My husband and I watched television continually that evening, witnessing the havoc Ike was already dispensing seventy miles south of us. In the night, as the storm’s fingers reached north across Houston, we lost power. I lay in bed listening to banging, cracking, and crashing sounds amid the torrential rains that slashed the windowpanes. Any effort to peer outside to search for the source of the noises was futile. There was no glow emitting from streetlights to assist my view. I alternated between lying down and walking anxiously around the house with a flashlight, checking windows and doors, jumping at each moan and creak inside and every loud blast outside.

For several hours I wondered what ruin the Category 2 winds were delivering. Earlier, at sundown a mere breeze fluttered the tree branches when we stepped outside to survey the sky. Now, in the blackness I identified with the disciples’ fears in Luke 8:22-25, as their boat rocked on the stormy water while Jesus slept, and I prayed that He would calm the storm and keep many safe.

Then, as suddenly as the storm raged, it quit. The dead calm of the eye passing over us was more eerie than the preceding gale. I inhaled deeply and released the air slowly. It felt as though I had been holding my breath for hours. Later I learned that one neighbor walked her dog during the storm’s stillness. My husband slept soundly in the quiet, but I only dozed, bracing for the eye wall’s second strike. I heard that the back side of a hurricane was usually worse than the front side, and I wondered how the second time could be any more frightening.

The answer came soon. After a bit less than two hours, the rain and wind resumed. This time I did not look out the windows. The noise outside was too alarming, and I avoided the glass panes. I never knew which specific sounds were the fence posts snapping, laying the side fence flat. I could not identify which crash was the backyard neighbor’s tree landing mercifully at an angle across our shared fence rather than straight into our yard and onto our house. I just thanked God then that the naturally leaning tree at the front corner of our house was not across our roof yet, which would have opened our home to the hammering rains, causing miserable interior damage.

The next afternoon, as the storm moved further north, neighbors congregated outside to survey the damage and learn how others fared. There was work to do, and we helped each other as we shook off the effect of our less-than-twenty-four-hour hurricane experience. Water was off for a day, phones were intermittently on before our service returned permanently a few days later, and our electricity remained out for several days. Even when electricity returned, the television cable did not, and we waited for almost a week to view scenes of utter destruction along the coast. By then the media had almost forgotten us. A welcome connection through our emergency radio was a local station broadcasting continuous information about open gas stations, grocery stores, and ice for food.

My exhaustion and emotional fatigue surprised me, but more surprising was that the leaning tree still stood! I thanked God that we were among the more fortunate in the wake of this storm, but I hoped I would never have to endure a repeat experience.

Hurricanes and Home Schooling

During recovery, I saw parallels in our hurricane upheaval, in home schooling, and in the story of Jesus and the disciples tossed about on stormy waters in Luke 8:22-25.

Most of us begin homeschooling with high hopes and expectations. We know we could encounter problems, but we do not really expect them, just as I am aware that I live in a hurricane-prone area, but I do not go about my day-to-day affairs expecting a hurricane. I imagine the disciples boarded their boat anticipating a pleasant ride across the lake to the other side. Christ Himself invited them onboard with Him, and the water was calm when they launched.

Just as I prepared for the hurricane, we prepare to home educate, using research, planning, curriculum choices, conference attendance, support group membership, and legal knowledge. We begin with a sense of importance and conviction for the task, and we envision a smooth ride without choppy waters.

Are You Perishing?

Then the windstorm blows—persistent problems with a child, unexpected health issues, financial challenges, resistance from family members, struggles to balance home and school, or any life issue that whips up the gale. We may or may not anticipate the approaching storm.

If we take our eyes off the Lord and off our long-term mission, we see only the storm surge crashing. It is dark, and we feel alone and frightened by the unknown around us. Our thoughts imagine disasters that never happen, much like that leaning tree in my yard that never fell. Even in viewing reality, we see the waves slapping over our tiny boat, filling it with water and threatening to sink us.

Possibly the eye of the storm passes over, and we experience moments of calm. Nevertheless, the back eye wall soon hits and seems to exacerbate the problems. We bail as fast as we can, but it seems ineffective. Where is the Lord? Asleep? The disciples’ reaction in Mark 4:38b is ours as well. “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (NASB)

Is the Lord Asleep?

