The Old Schoolhouse - March 2012

As a homeschool mama, I’ve had to do a lot of
on-the-job training, and it hasn’t been pretty.

So what’s the point? ;e point is that life is too short, and time is the most precious commodity given to us by God. I think I’ve come to realize that “I can’t do it all.” And a;er twenty-three years of marriage, and six kids later, ;rst and foremost, I want to be a “heart and soul homeschool mama.” ;at’s all that really matters. My house is temporal: here today, gone tomorrow. But my children are forever!

I’m Not ;at Smart

So I am not a “house-cleaning super mama.” I gave that dream up long ago. Nor am I a “brainiac homeschool mama.” My kids do have some gaps in their education. Even so, they did alright; the two who have graduated went on to do a few semesters in college and got straight As. Well, Lukey got ONE B (history). Other than that, they are 4.0 college boys. So something went right in their homeschooling. Nevertheless, there are holes.

We didn’t dissect a frog for instance— ever. My house is messy enough as it is, and knowing us, someone would lose a liver, or something, in the clean laundry. One of my friends ordered a cow’s eyeball (it was delivered via the U.S. Mail, if you can believe that). She rolled that puppy right onto her kitchen table and sliced and diced away with her kids. ;en they stored the thing in her fridge. Okay. Well, then.

I have another homeschool mom, friend, who also happens to be our lawyer. Her child probably could have graduated when he was 13. She’s a constant stream of brainpower, and she imparts it all to her lucky boy, who is almost as smart as she is—crazy.

I can’t do that; I am simply not equipped. Instead, we focus on the basics, and have loads of conversations, and put the time into a bazillion documentaries, and travel around on business, and read books aloud when we can. We also do loads of reading comprehension. Epic success!

trip experience for every other day of the week. ;eir kids have hiked the Grand Canyon and walked the streets of Jamestown and Philadelphia. ;ey participate in Civil War reenactment festivals (for both sides), and can recite the Gettysburg Address—busy, busy, learning by experiencing. ;ey would ;y to every planet if they could. And my hat is o; to them! Look at the investment they are pouring into their children!

No, I am not a “;eld trip homeschool
mama” like some of my friends. But we
have been able to take advantage of the
opportunities the Lord has provided. For
instance, when we have to travel for the
magazine, we always take our kids along
with us. We turn business trips into “;eld
trips,” even if it means taking some de-
tours and spending a few extra days on
the road. By this means, we have visited
places like Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming, the site of the Battle of the
Little Bighorn in Montana, the Alamo
in San Antonio, and crisscrossed most
of the Lewis and Clark trail, including a
stop at Pompey’s Pillar. ;ere is nothing
like supplementing a history lesson with
a visit to where it all took place. And for
those locations beyond our reach, we can
always visit faraway places via books,
documentaries, and with much caution,

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities . . .

I was thinking about the lady who asked me how I “do it all” and I thought, “Hmmm, I wonder if a lot of others are feeling bummed that they don’t ‘have it all together’ or that they’re just not well put together enough as a homeschool mom?” Perish the thought! Here, make a list if you need to. You want to be organized and that’s a good thing. Being orderly is right and necessary. But don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do everything you think should be happening. ;at’s where your list comes in. Make three categories, maybe something like this one of mine, below. We’re talking priorities here. What’s the most important, then second most, and then wishful thinking (but may be possible by 2019 or something). Okay, so like I said, here’s mine. Now you make your own.

B. Pretty High Priority

•;All;school;topics;covered;within
reason
•;Exercise;to;point;where;heart;rate;is
up and muscles are being toned
•;Tidy;house,;dishes;washed,;and
couches exposed to daylight
•;Three;decent;meals,;maybe;cook
together, eat together
•;Read;aloud,;play;games,;have;lengthy
conversations
•;Friends;who;need;help/counsel—
be available

Field Trip? You Wanna Go WHERE? I am not a “;eld trip homeschool mama.” Okay, these mamas are great, but I cannot keep up with them! ;ey have a ;eld

A. Highest Priorities

•;God’s;Word;and;prayer;daily;in;me
•;God’s;Word;and;prayer;daily;in
the kids
•;Love;my;husband—honor;him;as
head of home and family
•;Relationship;with;the;kids—make
sure there are clear channels of com-
munication with each one
•;Siblings;loving;each;other
•;Schoolwork—is;learning;taking;place
even if at a slow and steady pace?

•;House is;sanitary;enough;in;case health department stops in

C. Would Be Nice

•;Take;a;trip;to;Greece;to;see;ancient
ruins and the Colosseum
•;Fix;the;house;up
•;Clean;my;bedroom
•;Dress;to;actually;match
•;Brush;hair;more;than;three;times
per week
•;Have;a;yard;sale;and;get;rid;of;all
this JUNK
•;Roller;skate
•;Just;for;fun,;let’s;see;if;EVERYONE
can wear shoes today
•;Create;some;sort;of;diet;that;makes
sense (these things take time
/planning)