10 Things and then Some…

10 Things I have learned in 17 years of home schooling:

1. Children are children until they grow up so let them be kids for as long as they can get away with it. You are training them to BECOME adults. So don’t treat them as “little adults”; they’ll be there soon enough.

2. Nobody is perfect so don’t expect perfection from your kids. Instill in them a sense of excellence instead.

3. Practice what you preach. Kids see right through their superiors and if you’re phony they’ll call you out on it.

4. When your child does her best, accept it.
5. Don’t even think that you’re going to pretend that you know everything. We don’t and kids learn that soon enough.

6. Sometimes kids ask questions not because they want an answer, they want to see how much you know.

7. DO NOT lie, especially to kids, in the guise that you’re trying to protect them. As they get older, they’ll see right through the BS.

8. Kids are honest as long as you’re honest with them.

9. The home schooling journey tends to get lonely at times for both parents and children.

10. Now a days education is a big money-making business. It doesn’t take a lot of cash to give your children a good education.

This is just a VERY brief over view of some of the things I have learned in this amazing, challenging and at times frustrating journey. I had never stopped to think about it until now. If you were to ask me 25 years ago when I graduated from high school what I’d be doing 25 years later, this would have never popped into my head. I was headed to live out a completely self-absorbed life style and then what happened? Faith took over and led me here. I’m so glad I listened to her instead of following my way. My 25th class reunion is coming up this summer.  I dare say I’m pretty sure I’m not going to hear too many of my fellow classmates of the class of ‘87 saying they are in my profession. I’d probably get the usual bewildered looks that I’ve grown accustomed to over the years. But alas, I don’t see the point in going to a reunion where I hardly knew anyone back then and I’m certainly not going to know any of those people now. It’s time to celebrate my daughter’s accomplishment and that’s what I’m going to do this summer!!!