When we cannot clearly see our destination on the opposite shore, we forget we are in the boat by the Lord’s bidding. He may appear to be sleeping, but He is in control. Psalm 107 is a psalm of thanksgiving for the Lord’s great deliverance. In verses 23-32, we see the Lord’s hand in the stormy waves:

Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders. (NASB)

Where is Your Faith?

When the disciples cried out to the Lord, He responded with action and a lesson. He calmed the sea, but He pointed out their weak faith. They had witnessed Jesus heal a leper, enable a paralytic to walk, heal the centurion’s servant from afar, and raise a widow’s son from the dead. Yet they were amazed when Jesus rescued them.

Aren’t we like that? We know the Lord is capable of calming the storm and guiding us to our destination. But during the storm, we depend on our bailing buckets and our ability to row. He simply asks us to cry out to Him to accomplish what only He can do. The distant shoreline is still our destination, we still head there although the sea is rough at times, and we are still to give thanks and give Him the praise and glory during the storm and when we touch land.

Whatever storms rage in your life, cry out to the Lord to do what you cannot accomplish. The storm may not be pleasant, and you may not desire a repeat experience, but He is able to carry you across and prevent the leaning trees in your life from falling.

The post A Hurricane and Home Schooling appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Nevertheless, conference season has arrived in many parts of the country. You tucked away the invitations to remind you to register, or you buried them in the pile of papers on your desk.

If you are newer to home schooling, you doubtless are eager to go. You cannot wait to finally see and touch the products you drooled over online or in the winter catalogs. You will hear, in person, the speaker you are convinced can teach you how to get the wash done and the math taught at the same time. You have vowed to do better next year! You and your husband can even enjoy a mini-vacation, if you are able to arrange childcare. In fact, you probably submitted your registration fee when the first invitation arrived.

What about attendance for those who are seasoned home schoolers? Over the years, you have gone to what seems like a zillion of these events—been there, done that, and you’ve earned the tee shirt! Why should you waste your time and money attending again? You have heard the speakers, attended the workshops, have already chosen your school material for next year, and you do not consider the conference a vacation if you must drag your reluctant husband along. Online ordering is so much easier.

Attend or Not

Why should any home educator—beginner or veteran—attend a conference? May we chat together over a cup of tea? You may have overlooked some particular rewards of being part of your local or state event.

Over the past twenty years, I have participated in every size conference imaginable as an attendee, a speaker, a vendor, and a conference planner. In the “old days,” we were fortunate when we could attend any conference anywhere that offered a handful of workshops. We met in churches, private schools, or any location in which we could find enough space to house a reasonable number of vendor tables and a few rooms for speakers.

Now, of course, there are countless material choices, numerous knowledgeable speakers, and in most cases, beautiful, spacious facilities. Home education conferences have arrived! So why do I hear that attendance is down in many states? Do we no longer need traditional home school conferences?

I propose that we do need them, perhaps currently more than previously, especially when we examine the important reasons for attending a conference. Yes, it is a wonderful place to see the particular curriculum you have only read about in a catalog. It is an ideal place to discover materials you might otherwise overlook if you did not attend. Yet, the foundational reasons to attend for all home schoolers are not necessarily utilitarian reasons involving curriculum choices.

Continuing Education

Have you read an article or a book or listened to a recording and wished you could ask the author or speaker a question to advance your understanding or clarify a point made in the material? You have that opportunity when you attend live workshops. Personal contact with veteran home school speakers and those who have expertise in specific areas opens the opportunity for new insights. Many home educators testify to an “aha” moment at a conference that revolutionized their teaching or child training.

The enthusiasm of the onsite speakers is infectious. Interaction with them can provide the boost you need to handle a particular challenge or give you encouragement to persevere. Most conference planners choose speakers carefully, giving you the best options for information and support. Call it continuing education for teachers; it affords the opportunity for you to listen, learn, and receive while you rest from giving continually to your family.

Renewing Perspective

Though you are solely responsible for your children’s education and training, you home educate as a member of a wider community of families who are pursuing similar opportunities for their children. The fellowship shared with others at a conference encourages and lifts you to new heights. As you stroll through the vendor halls, attend workshops, and chat with fellow home schoolers, you see anew why you started home educating in the first place. A conference introduces you to new friends whom the Lord brings into your life, and you connect again with those precious friends you and your family only have the opportunity to see infrequently. Other home schoolers’ lives and stories encourage you as you relate to their challenges and triumphs. The Lord refreshes your spirit and renews your heart for another season. The reminder that you are not alone, but part of a large community that shares this adventure with you, holds you steady through rough times.

