Balance in Homeschooling

I love homeschooling.  I really do.  I've had people say to me "I could never do that."  I actually disagree with them.  When God calls us to do something, He completely equips us to do it.  No matter what parenting decision we make, we are able because He is able.  That doesn't mean this is an easy road, it just means it's a doable road.  One that I can even enjoy and excel in because God is supplying my needs.

With that being said, I feel like one of my biggest struggles as a homeschool mom (although I have several that I can highlight over time) is balance.  The balance I'm referring to is balancing my desires for school and theirs.  

One of the privileges of homeschooling is the ability to do it how we want.  I don't have to teach how other teachers teach.  Nor do I have to teach what they teach.  Similarly the kids don't have to learn how other students learn.  Meaning we don't have to sit at desks for a certain number of hours and all learn the same way.  I am able to teach each kid the best way I can, in the best way they learn.  This can mean reading upside-down, drawing while I'm reading out loud, going over spelling in the car or taking schoolwork into their rooms to work on by themselves.  There is a lot of freedom in how we do this.

Which can also be a problem, hence my issue with balance.  I want to balance them being able to learn the best way they can with what I need them to do and require them to do.  I'm still the teacher and the parent.  There are requirements that I have, needs that I have as the teacher, that aren't optional.  My kids still need to sit still at times, complete schoolwork when it's due, and learn how I can teach best in certain situations.

This can be a struggle at times.  We are all working through what it looks like to have conversations about what we need.  Ways to honor each other in this process.  If I ask them to do something and they really think they can't do it - like doing spelling in the car - then let's talk about it and come up with an alternative.  Don't just tell me no and move on.  The opposite is true as well.  And if I'm a good parent who desires to prepare them for the real world, then they'll need to do what I ask at times, even if they don't think they can do it or don't want to.  How many future bosses will be okay with them doing what they want to when they work?  Not many I would imagine.

So we navigate this narrow road, day-by-day, sometimes moment-by-moment.  We talk about what we need (which can be very difficult, especially if we don’t actually know what we need), we discuss what the Bible says about what it looks like to love and honor each other and we try to remember that love does not demand it’s own way.  A lesson for both the student and the teacher.

Hello?

Hello.  This is me.  Jill.  Slinking back to my blog that I abandoned 7 months ago.  I didn't set out to abandon it.  It just sort of happened.  Life happened and I stopped blogging about the life that was all consuming.  I have some regrets for stopping and I have some fears about starting again.  For the 3 of you that read this please accept my apologies for being MIA.  My goal is to start writing regularly again.  Part of my reason for this, besides wanting to let my parents know what's happening down here in D-town, is that I joined a writers group a couple months ago and I need to practice writing.  It's something that I think I really enjoy doing but when you haven't done it in forever, you definitely get out of practice.  Like riding a bike.  So I'm getting back on the bike and taking a ride and praying that I can stay on, improve and maybe even say something meaningful!

So let me start with filling you in (briefly!) on the past 7 months.  Since June I have had another lasik surgery to correct my over-corrected right eye (which worked wonderfully and I love being able to see!!), hired new staff, had a birthday and went camping with my love, started all the kids in extra-curricular activities (will share more on that in a moment), went to our denomination's conference in Keystone, Co., stayed an extra few days for vacation with the Palmer side, spoke at our women's retreat about women's identities, started a life group for young adults, went to Denver for a fundraising dinner, did premarital counseling with a couple, went to Golden/Boulder for Thanksgiving, had a crazy 3 weeks of December doing kids programs, women's programs and special services, had our youth pastor step down, hired another one, went back up to Golden/Denver for Christmas and New Years, came back and started a 21 day Daniel fast (only fruits/veggies/beans/nuts), got the flu, took care of Jack who had something nasty and finally got back into school just this past week.  Wow! 

That's not everything of course, but it's a quick overview.

All 3 kids have started extra curricular stuff.  Kale and Jack did Jujitsu for a couple months.  Kale loved it and is still doing it twice a week, Jack was great at it but was bored so we moved him to gymnastics which, so far, he loves.  He's also great at that.  Kate has been doing gymnastics since September and is really excelling and moving through the levels.  Thanks to me, however, she missed this round of classes because I signed her up too late.  Ouch!  She's taking it really well though thankfully!

We spent several weeks doing Occupational Therapy for Kate again.  She was struggling with her SPD and we felt like we needed some extra help.  It was a real blessing and she loved the therapist.  Unfortunately our insurance doesn't cover it so we had to cut it short.  But we got a lot out of it before we had to be done.  

Mark is really thriving in his role as lead pastor.  There are many parts to it that are a struggle for both of us, but God has gracefully surrounded us with amazing people to encourage, support and love us even in our imperfectness.  God is refining us in this role and pouring out tons of vision and hope into Mark for this next season in our church.  New classes.  New beginnings.  New staff.  Everything is new to us! haha!

School, for us, is finally back in session after taking almost a month off for vacation and illness!  All the kids are doing well and even though they don't always enjoy it, they get it done and are able to spend much of the day playing and doing things they love.  I still love to homeschool.  Not every single day but overall I see it as the gift that it is to me and my kids.  

My goals for this year are to learn how to rest and rest well.  
Take time for myself and take care of myself. 
Learn how to do things that I love to do (and frankly discover what that even is!).  
Write more.  
Listen more.  
Read through the Bible.  
Be present.
Print my old blog posts.
Maybe change up how I do this blog.
Upload a couple beautiful family photos that were taken of us this year...stinking blogspot!

Like I said at the beginning of this, I have joined a Christian women's writers group at the encouragement of my husband and another friend. This, by far, is the scariest thing I've done - which is surprising to me since speaking at our women's retreat this past October was nerve-wracking.  But calling myself a writer, actually writing, thinking that I may say something that people may actually want to read in the sea of great writers...terrifying!  But I'm wanting to step out, scare myself a bit, explore this path that God has put me on and see where it goes.  Blogging is going to be a big part of this.  Blogging here as well as my other blog (link in upper right of the page).  So here I go!

Sneaking back onto this page...hoping people will join with me again on this journey of motherhood, marriage and ministry :)

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I hope I have this figured out. All photos taken by one of our favorite photographers (we have a few!) Carol Cardwell. 

Our awesome staff. We have such fun with them!