Heart Reflections Live

You know, I love homeschooling so much! I'm at the tail end now of my very first year, and what an adventure it's been!

The first month was HARD, even though it was something I had always longed to do. You see, after doing the Prep Year twice in a Christian school, our 6 year old had to first be deschooled. "That's not the way we do it at my school!" became a frequent interjection over the first few weeks. But we got through it and scored a major breakthrough when Miss 6 realised that phonics was actually a better road to reading than sight words were. ( You see, my daughter was blessed with a good memory for sight words, but they actually encouraged laziness in her. She would rattle off her sight words when required, but would not attempt to read anything else.) After starting a few phonics excercises on the first week, she picked up Dr Suess's Hop on Pop and read the whole book. Within another month or so, she could read a variety of things fluently with very few corrections needed. Now people can't believe she's only Grade 1! It pleases me even more that I catch her reading more and more Bible stories, and fewer books like Disney's in her own time. Devotion time with hymn singing, Bible Stories and memory verses are her favourite subject! In fact, she is working on a list of KJV memory verses in order to earn her own KJV Bible through the Trinitarian Bible Society.

The next challenge I met was morning sickness! Routine flew out the window a bit as we started late, did read-a-louds with a bucket by my side, and I had to run off several times during hymn singing to you-know-what!!! I'd often give them an extended lunch break as I rested some, and we'd finish later in the afternoon. We joined our 4 year old in with the lessons at the start of term 2, and despite some initial jealousy, I worked out our routine again, and really enjoyed my little class.

Then came my 2 weeks of crisis!! When my news about the twins broke, well-meaning people started to suggest we send my oldest at least back to real school next year, so I could cope with 2 new babies. I was quite sick, and my dear girls went through such a naughty phase in school, I felt like expelling them both some days. I would stay a wake at night talking to hubby about the State school up the road, and how it had a Christian Chaplain, and Bible Lessons once a week, and how it was so close... It seemed so EASY, but in my heart of hearts I felt the Holy Spirit tugging gently- "Keep doing what you're doing". Then one day during a lunch break, I was folding washing on our bed, and heard singing in the garden out side our window. Little Zara was singing the Bible verse Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path to the old Amy Grant tune. She then stood on the edge of the garden and proclaimed into the street Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God! The Holy Spirit whispered, "There's your Fruit..."

Since then I've become so encouraged in my heart, and God's giving me a vision for my girls and our little boys to come. I've no idea how it will work exactly, but I'm trusting in Him. Our sons will be homeschooled from birth by proxy, no matter how our routine works or doesn't work out. With homeschooling I'm realising you can educate your children to a high standard, and yet still let them BE children and have a simple Godly upbringing. I don't want to just impart knowledge to them, but impart a love of the Saviour and the lost who need Him so.

Let the adventure continue!