If the conference uses teen volunteers, includes a graduation ceremony, or offers opportunities for older students or graduates to speak, you will be encouraged to see the fruit of home education in these exemplary youth. You look to the day, if your children are now young, when you will see that fruit in your parenting and educating efforts, and you are optimistic as you continue toward that goal for your own children.

One mother shared with me that she takes special notes at conferences. More than just recording the thoughts and ideas of the speakers, she writes in her notes’ margins the things that God may reveal to her about a particular student or curriculum choice. At times, she writes a question: “Would this be a good match for Andrew?” “Is this Susan’s need?” Other times it is a prayer: “Lord, help me do this with Melanie.” Additionally, she might record an idea: “Encourage Jeremy about his diligence.” This mom knows she is more open to the Lord’s leading and has a different perspective when she is concentrating and learning in a convention atmosphere away from the distractions and duties at home.

Giving Back

Although you receive multiple advantages when attending a conference, it is not just about receiving. Whether you are new to home education or a veteran of many years, you have something to share with fellow attendees as well. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up” (NKJV). God will give you the opportunity to lift up a fellow parent through your actions and words. You may not even be aware you have helped someone along their path, but the Lord knows and uses your offerings in the hearts of others attending the conference.

Online options for information, workshops, and curriculum purchases are popular, and they are helpful and convenient in multiple ways. Still, it would be a shame for a generation of home schooling parents to lose personal touch with the heart and soul of home education by missing the affirmative atmosphere of a convention. You cannot replicate that on a computer screen.

To attend or not to attend? I would not miss the refreshment, fun, and fellowship for anything! Won’t you join me?

The post Home School Conferences appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Freedom is rather frightening. We naturally want rules, regulations, and boundaries to make us feel safe—so we know (or think we do) exactly what to do, when to do it, and how we compare to others doing the same thing. We rely on external measurements because we want to do things “right,” and organized school (institutional school, whether public or private) seems to have the method perfected.

Why would we who have chosen the purest form of education want to emulate a method full of busywork, confined schedules, junk educational materials, and worse, a godless philosophy? We have the freedom to choose, but we often choose less than the best. We choose the “safest.”

We gravitate toward imitation because it feels secure—a system that someone else has figured out for us and that we think we can count on. We who have dared to step out into unknown territory to be different are often afraid to be too different.

Does that mean there is no value in things we think of as school? No. It is not wrong to choose some of those things when they suit our children’s needs. There is nothing inherently wrong with grade levels, tests, lesson plans, and the like; but for what reasons do we choose them? Is it because they aid us in reaching our goals, or because they keep us from having to decide for ourselves what is best for our children?

Home schooling is hard and frightening and full of unknowns. We are criticized by some and rewarded by none (for the short term). It is different from anything we have associated with school and especially with education in our experience. We often feel insecure about our ability to educate our children, and we wonder if we are crazy for attempting such a monumental task. It is a huge leap of faith to keep on keeping on as we run the race.

Yet that leap of faith is exactly what we need. We have the freedom to run, to choose the best regardless of what others are doing, to live an amazing life of faith in the Lord, Who gives us strength to run and Who picks us up when we fall. In fact, we can only accomplish it while trusting in Him to provide the wisdom, faith, strength, and courage that we need.
As I have grown as a Christian, I realize that the only safe way to run the race, to live, and to homeschool is by faith in the Lord and by letting go of my safe assumptions. I am reminded of the portion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia) when Lucy asks about Aslan.

“Is—is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan . . . “Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe:” said Mr. Beaver. “… Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (C. S. Lewis, 1950, Collier Books, 1970)

We can run the race in faith and in freedom. But we must keep our eyes on the Lord rather than on man to do so. We must not buy into the lie that we must follow the norm, the “safe” way, to succeed.

You are homeschooling because the Lord has planted the desire in your heart. You have the freedom to choose. You must discover what the best choice is for you and how to make that choice; then learn how to achieve freedom to do what you have discovered. It is the only race worth running.

The post The Race: Freedom to Run appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Unknowingly she had struck right to the core.  Chaos breeds chaos, and it is hard to feel successful in your home-education endeavor when your home is a wreck.  Now is the time to confront issues in your home before the ink on the first lesson plan is dry and the first child complains about the math lesson.

