comforting thing about this decision is that I have seen firsthand that there are so so so many resources available for home education for all ages, stages, subjects and interests that I am not the least bit worried about not being able to meet (and exceed) national standards in education.
One very important thing non-homeschoolers often mistakenly assume is that the parent must be able to teach every difficult subject. In fact, homeschooling parents are almost always learning alongside their children while guiding them toward a love of education. If calculus is way over my head (and it is) I direct them toward resources that can do the teaching for me (or to me). Computer programs are available per subject or even per year. Curriculums can be self-guided or within a virtual classroom. I needn't be brilliant to give my children a stellar educational experience. Good thing, too.
Do we ever have second thoughts about homeschooling? Emphatically YES! Pretty much every day. I don't usually question whether or not I should homeschool, but whether or not I am doing it the best I can do it. There are a ton of doubts I have- are my children going to be smart enough? Do they know what they need to know? Am I setting them up for successful lives? Am I a good representative of Jesus. Of course not. I am going to ruin them! If they fail, it is on me. Wouldn't it be better to send them off to school and get a job? Or have time for myself? Or give the littler children my full attention to learn reading/writing and let the older child topics be covered by a "real" teacher? Pretty much all of those doubts boil down to two questions: Am I giving my children my very BEST? And is my very best good enough? Because it is their future.
And then I think about those children who grew up with very little education and grew to be great thinkers, great men and women. Florence Nightingale. George Washington. Thomas Edison. Albert Einstein. Ben Franklin. Winston Churchill. Henry Ford. The Wright Brothers. All these people had limited resources and yet, became extraordinary. This helps comfort me when I know that our children have exponentially more resources available to them.
But the truest comfort I have is knowing that the Lord is with me and will use me to do His will not in my strength but in my weakness. And if anything, I have that to offer, as insignificant as it is.
He doesn't ask for perfection, He simply asks for obedience. And when I obey and hand over my brokenness, my weaknesses and failures for His glory- He makes them glorious.
Rebecca, thank you SO much for taking the time and care to write everything you wrote, above. What you shared is so illuminating. Eloquent and wise and humble, you are. Grateful, Carrie
Beautiful baby and prisms! Christina
ReplyDeleteBeautiful baby and prisms! Christina
ReplyDeleteShe's the little pot of gold at the end of the prism rainbow!
ReplyDeleteI love it :-)
ReplyDeleteSweet baby and love the prism! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!
ReplyDeletePretty Baby and Pretty Prisms and lovely photos :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking long and hard about education and am wishing I'd have homeschooled my children, but they're in high school now, and that makes me wonder if I'd have been able to tend to all the science and history, etc., that they'd need......I'm wondering whether you ever have any second thoughts about homeschooling, and how it's going as Corynn gets older? Will she be homeschooled through high school?
Hope my questions aren't intrusive; I admire you greatly and would so appreciate your perspective and plans...
So admiringly,
Carrie
Carrie- of course that isn't intrusive! I'd be happy to answer your questions to the best of my Tuesday afternoon abilities.
ReplyDeleteYes, we intend to homeschool our children through highschool. The other day I was driving the children to a store and we were discussing politics. When we finally got to our destination, a good 30 minutes later, I realized we had spent a half an hour discussing something way over their heads (or so I thought) because of a whim. I discovered another perk to homeschooling that I had never really realized before. That is, being around your children all day every day, they are able to ask questions and have discussions about things that just pop into their heads the moment they first pop. When a child is at school and a question pops into their head- even if they file it away for later- it is highly unlikely it will ever make it to the surface for discussion. This is incredibly valuable and one of the reasons why I look forward to those highschool years. And having a 12 year old now when just a few years ago I was in the midst of new mother-hood, I realize all too keenly that these years are fleeting and so swiftly passing it breaks my heart to think of missing any of it. The most comforting thing about this decision is that I have seen firsthand that there are so so so many resources available for home education for all ages, stages, subjects and interests that I am not the least bit worried about not being able to meet (and exceed) national standards in education.
One very important thing non-homeschoolers often mistakenly assume is that the parent must be able to teach every difficult subject. In fact, homeschooling parents are almost always learning alongside their children while guiding them toward a love of education. If calculus is way over my head (and it is) I direct them toward resources that can do the teaching for me (or to me). Computer programs are available per subject or even per year. Curriculums can be self-guided or within a virtual classroom. I needn't be brilliant to give my children a stellar educational experience. Good thing, too.
Do we ever have second thoughts about homeschooling? Emphatically YES! Pretty much every day. I don't usually question whether or not I should homeschool, but whether or not I am doing it the best I can do it. There are a ton of doubts I have- are my children going to be smart enough? Do they know what they need to know? Am I setting them up for successful lives? Am I a good representative of Jesus. Of course not. I am going to ruin them! If they fail, it is on me. Wouldn't it be better to send them off to school and get a job? Or have time for myself? Or give the littler children my full attention to learn reading/writing and let the older child topics be covered by a "real" teacher? Pretty much all of those doubts boil down to two questions: Am I giving my children my very BEST? And is my very best good enough? Because it is their future.
And then I think about those children who grew up with very little education and grew to be great thinkers, great men and women. Florence Nightingale. George Washington. Thomas Edison. Albert Einstein. Ben Franklin. Winston Churchill. Henry Ford. The Wright Brothers. All these people had limited resources and yet, became extraordinary. This helps comfort me when I know that our children have exponentially more resources available to them.
But the truest comfort I have is knowing that the Lord is with me and will use me to do His will not in my strength but in my weakness. And if anything, I have that to offer, as insignificant as it is.
He doesn't ask for perfection, He simply asks for obedience. And when I obey and hand over my brokenness, my weaknesses and failures for His glory- He makes them glorious.
Rebecca, thank you SO much for taking the time and care to write everything you wrote, above. What you shared is so illuminating.
ReplyDeleteEloquent and wise and humble, you are.
Grateful,
Carrie
Love the babies, prisms, and your homeschooling answer. You are a writer, girl. (among the million other things you do wonderfully!)
ReplyDeleteThat baby belongs with rainbows. She looks perfectly at home.
ReplyDelete