At NDCHEA's October 14 meeting, Lisa Caupp encouraged us all with a synopsis of Todd Wilson's presentations from the 2014 CHEO Convention.
She began by asking each of us, "Why do you Homeschool?" It is important for all of us to keep in mind our primary purpose (or two) so that we can weigh any opportunities or curricula that we are considering against our goals. It may be a great opportunity or a great program -- but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is great for our family. It may not be a good fit for us.
Next, she covered Todd's "Four Pillars of Home-Education." The first pillar is the knowledge that Home is Best. Our home is the place where we "train up our children in the way they should go." Home is the place where our family relationships are built, where our children primarily learn about Christ and see Christian principles in action, and where it is safe to try new things, even if we fail at doing them.
The Second Pillar is that Parents are Best. The Bible specifically commands parents to teach children the commandments of God: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (Deut. 6). We know our children better than anyone else. We pray for our children. God directs us in the teaching of our children. We are the best teachers for our children.
The Third Pillar is that Every Child is a Masterpiece. It is so heartbreaking when children think they are stupid or fail to measure up. Yet sometimes, we inadvertently put that idea into their heads by failing to treasure the unique masterpiece that each child is. Do we treat them like God's masterpieces? Do we try to fit them into a box rather than treasuring them for who God has made them? Lisa challenged us, "What works of God are you missing in your children? What works are they missing?"
The Fourth Pillar is Relationship First. The most important thing in homeschooling is the relationship that you have with your child. The subject that you are teaching is secondary. Sometimes certain subjects need to be put on hold for a while if they are causing strife between you and your child. Lisa shared how math was causing fights between her and one of her children every day. They ended up putting it aside for a couple of months while she worked on strengthening the relationship. Then they were able to resume the academic work.
For the second part of her presentation, Lisa talked about the importance of being honest with ourselves and with others. She talked first about the lies that we tend to believe -- that others' children are smarter or better behaved than ours are, that others' homes are cleaner than ours are, that others' marriages are better than ours are, and similar lies. It is important to remind ourselves that such ideas are not from the Lord and that they will steal our joy. Even if these ideas look true or come from a source that we trust, we need to be compare every idea to scripture to see if it measures up. If not, then discard it.
To help combat lies in our lives and our friends' lives, we need to be honest, vulnerable, and transparent in our relationships. She recommended that we each have at least one person with whom we can be completely honest about our struggles. Obviously, not every person is a safe person to be vulnerable with, but it is important to have a good friend with whom we can really be ourselves.
Remember, truth is an anchor and it will set us free. She ended by reminding us,
You are exactly the mother your children need.
Your children will become what God created them to be.
Perfect homeschooling families are not real.
You are doing a great job.
It was a great encouragement to all of us who were able to attend. Please take some time this week to encourage another homeschooling mom. And if you need more encouragement yourself, check out Todd Wilson's website, www.familymanweb.com or come to the next NDCHEA meeting!
