Where are you leading your children?

When it comes to home educating my children…

“What if my kids aren’t up to par?” And worse yet, “What if I mess them all up?”

These were two questions that swirled around in my mind the first two years we homeschooled.  

In this third year, I’m grateful to have tasted the freedom that comes when surrendering everything to the Lord.

Confession #1:  We haven’t followed a curriculum all year.   

Confession #2:  We don’t even do “school” everyday. 

I’ve learned to let go of comparing my children to everyone else’s.  Our children are unique masterpieces, designed by God to do amazing things, for Him.  Besides, homeschooling is the perfect place to cultivate a confident and unique individual, not a clone of every other student their age. 

I’ve learned to let go of the many pre-conceived expectations I had about education.  This year, I let the Lord lead our curriculum and His answer was clear.  We are to spend the majority of our time and effort, pursuing the heart, will, and character of God. 

And you know what?  He has been faithful!  Studying the bible with my children has become one of the most intimate and meaningful parts of our day.  And in the process, the Lord has graciously shown me that we are indeed reading, writing, and learning arithmetic, all along the way. 

I don’t know what curriculum I’ll be doing next year but I do know what the most important part of my children’s schooling will be. 

Below is a terrific post from Raising Arrows.  Thank you, Amy!  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The word EDUCATION means “to lead.” That begs the question…

WHERE?

Where are you leading your children? As a homeschool parent taking on the responsibility of educating your children at home, you have to know where you are going and why.

The public schools lead toward a standardized uniformity with their standardized tests, standardized curriculum, and standardized scope and sequence charts. They are looking to give every child the exact same education…the exact same leading.

But where they are leading, I do not want my children to follow.

I don’t want my children standardized.

I also don’t intend to raise super-geniuses. I’m not homeschooling because I think I can do a better job academically for my children. Even though I do believe I am providing superior academics because I am able to tailor each lesson to each individual child, I am not “leading” them toward this end.

So, where am I leading?

Read the rest of her post here.