Do You Ever Have Doubts?

Published with Permission
Written by Lisa Trombley
http://thehappyhomeschoolmom.blogspot.com/2013/03/do-you-ever-have-doubts.html

 

I do.  I know on paper (or the computer) many homeschoolers appear to have it altogether.  Not true.  I second guess myself all of the time.  Am I doing too much? Am I doing enough? Am I spending enough time on each subject?  Am I getting enough one on one time with each child?  How can I teach XYZ effectively if I don’t understand it myself?  Am I leaving gaps in their education?  How can anyone learn in this chaos (when you’ve been interrupted 10 times in an hour!)

I think those are concerns that we have all had at one time or another. There are even harder questions or situations that may come up.  Especially when you have a child who is a struggling learner, or special needs.  The questions you ask yourself may be harder then, especially when there is so much pressure from the outside for you to put him in a school where “professionals” can teach them and they can be taught the “right way.”  The doubts may increase even more when there are specialized therapies that you are only eligible for if you put your child in school.

Being a parent is hard! (more…)

Updated: We Are Not Alone

Published with Permission
Written by Katharine Trauger
http://katharinetrauger.wordpress.com/

 

Hyperactive, asthmatic, infinitely curious about creation, rising to high governmental positions . . . who was this famous home scholar?

Can you imagine yourself married to a hardware importer so rich he can afford to indulge in philanthropy?

Let’s imagine such a life for a while—the life of Mittie—a mother of four during the U.S. Civil War era.

You cringe at talk of politics because your family is divided over it. Some relatives have joined the armies of the South and, some, the North; some are Democrats, and, some, Republicans.

Your own husband refuses to enlist for combat, to prevent fighting your brothers and breaking your heart. (more…)

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Published with Permission
Written by Sheila Campbell
pausingtopraise.wordpress.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

“Watch me!” the words rang out through the bright sunshine as my red-headed fireball of energy sped past on his bike. I stood just inside the door and watched in wonder as his hands gripped the handlebars tightly and his legs pedaled furiously against the brisk wind that left a trail of dust running after the boy and the bike.

West Texas is known for the wind that seems to whistle across the plains on a regular basis. If you live in West Texas, you either love the wind or you spend most of your time indoors and miserable. I love both the beautiful sunsets that paint the big Texas sky with color and the dusty winds that fill the air with dirt particles and catch the light of the sinking sun to give the sky its glorious hues.

Bloom where you are planted. It is an old statement, but there is a lot of truth to the words. I think, though, in order to truly bloom where we are planted we must be thankful for more than just the location that we call home; we must also be grateful for the circumstances and the seasons in which we find ourselves and learn to praise God and see His loving hand in both the good and the difficult things in our lives. (more…)