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What's the End Goal for Your Homeschooling Journey?

 Is everything you do about your children's education? Or maybe you focus primarily on their interests in order to aid them in building their future and possibly their career. Maybe you just want your kids to be emotionally stable. Your end goal may be helping them get into a certain college or university or program. It could be an intentional focus on sports due to their athletic abilities (or any other myriad of activities wherein they excel). 

None of those is wrong. Lots of parents choose home education for reasons such as these. 

But as I reflect on my own five children and our 25 years of homeschooling, I know for sure that their character and their love for the Lord were the things I did right in focusing on, while simultaneously being the areas I wish I had spent more time, energy and focus on. It's a coexisting of two things in the same space; we did it well, and we should have done it better. 

Some of their deepest struggles may have been lessened had I, the primary "educator" in our family's homeschool, put more time into helping them develop godly character and knowing more of the Word, showing them how to pray long-haul prayers for those long-haul seasons of life that come for us all. 

Oh, why didn't I do this aspect of homeschooling better?





Because I did not see clearly how much better it could have been. That's the blessing and the curse of being able to look back honestly at the past. And when it comes to parenting, this is a bitter pill to swallow, with some sweetness added in that only Jesus can give.

This verse from Proverbs comes to mind as I ponder these thoughts today:

Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. - Proverbs 4:5

I can't go back in time and put more time and focus into my children during their formative years. But I can do these two things: Pray and trust God to make up the lack (because I had SO MUCH LACK as a homeschool mom) and encourage moms who are currently homeschooling to think a little bit about their ideal end result and consider where they may want to put more time and focus. 

This is my tidbit of hard-earned, hard-learned wisdom and understanding for today. 

Honestly, there may not be any homeschooling mamas out there in the blogosphere who need any of my paltry offerings. But I feel better putting this down on paper, anyway...so, there's that. 

Lord bless you and your family on your homeschooling journey. He's got good things in store for you and His love for you knows no bounds!

Happy Homeschooling!

Jan L. Burt

Rooted & Renewed Finds with Jan L. Burt

(Renew your spirit, refresh your home. Curated encouragement for every season. Welcome to Rooted & Renewed Finds—a curated space designed to bring encouragement into every season of life. Our mission is simple: renew your spirit, refresh your home.)

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