Assignment:  This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling.  Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. 

Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family.  Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

I actually find this assignment quite hard – it has been sitting on my desktop for a couple of days.  What have been my worst struggles?  It isn’t that I haven’t had hard times but I tend to forget them and move on pretty quickly.  Very much the optimist!  That being so, I know there have been many times that I have taken concerns to God in prayer and the next day something comes across my path – the answer for my problem!

One difficulty that has been seemed slower and harder to find answers to has been my youngest son’s learning difficulty.  He had been diagnosed with Dyspraxia – a motor organization difficulty that primarily affects his oral skills – he finds it hard to make continuous sounds (and therefore pronounce words).  By the time he was 8 we started to realize that there were other implications of Dyspraxia which meant things were harder for Daniel all round – orally, physically, emotionally and how he processes information.

He is a bright cookie and it is clear to all that he is itching to learn and yet the teaching style that had developed in our home did not always matching his needs.  The hardest thing is to see you child, regardless of the methods you employ, not reach his potential. 

A few things are working for us

1.  Making his instruction a priority so that it is more likely to happen before the daily interruptions happen.  It is important for his routine to be as consistent and regular as we can make it.

2.  Many of Ruth Beechicks / Charlotte Mason techniques have worked for him – lots of read alouds (he listens to a lot of audio books too), hands on discovery, narrations, copy work (kept to very minimum)

The biggest relief has been when I found a Speech Therapist who was willing to give me support, even across the country; to overview my phonics programme and to be a sounding board.  It was weighing heavily on me that I was the person that was observing difficulties, finding solutions, and helping him apply those solutions; having someone else to refer to has been a relief.

Every mother wants her little ones to reach their full potential and when I see him struggling with something it catches at my heart.  But… I know that he has the best, and I mean the best, learning environment, the best opportunities, and the best support system.  He has been sheltered from bullying and comparisons and is free to work towards being the best he can be, being all that God intends for him.

Memory Verse:  Psalms 55:22 – Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

There have been many times that I have cast a burden upon the Lord – Daniel’s learning is certainly one of my burdens,  My daughter has pain from surgery as a baby and when she asks me, in tears “Why me Mummy” what can I say.  We cast that onto the Lord.  I feel inadequate as my oldest son talks about things that I just cannot comprehend.  I cast my care upon the Lord and I am reminded that I have been equipped for every good work!  When I have personality conflicts with one of my daughters – I commit our relationship to the Lord and watch it florish into a beautiful friendship.  When my children go through temptation (and succumb) my heart cries out to God, to reach their hearts.  Yes, there are many burdens that I carry to the Lord in prayer!

What a Friend we have in Jesus

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/a/f/wafwhij.htm

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.