This week we have accomplished two tasks that have been on my ‘to-do list” for 12 months – potted some flower seedlings and installed Rosetta Stone (Foreign Language CD programme).  Why has it taken us so long to do two very simple things?  Because my mind is full of all the lessons I have planned, all the schoolwork my kids need to finish.   Things are slowly changing – first in my head and then in our home.

At the end of last year I asked myself a question “What would I do if we weren’t home-schooling?”   “What would my day look like?”

• I would still wake the same time, and have the same early morning routine.
• I would do the housework and cooking for the day.
• I would then spend time on relationships – either my kids, or with other people.
• I would spend time doing the things that I love – something creative or some study, definitely some reading.  This would go on for the rest of the day.
• Then around 5.00pm I would start our afternoon/evening routine of getting the house, dinner, and people ready for bed.  Some evenings I would have either business or ministry commitments.

If I were to disciple my children, to have them follow my footsteps, to have them with me as I live my life – why would my days be any different? 

I asked my children the same question, “What would you do with your day if we weren’t home schooling?”  They came to the same conclusion as I did – they would have relationships such as God and each other to look after, there would still be responsibilities such as chores and looking after their own possessions, they would still read, write, and create things.  They would play together, they would work, and they would check things out if they didn’t understand it.   Sounds like learning to me!

As I change my understanding of education and learning the challenge is “How to balance all this?”    Surely, having four children follow me around isn’t a productive use of our time.  

I have made a commitment that when life calls me to do something to ask myself the question – who can learn from this situation?  Josh?  Jess?  Nomi?  Daniel?  Who needs this opportunity?  The rest of them continue with their lessons, activities, reading etc.