When my children began to enter the teenage years, I learned a very important lesson. I never expected it, so it was all the more amazing.
Remember when your baby began speaking? She uttered “da da” and you couldn’t believe how smart she was? Or your son took those first teetering steps toward you like a little tight rope walker, and you lunged forward to swoop him into your arms and praise this important milestone?
Well, teenagers’ accomplishments blow this out of the water. And I don’t mean to belittle those wonderful first milestones in any way.
What I learned is that when you have poured blood, sweat, and tears into your children’s lives, guiding and teaching them, loving them fiercely every day, and they begin to grow up and do amazing things…well, that is pretty awesome.
God allows us to see the fruit of our labor and it is a blessing.
Don’t get me wrong, mistakes and bad decisions are always made as that is the hallmark of the teenage years, but those first successes as they step out on their own and make decisions and begin to win at life…it makes all those hard years worthwhile when all the kids were little and someone was throwing up while someone had a poopy diaper up to their neck and you were fighting the headache of a lifetime.
So, now that we have established how awesome teenagers can be (if your kids are little you have this to look forward to), let’s talk about what this means for homeschooling.
Washington state has a funding program called Running Start that allows students age 16-18 to go to community college or vocational school and earn their high school diploma and either an AA or certificate of training for a vocation.
My second born wanted to go this route last fall. This is where the rubber meets the road! He would be entering into a completely new academic sphere than the homeschooling one he had been in for over a decade!
Yikes! How would he do? Had I done enough to prepare him? Would some awful hole in learning rear its ugly head and I would be riddled with guilt?
Guess what? He has done amazingly well, and no, we were not the hard-core homeschooling family that required copious amounts of work in a load of subjects that keep him up nights completing assignments! I know those families and that is not us!
We just received a letter from the school that he is on the Chancellor’s list for Winter Quarter! So homeschooling does indeed work!
What was the reason for his success? I believe it has two main parts:
1- Teenagers are awesome and can do so much more than we give them credit for.
Yes, their brains aren’t done growing until about 25 years of age (this is why YOU are still a big part of the picture) but they are capable of far more than we know.
All those years pouring into them will pay off and this is their time to shine!
2-This one is for you, mom~ you are doing enough to educate and prepare your child by homeschooling. It’s true, we’re living proof!
How did we do this, you ask? Here’s a snapshot:
*Consistency- we did school four days a week and went to co-op one day. We didn’t blow off school unless someone was sick.
*We focused on progressing in bible, math, language arts, history, and science.
We rotated through other subjects over the years. Art, PE, tech., languages, etc., also happened naturally with the children’s initiation.
*The key is none of this has to be perfect.
We struggled with all the same things you struggle with like:
- switching curriculum
- not finishing curriculum by the end of the year
- finishing assignments
- getting busy with life and not touching on a subject for a week (or more)
- losing focus
- feeling like no one is enjoying the lesson
- children struggling with attitudes or emotions
Been there done all that and much more! I know you know what I mean!
I'm here to tell you that imperfect homeschooling coupled with an amazing teenager is still good enough.
They learn and grow and progress and thrive even in imperfection.
For those of us who are achievement-oriented (can I get an amen!), this does not seem natural as we want to do all the things and check all the boxes and get an A+ in the process!
If you have been praying over your homeschooling and your children and following God’s path with his light, then it will be more than good enough and your teens will thrive as they move into new adventures.
I am so proud of my son! He has the self-discipline from homeschooling to thrive and figure out what he needs to do and get it done. He has learned enough along the way and knows how to find out what he doesn’t know.
I pray this is music to your ears!
When you try so hard to do right by your kids and then feel that it could all fall apart, it is scary.
But you have been following God and he doesn’t abandon his children.
Deuteronomy 4:31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
When it gets hard and you lose faith, remember your why, (read my article, “Why do families homeschool? (How to strengthen your why and stay homeschooling!) )
You can do this, mom. You, your amazing teen, and God are the perfect trio and will accomplish the goals you are helping your student live out in Christ Jesus!
What concerns do you have about your child’s education? Leave a comment below!
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