Is it time to

stop homeschooling

and just put them

in school?

Q:   My name is Teresa and I am a homeschooling mom of 7. (6, actually, as our oldest daughter just got married.) I am in desperate need of help as I have lost my vision, desire, and control of my situation. I wondered if you have a "for pay" service that would help evaluate my children's educational needs and/or lack of essential knowledge. I wonder sometimes if they are maybe 1-2 years behind where they should be. For that I feel so ashamed. I always told myself that I would continue to homeschool until I felt that I was doing more harm than good. I must admit that is where I am at in my thinking at this time. I have been feeling the extreme guilt of doing my children intellectual damage, and just need to do something to fix it or turn it around. I need to be pointed in the right direction or get some solid advice. I am so time taxed. I would be so thrilled to feel hopeful once again about my children's education. I appreciate any info you could give.

A:   From Teresa Ward (who called herself "Barb's online secretary, list shepherdess, student, and best of all, friend.")

When I began homeschooling, I had the same thought as you, that I'd do this until I was doing more harm than good. I've since found that if I do nothing but love my children all day, then I am doing more good than harm, and I'm doing more good than anyone else can possibly do. 

I feel you are probably in an anticlimactic situation with the recent marriage of your daughter. Suddenly you realize how short the years really are, and you've been busy with all the wedding planning, and now you're in a state of panic. Good! Now that God has your attention...  <grin> ...take a deep breath and relax!!! He knows what's going on with you, and He knows the good land of milk and honey where He wishes to lead you.

You're in the first right place:  Barb's website ~ www.HomeschoolOasis.com

Here you will find many refreshing articles. They will calm and soothe your soul, and give your academic muscles a good massage!  <grin>  You will find your mind renewed as to what God really considers an education, which is far different than how the world defines it. This is not to say that you've been wrong thus far, but now He has you where He can lead you to a new pasture.

Please don't be afraid that any of your children are "behind." That thinking assumes that children learn along a straight continuum, instead of how they really learn. It also assumes that everyone is the same, while we know each one is created as a unique individual. There has never been another one like him, and never will there be another!!!

While you get yourself going on Barb's "Season of Re-Education," your children can be doing their own renewal with "Productive Free Time." This just means that they aren't veging out in front of electronics while you're learning.  <grin>  Here is a page FULL of ideas: 

Barb also created a resource to use with younger children called "Real-life Homeschool Learning & Organizing Tools for Younger Children (ages 4-12) (There are 130 forms total on that, plus explanations and samples for how it all works! The 3 sections are Organizing Homeschool, Chores, & Life, Real-Life Learning Tools, and    Booklet Building & Notebooking. This will not only give you some ideas of productive things for younger children to do while you are Renewing Your Mind, it will actually be your whole "plan and approach" for homeschooling your younger children up through 12ish. It's on this page. (Bundle 1.)

And she wrote a Jumpstart Plan for high schoolers which is at the very beginning of her book Senior High:  A Home-Designed Form+U+la" ~ this is a book you'll want to get ASAP, also on this page. (Bundle 2, if you want everything that goes together!)

I'm sure you've already learned from reading some of the articles at Barb's website, that this is NOT school-at-home. And your experience with homeschooling probably is, and certainly it is most likely that other local homeschoolers actually do school-at-home.  That makes it hard to find support for this new (really, old) way of thinking about education (discipleship, actually). Guess what? God's already got that covered, too!!!

Blessings,
Teresa in WV
List Shepherdess
www.HomeschoolOasis.com

A:   From Barb:  Bless your heart, dear sister!!!  I'm so glad you wrote!!! God has you in just the place He wants you, and has wanted to get you for a long time, I imagine. The Lord has brought our paths together for a purpose, so let's start in on finding out what that is...

You said that you're "in desperate need of help as I have lost my vision, desire, and control of my situation. I wondered if you have a "for pay" service that would help evaluate my children's educational needs and/or lack of essential knowledge." My thought on this is that you don't need to have your children evaluated; you need to "renew your mind." Start with this article at my website.

For an overview of the content in my course, start here.

You said: "I wonder sometimes if they are maybe 1-2 years behind where they should be." This article will greatly alter your view of this! It's called "The Heart of Testing and Grade Placing."

In response to you saying: "For that I feel so ashamed. I always told myself that I would continue to homeschool until I felt that I was doing more harm than good. I must admit that is where I am at in my thinking at this time. I have been feeling the extreme guilt of doing my children intellectual damage, and just need to do something to fix it or turn it around." I would say...  Oooooooooooh TERESA!!!  The Lord wants to change all this!!! He does NOT want you thinking this way! Open your heart and mind to hear GOD'S voice over the many loud, clamoring voices of the world.

The world speaks lies that overwhelm, confuse, and bring condemnation and feelings of failure.

The LORD speaks TRUTH that unburdens, clears your thinking, and removes feelings of condemnation and failure.

That's not to say the Lord won't bring words that convict us if we are in need of correction and doing things differently. So be open to HIS voice, which will NOT feel like condemnation, but just bringing you out of old ways of thinking or doing things that will not get you where He is taking you.

And in response to your saying that you need to be pointed in the right direction or get some solid advice, I would say that is what my course, which I call "A Season of Re-education" will do. You don't need a quick seminar or a "good talk" from me; you need a transformation of your MIND; how you think; how you see. 

If you actually believe that putting your children into public or even private school is better for them than homeschooling, then your thinking is way off ~ unless your home is abusive, or (truly) negligent. And if there are some lacks, then, rather than putting your children in school, you need to stop where you're at, hear the Lord (which you already ARE!), and allow Him to begin this process of "transforming you by the renewing of your mind" ~ and your HEART will get transformed and healed in the process!!!

The heart of my ministry is to help moms (and dads) feel hopeful (once again) about their children's education.

Thoroughly and prayerfully reading all the above articles is where *I* suggest you start! 

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