A couple days ago I met a young mommy with three little ones, a 7 yr old, 3 yr old, and an 8 month old. We chatted as we waited for our appointments. In the conversation she found out I was expecting baby number 11. She was pretty shocked with that and said that she had made the decision to have her tubes tied after her 3rd baby. She was exhausted, overworked, tired, and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.Today our third little girl, who is now a young woman, turned 16. Our world became a much happier, gigglier place when Shaylah entered our lives. She was such an easy baby and after she was born we said we would be content with never having boys as we were so in love with our girls!
Shaylah is so amazing and unique. She can dress up and be knock out gorgeous all the while throwing a baseball so fast and hard that it would cause a grown man to duck!
I remember as a young mom being told horror stories of what happens when little girls grow into teenage girls. I am so blessed to say that isn’t at all how it is here! I am so blessed to have my daughters be my best friends! It’s a beautiful gift!
Shaylah lights up our world and we are so blessed and thankful that God gave her to us! Her laughter is contagious and her love for the Lord amazing!
Happy Birthday Shaylah!
“I hate homeschooling!”, came the ugly words from my mouth as I scampered around trying to collect all the school samples that I had to turn into our counselor at our meeting the next morning. Why do I do this to myself? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just put them all in school?
So why do I do this? I may have my down days and feel like I’m deep in the trenches. I may stress over children knowing math facts, or spelling properly and the thought of having to help with algebra is enough to make me cry, but yet here I am, going on 18 years of homeschooling.
When we started out we made a list of why we were choosing to go down this path that wasn’t so well beaten back then. We were odd in the sight of many and they questioned if we were sane or not. Sometimes I question if I’m sane for doing this! lol On those days when I’m questioning my sanity and feeling overwhelmed I think back to my list. These are only but a few of the many reasons we chose to home school.
~Character is not what you do in front of people, but what you do when you think no one is watching~
Is it enough that my children can read, write, and know their math facts? No. Education is so much more than just academics. It is mainly a matter of character development. Here at home I have the privilege of teaching and training their character. Self-discipline seems lost with today’s youth, but it is needed in every area of their lives. Patience, gentleness, kindness have many chances to be practiced here at home with the people who stretch you most in these areas.
Do I want my children simply to be nice, well-behaved, and safe from peer pressure? Not at all! I want them to be men and women of integrity, not conformity. It isn’t enough for them to be polished and pretty on the outside but yet be dirty on the inside.
Neither academics, nor character, nor how polished they look on the outside will matter if they are dead in their sins and separated from God. I want my children to love the Lord with all their hearts, minds, and souls! I want them to shake the very gates of hell as they go out and boldly tell the world of the saving grace of the cross! Will public school help us in our effort to see these things come to fruition in our children's life? We think not.
God placed the responsibility for child training and our children’s education on us. This is not a task for the weak or the wimpy, of which I many times feel I am. It is a job we take serious, one that we are blessed to have been given. We don’t want mediocre for our children’s live, we want God’s very best. Homeschooling for us, is one of the vehicles God is using as we aim for the highest the Lord has for our children.
As I gear up, plan, and prepare for yet another year of homeschooling I am pondering over the reasons we do what we do. I need to remember these things. It serves to help me keep my eye on the goal. Not my goal, but His goal for my children.
The first thing that makes one on one time possible is the fact that we home school. Having our children home with us all day provides those one on one times that we would not have if they were gone to school for 6 – 8 hours a day, then add in a couple hours for homework, dinner and bedtime routine and our day would be gone.
Besides homeschooling we try to make sure we always take a child with us when we run errands. This may not be very glamorous but we can still have some great talks in the car going to Costco! Every moment can be special if we choose to make it that, even grocery shopping. Children just love being with their parents!
Duane is great about taking one or a couple children on fishing trips or to the shooting range. They love taking turns going with Daddy! Duane is one of the most selfless men I know. His hobby is truly his family and his children. Everything he does for fun he has in mind the kids. He very rarely goes somewhere without children in tow!
Then there’s teenagers! lol Why is it that all those deep heart to heart talks happen just when I think I get to go to bed? I have learned that early bedtimes really are not reality with teenagers and I’m ok with that. I’ve given myself permission to sleep in if I need to because it’s so much more important to forgo a bit of sleep and have a chance to see deep into the heart of one of my girls. Those late night chats are special and I’m so blessed to have them.
With having 10 children one on one can be a challenge at times. We have to make it happen. Some of my children are so into their siblings that they don’t seem to really care if they have to much one on one with Daddy and Mama, but then there are others that really need that time more. Sometimes we can just tell that someone really needs their cup filled and we will make sure we find time to get them alone and talk or maybe just get an ice-cream and sit quietly in the car eating it. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. Children just need time, our time.
I’m sure many of you have read the book “The 5 Love Languages” by Dr. Gary Chapman. It’s a wonderful book that I think every one should read. If you click here you can take the assessment test to help you determine what your love language is.
I took it and had Duane and all my older children take it as well. It was very insightful to see what everyone’s love language was. With some of us we knew and it was just confirmed what their language was, but with others I was really surprised.
Now that I know what each child’s language is I’m going to really make it an attempt to love on each one in a way that will help them to really feel loved. I can already see that it’s going to be a challenge with some. My primary language is physical touch. I love to hug people, to pat them on the back, touch their arm. If I meet you then you better count on a hug the second time I see you! I have one child that didn’t score 1 point in that area…not 1!!! Yikes! I have totally not been speaking that child’s language. I’ve got my work cut out for some of my kiddos and for others it will be easy.
Go take the assessment and have your family do it as well. It only takes a few minutes but will give you some great insight into what you need to do to show your family that they are really loved…in their own language!
Getting ready for her first driving lesson.