Establish a simple routine for the basics.  Somehow we always believe that we will get done the necessary things like laundry, dishes, and mopped floors if we just fit them in.  If you have home taught for longer than one year, you have already discovered it not true.  Do the basics first and on a regular routine.  The definition of regular is: as often as possible on the same day at the same time of day.

I am not speaking of running a boot camp in your family—just of having a routine that keeps things running reasonably well.  I hear some of you more “creative types” saying, “I do not do well on a routine.  I like to go with the flow.” That is fine for everything but the basics.  Flexibility is a virtue, but if the basics are not done, the flow becomes overflow!  Even the school lessons can be improvised and changed, but you only have time for all those creative things you love to do if you are not drowning in laundry or feeding the dog by letting him clean your floor for you.

If you struggle in this area and this is not the first year you have home taught, sit with paper and pen and reevaluate your past year.  What was your biggest struggle?   What thing was a continual frustration?  If this fall will be your first year to home teach, just think of the areas in your home that present your greatest challenges now.  They will only get worse when adding home teaching.  Begin there.

If your struggle is the laundry, decide now for the coming year on a system to get the laundry done.  What time (not minute or hour, but portion of the day, i.e., early morning, afternoon, etc.) and what day or days will you do it?  Are the children old enough to help sort, fold, or even wash their own clothes?  Will you wash one load every day or have one washday per week?  Will you begin in the morning by starting a load between breakfast, the morning chores, and school lessons so that all loads are done by lunch?  Will you (and the children) fold clothes after lunch or get it done before you prepare lunch?  Will you have an older child who has been trained help a younger child by washing their clothes together, so the younger child is learning how to do it?  The combinations are endless, and you know what will work best in your family, but the important thing is setting a specific routine and sticking to it.  You can always change the method if it does not seem to be working well.  The goal is for the clothes to end up in the drawers and closets rather than getting stuck in the washing machine, the dryer, or in the laundry basket for days.

Is your frustration the fact that the school supplies are scattered throughout the house—never available when you need them?  Buy containers and choose a storage place for all school supplies.  Designate a plastic dishpan or other container for each child (different colors or a name on each one), and ask each to keep all of his own supplies in his container.  Yes, you will have to ask them more than once, but you are training, remember?  Be conscious of your own poor habit of not putting things away when you are finished with them and ask the Lord to help you be a good example to your children.

Vow to conquer clutter in your home once and for all.  Toss out irrelevant paper and clean all the closets you can manage before school starts.  Have a late summer or early fall yard sale and make a clean sweep.  If you do not do all the clean-out that you would like to (after all, you do have to start school sooner or later!), set aside a day a couple of months from the beginning of school to tackle another project.

Write each of your struggles and frustrations on a list—and keep the list.  You will not be able to resolve all of them at once, but you can use the list for a reminder that you will tackle each of those items in turn.  Work on only one or two each year and do not worry about the others.  If your current challenges are under control quickly, you can go back to your list to choose another one to attack.

Communicate to your family the particular tasks that are your focus at the time and solicit their help.  If you were not taught to manage a home when you were younger, remember that your children will have the same struggle unless you teach them.  Learn together, and they will thank you for it one day.  I promise!

Each person has his own level of what I call tolerance tension.  Some have a very low tolerance for a mess, and it makes them nervous; others have a high tolerance and do not even seem to see the mess.  Find your family’s mutual tolerance tension level and work to keep your home at that level.  If husband and wife disagree on the standard, reach a happy compromise.  Make a list of the things that will get done and those that will be left undone until someone has the time to do them.  Remember that Mom, Dad, and children have to live in the home, and this is training in interpersonal relationships, respect for others, and serving others even when we do not like to do a particular thing.

Now you can add an additional “R” to the basic “readin,’ writin,’ and ‘rithmetic.” That “R” is “routine.” It will add a foundation to your life just like the basic Rs form a foundation for all other learning.  You will love the additional time that you gain to enjoy your family and learn together.

The post Clean Up and Clear Out appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

The day will come. It is inevitable. It often happens in about January, or, if things go well, it might be as late as March or April; but it will come. It is the day when, in spite of all your efforts, EVERYTHING goes wrong.

The list of things that could happen that day is long. The flu could immobilize the entire family (except Mom, of course). The baby could stuff something up his nose, requiring a trip to the doctor (Where did he get that bean?). The washing machine might break in the middle of your biggest wash day. Someone (but no one confesses) could stop up the toilet, and it will take more than a plunger to fix the problem. The dog might eat the lesson plans….

