While it is true, academic knowledge is essential for our children, home-education affords us the opportunity for so much more! For my family, we focused on being R.E.A.L, which was an acronym created to remind me of the reason I chose the homeschooling lifestyle. What were the things my husband and I chose to make R.E.A.L. in our family? Relationships, Education, Authenticity and a Love for learning became our primary objectives.
2013 marked sixteen years since we made the decision to home educate our children: Amanda, now a Nursing major, and Jackson who is now graduated. As I reflected back on the past sixteen years, I am overwhelmed by God’s amazing grace in our journey.
As I transitioned to a new stage in my life as a homeschool consultant with Rainbow Resource Center’s staff, I have found the most amazing aspect of my job is the ability to speak with homeschool families across the United States: families who are new to homeschooling, veterans homeschoolers, families who have had their routine life hijacked by stressful events and the most exciting newcomers, second generation homeschoolers.
When I began the homeschool journey, the most common question we faced was “What about Socialization?” (Have you heard that one?) But today, it seems the most common question I hear is “How do I teach (insert subject) _______?” On one hand I find the transition in focus from socialization a very good one as it reflects that overall, as a society, we no longer view homeschooling as “anti-social” or detrimental to children. But on the flip side, academics seem to have come to the forefront and is now the main focus in homeschooling. While this is not a bad thing necessarily, it is my desire to come alongside and ask, “Is this what homeschooling has become for you or could there possibly be a greater purpose?”
While it is true, academic knowledge is essential for our children, home-education affords us the opportunity for so much more! For my family, we focused on being R.E.A.L, which was an acronym created to remind me of the reason I chose the homeschooling lifestyle. What were the things my husband and I chose to make R.E.A.L. in our family? Relationships, Education, Authenticity and a Love for learning became our primary objectives.
What did “REAL” look like in my family?
Relationships
Jesus stated, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with your entire mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
One of our children’s first “neighbors” is their sibling(s). Learning to love; get along with; honor and respect a sibling is excellent training for adulthood. Teaching our children to practice love as described in 1 Corinthians 13 toward their siblings and parents prepares them for a lifestyle of loving God and others.
Education
Early in our home education journey, I stumbled across the definition of the word “Education” from the 1828 dictionary. Meditating on this definition, my vision for our homeschool radically changed. In Webster’s 1828 dictionary, education is defined as
“The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.”
There is much here to consider and I want to encourage you to ponder the original intent and greater purpose of education which was foundational in the early days of our nation.
Authenticity
For my family, this meant being open with our walk with God…parents and children. My husband and I would humbly seek forgiveness from our children if we had offended them (intentionally or not) as a sign of our relationship with Christ and as an example for them. We understood profoundly that we were not perfect parents, but rather parents who relied on Him. Our family standard was Christ and teaching our children to be like Christ. Were we perfect? No. But we sought to honor Him and set before our children His example. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2)
Love for Learning
This was the ultimate goal of academics in our family. My greatest desire was to feed my children quality books, engage their curiosity and teach them how to how to research answers and investigate topics. This was done through a variety of techniques. First, I had to model it. When I was curious about something, I would take time to go to our library to search for information. Secondly, I provided unit studies centered on their interests. I sought to show them that learning could be fun, if they would engage and seek to satisfy their curiosity. In fact, you could define our homeschool philosophy “modified Charlotte Mason, delight directed, with a little bit of Unit Studies mixed in” as I focused on my children’s individual needs and led them to love learning.
As one REAL Homeschool Mom to another, I want to encourage you on this journey. Jesus promises in Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Yes, God promises us all things will be added, if we seek Him first. In our fifteen year homeschool journey, I have seen God’s faithfulness from Attitudes to Zoology—and everything in between. Thank you for letting me share my heart with you as I reflect back on our grace-filled journey.
