Time Together
I am grateful that Ray and I had the opportunity to homeschool our children. I see our homeschooling as a blessing not only for our children but for Ray and me as well. It gave us the gift of time. Our children had time to play, time to be alone, time to be with each other, and time with Ray and me.
Because of this wonderful gift of time, we had countless opportunities to teach them as we sat in our house, walked (or drove) along the road, lay down in the evening, and rose up in the morning. One of our daughters once told me that she learned so much from all the time we spent together.
We made day trips to historic sites and state parks. We learned how to travel really cheaply and went to amazing places where we saw historic sites and scenes of God’s wonderful creation. At home, we watched the news and talked about it. We watched old movies. We read books together. We played Taboo® and Scattergories® and lots of charades. On Christmas Eve we entertained each other with hilarious skits.
Ray and John studied the Bible together. They played ping pong and shot baskets in the backyard. They had long talks about really important things. They talked about spiritual issues and politics and whatever else Ray wanted to share or John wanted to know.
Our daughters and I cooked and sewed and crafted together. We worked on Sunday School material together and created a children’s library at our church.
When our children were teens we began producing plays together. We took art lessons together, too.
And yes, along the way, we studied grammar and literature and history and algebra and geometry and biology and things like that, but to us that involved so much more than our textbooks.
Once, many years later, when I was preparing to speak to homeschooling mamas at a homeschooling conference, I asked our children to share homeschooling memories with me. I was touched by my children’s comments about how we taught their hearts, souls, and minds. They reminded me of many things we did when they were growing up, and they blessed their mother’s heart with their kind words. They said,
“Here are some of the blessings I remember.”
“I had a great childhood. Thank you.”
“Here are some of the things I remember from the wonderful homeschooling experience you and Dad gave me. THANK YOU MOM!! IT WAS FANTASTIC! I enjoyed remembering . . .”
And
“Thanks for all the wonderful memories, Ma.”
I am not like Mary Poppins—practically perfect in every way. I am much more like Jo in Little Women—hopelessly flawed. If even I could have a successful homeschooling experience, you can, too.
For I am confident of this very thing,
that He who began a good work in you
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6