I am sure you have your own creative list. This is the day when the temptation looms large to hoist the white flag and plan to rush the kids out the door to the nearest school bus stop the very next morning.

May I propose an alternative? It is time to take a Teacher Workshop Day. “Professional” teachers do it. Why can a home school mom not do the same? After all, we are at least as professional in our commitment to do the best for our children, but there is the guilt factor –- the guilty feelings we have if we are not doing “school” when we already feel behind for the year. Will the kids possibly finish that last workbook page before summer arrives? Only in a home school can the student have to repeat a grade because the teacher had trouble finishing the schoolwork!

Taking a day (more if you need it) to step back and regroup can do wonders for your attitude, not to mention your schedule. Rather than causing you to fall farther behind, the day can refresh you and give you the incentive you need to keep-on-keeping-on. In fact, Teacher Workshop Days, planned in advance and incorporated into your schedule, can be powerful tools to bring balance into your very busy life; but they happen by default when there is an emergency as well.

I named my days Ketchup Days, both for the pun “catch-up” and for the condiment. That day I would plan a simple meal that took little-to-no preparation. Hot dogs were a favorite with my boys; hence, the ketchup title. No matter what you serve, it is not the day to bake bread, try a new recipe, or have company that evening. Have a few very simple meal ingredients or frozen meals on hand that can be saved for those emergency days.

Major jobs around the house should be put aside for the day unless a major job is what you have planned for your catch-up day. Only the most essential chores should be done. If the day is happening due to an emergency, you probably have your hands full dealing with the thing causing you to switch to Plan B.

However, if your ketchup day is one that you have planned, keep a list of non-emergency projects that allows you to select an item that you can accomplish that day. This list should include those “around-to-it” chores for which you never seem to have time, such as cleaning a closet, sorting through the kids’ outgrown clothes, working on the pile of mending, sewing a new dress, reducing the size of the pile of papers on your desk or kitchen counter…. The list is long, but it is most helpful when it contains at least some of those projects that you say you will get done but never do.

Whatever you choose, concentrate on that job for the moment and finish it. If it is a larger project, if absolutely necessary, break it into parts so you can set it aside and come back to it another time or day. Enlist the children in the project if at all possible. If they are too young to help you, find a special toy, game, music, video, or project for them to do –- something they do not do on a regular day around the house and something that does not require your full attention on them while they do it. A “special day” box of things can be assembled and only brought out on these occasions.

If you have a mixture of ages in your family, let the older children do something special with the younger ones. If all your children are young, you might ask a grandparent or a friend to help you by watching the children and doing something special with them. Be willing to help your friend in the same way.

By dispersing Teacher Workshop Days throughout your school year, you actually accomplish more and rid yourself of that nagging feeling that there are so many things that you never seem to get done. You will not get it ALL done, but you will be able to look back over the school year and realize that even some of those never-have-time jobs were accomplished.

A similar day to Ketchup Day is EDIT Day – Easy Does IT Day. The difference is that on EDIT Day you take the day (or part of it) to do something enjoyable. A few EDIT Days sprinkled into your school year can preserve sanity at times. These days have to be planned, or they do not happen! The rules are the same as Ketchup Day except that the goal is a relaxing break: simple meals, only necessary chores, fun things with the kids, maybe even a bubble bath or a nap if your day can be arranged properly.

Home education is not a “project”; it is a lifestyle, and we are in it for the long haul. It is so easy to lose sight of that in the day-to-day routine, but by pacing ourselves within our own schedule rather than trying to fit into one superimposed on us from elsewhere, we will more often be able to stay with Plan A instead of being forced to move to Plan B. It is the “professional” thing to do.

The post Teacher Workshop Day appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

In 1981 when we began home educating our sons, some families were taken to court, and others endured the rejection of parents who were convinced that their adult children had really lost all good sense. Even with the acceptance of home schooling in recent years, you may be facing criticism from friends and family – especially the grandparents.

Is it only an idealized dream that generations in a family can be united in the task of home educating children? Can there be unity rather than division in an extended family? How do we move from tension, division, or even hostility in the family to unity, joy, and a combined effort and support that draws family members closer together? No, it does not take a village to raise our children, but it is closer to God’s design when we link the generations for the task.

