Homeschool Encouragement

.Pray.
Have you prayed about your home schooling journey lately?
When I pray, my heart gets changed. My attitude is corrected and I have more patience and creativity to teach in a way my children can understand. God opens my eyes, teaching me as I teach my children. Home schooling is molding me into the child God wants me to be, just as much as He is using me to mold my children into who He wants them to be.
.Curriculum.
Don't let it rule. Be flexible. Mold it into what fits your child's learning style. If something isn't working, change it up. We had to change things up this past week. Our English Program, Voyages in English, wasn't for us. We switched to ABeka. My son now likes English! He is willingly completing 2 lessons a day :) yeah! Our Phonics program, Horizons, is great. However, my 5 year old is overwhelmed when it comes to reading sentences. We adjusted and made flash cards. He now speeds through them. We have successfully covered short vowels, constant digraphs and have slid right into long vowels and constant blends. He is reading! My biggest fear was teaching him to read. And he is doing it :)
.Be flexible.
Allow God to schedule your day, not your agenda.
Oh this one is hard! I like a plan. I like knowing what is going to happen next. But truth be told, when I aim for my way, I miss the blessing God has in store for me. I also miss the opportunity to let His light shine to others. God allows joy, sorrow, victory and trials into my life for a reason. He wants to draw me closer to Him. When I understand that, the up's and down's in my day to day life become teachable moments between God and me. Needy neighbors, hurting friends, using a God given skill to bless others, curriculum that doesn't seem to be working, are all vessels God is using to direct my path.
.Molding.
We are all in the process of being molded into the image of Christ, even mom and dad. It's a life long journey. Don't give up on your children. Don't give in. Keep disciplining, keep encouraging, keep walking side by side with your children. When you are at the end of your rope, think about all the times God has given you another chance. He allows consequences for you to learn by, but He doesn't throw in the towel. He never gives up. He is persistent. He is patient.