Is It Enough | Homeschooling the End Goal in Mind

I've spoken many times on the topic of : enough. I've woven it through many of my old blog posts, through the guides in the curriculum I wrote, and through YouTube videos. It will always be a topic I speak about because it is always this very doubt that worries homeschool parents everywhere. 

Am I doing enough? Are we covering enough subjects? Did we thoroughly cover American History? Do we have enough curriculum? Are we covering everything they are supposed to be learning at this age? Is this math going to leave learning gaps? 

All of those come back to : Am I Enough?

If you're the one teaching them, training them up, you're questioning your ability and whether or not you're enough for your children. 

First, whether you homeschool, private school, or public school your children, there will be learning gaps. They're impossible to avoid because the amount of possible information to learn is vast and childhood is short. I've never met a single person, regardless of how they were schooled, know all the things and further more remember all of the things. I certainly don't! And I was public schooled, private schooled and homeschooled. 

Now that we have that covered, let's get back to the root of the issue. Christians are as imperfect as anyone. Open the Bible and you will find many imperfect people.... that were all called to incredible lives. Maybe we aren't Moses delivering God's people, but we are raising the people delivered to us to bring up in Christ. 

You've heard the saying, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." Check out the following list just in case you need a reminder : 

• Abraham -Was old.
• Elijah – Was suicidal.
• Joseph – Was abused.
• Job – Went bankrupt.
• Moses – Had a speech problem.
• Gideon – Was afraid.
• Samson – Was a womanizer.
• Rahab – Was a prostitute.
• Noah – Was a Drunk.
• Jeremiah – Was young.
• Jacob – Was a cheater.
• David – Was a murderer.
• Jonah – Ran from God.
• Peter – Denied Christ three times.
• Martha – Worried about everything.
• Zacchaeus – Was small and money hungry.
• The Disciples – Fell asleep while praying.
• Paul – A Pharisee who persecuted Christians before becoming one.
• Lazarus – Was dead. Literally. 

If you are homeschooling, or feel the call to homeschool, you will gain wisdom as you go. It's a natural growth in life. You have been called. Breathe that in and pray on it, sister. This is your work, part of your legacy, and it's really important. Also, remember that not everyone is called to homeschool, and that's totally okay. 

What then should be our focus? If the focus isn't to cover as many things, better than another type of schooling and to have the smartest kids on the planet....then what is?

1. God & Faith & Character 

This is the absolute number one most important thing in our homeschool. Our faith is deep and ingrained in everything we do. We can't remove it, we can't diminish it, we can't life without it. Yes, life. We can't life properly without our faith. I want our children to know who God is, how much He loves them and cares for them, and to know how to live out their faith. I want them to be of great moral character, know what and why they believe and do as they do, and be able to defend their faith boldly in love. 

2. Growing their God-given Talents

We all have gifts. Sometimes we don't know what these are until much later in life. When we see our children have a talent in something, we recognize it and let them know it's a gift! All good things come from Him alone. What if we don't know what talents our children have or they're confused about what they want to do? We go back to step 1 and we pray. God always reveals, but only in His time. While frustrating for us humans, this is how God works. 

3. To Love Learning & Know How to Learn

Not all parts of school are fun. Just ask my teen how algebra is going or my dyslexic kiddo likes writing essays... But the rest of school? Lots of fun! We explore their interests, we dive in deeper with topics that come up in the curriculum, we follow rabbit trails, we linger, we create more art, we wander through nature, and we have days or seasons that we unschool completely. We all enjoy learning and they see me learn right along with them. They see, by example, that learning doesn't stop when they graduate high school or college. Learning is a lifetime. 

We use any and all ways to learn! Books, online courses, the internet, asking wise and skilled people... so much research! 

4. The Basics 

Of course after those things what comes next is I want them to be able to communicate effectively, be able to use daily life math, count back change, be financially wise, and read often for fun as well as knowledge. These come after the first 3 things though, because when you have those three things, this part becomes easier. When you are equipped with methods on how to learn and love learning, you can find the info you want to know and you can learn anything! 

I hope that any of this gave you some comfort. You're not alone and God has got you in His loving hands. 

And don't forget to pray -- pray without ceasing.