Where do we begin? The very nature of home education is revolutionary in our time. It is a different education option than immediate past generations have chosen. Grandparents need time to absorb the idea. The responsibility to bridge that gap begins with us as we gently and patiently educate them about why we have chosen this education lifestyle. Grandparents have legitimate questions and concerns, and it is our duty to respond to them with grace while giving them time to reconsider their position.

We have come far! “Is it legal?” is no longer the first question asked. Twenty years ago grandparents feared the legal ramifications for their children and grandchildren. Today there are other concerns, but we must keep in mind that parents never abandon their concern for their children’s welfare, no matter how old the children are. Do we not see that in our own parenting experience?

Let us explore some other questions that grandparents might ask. Underneath we can often see a deeper parental concern or even fear.

Why do my children want to do this crazy thing? Public (or private) school was fine for them. Why is it not for my grandchildren?

Grandparents could be asking, “Did I do something wrong?” If you have spent time criticizing the schools, your parents might feel that you are disappointed in your institutional schooling and that it is a reflection on their educational decisions for you. In the majority of cases, the schools supported them in their efforts to train you, and they often do not understand how much the school culture has changed since you were in school. Our responsibility is to guard our words when we are around the grandparents so that we do not unconsciously indict them for their past choices.

My child isn’t a professional teacher. How will he/she manage to teach everything my grandchildren need to know?

We have emerged from a generation that views “professionals” with the highest esteem. Learning was often equated with being taught by trained, certified professionals, so grandparents might not feel confident that you are capable. They often are not aware of the many resources available today. Invite them to a curriculum fair or a convention. Take them with you to a support group meeting when there is a special speaker. Show them the many good books available today on the different methods of home schooling or on curriculum selection. Ask them to teach a special group class for home schoolers. Get them involved in whatever way is practical. One home school mom I know invited her mother to come to her house once a week to help with the teaching. Let your parents know that you value what they know. If the grandparents are former schoolteachers, ask for their opinions when choosing curriculum, or at least ask some questions. Broaden your own horizons to find new and interesting material. In whatever way you graciously can, remind them that you did not learn all you needed to know by the end of high school and neither will their grandchildren. Higher education and life further teach them, and you are only laying the foundation.

My daughter or daughter-in-law already seems overburdened with the children. I worry that she cannot handle home teaching also.

Often this concern comes from pure motives, especially if parents see you struggling in your home school venture. Remember that no family is perfect and that everyone struggles in some area. Whenever possible, allow the grandparents to help on their terms rather than yours. It is difficult to deal with overcritical parents or in-laws, but God often uses this to reveal that our sense of worth is in our performance as a home school parent rather than in the Lord. If you struggle in the area of confidence, may I suggest a wonderful little book, We Would See Jesus by Roy Hession? It changed my outlook from viewing my life based on my performance to looking to Jesus for my security and confidence.

Will my grandchildren miss fun school things? Will they miss the prom?

The socialization question continues to rear its head in spite of our best efforts! Grandparents might really be asking if their grandchildren are destined to become social misfits. Time and excellent training of your children usually resolves their fears, but in the meantime, patiently show them that your children find fun in many activities that revolve around the family. Include the grandparents as much as you possibly can, and they will witness how your children can relate to all ages. Be involved in outside activities, but choose carefully based on what you believe will benefit your children long term. It is easy to fill our lives with too much activity because of pressure from others who think our children are missing out.

Will my grandchildren be able to get into college?

Grandparents want the best for their children and grandchildren. Share any material you have with them about home schoolers entering college. A book that is fun and encouraging for the entire family is Hot House Transplants compiled by Matt Duffy and written by various home school graduates who tell their own stories about life after home school – including college, jobs, and various ventures. Arrange for them to meet home school parents who have children entering or attending college.

The grandparents may have differences with you, but you can show them respect even so. Listen to their concerns without a defensive attitude. They may actually have some good suggestions! What they offer most likely comes from a desire for the best for you and your children, even if they do not express it well.

Above all, remember that God values relationships. He cares about your family and your relationship with the grandparents. The grandparent/child relationship is one that you, as parent, can nurture and protect. Pray for the grandparents and thank God for them in your children’s hearing. Model a grateful spirit by thanking God for the things that you were taught by your parents.

You may have heard it said that the home schooling movement is more than an education movement – it is a family restoration movement. How true! God will use our home education choice to mold us in each generation into the image of his Son. He will empower you to be the element of change for your generation reaching back to the generation before you and forward to your children.

Scripture references are from the NIV version.

The post Linking the Generations through Home Education appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.