Socialization

Homeschool kids get a bad rap.  Apparently they are unsocialized...blah, blah, blah.  I'm not opening up that discussion.  Just come to our house and see if my kids won't drive you nuts with all their questions and comments that will be directed at you.  Seriously, they make our guests feel like celebrities--to the extent where we have to tell our kids to leave our guests alone.  Yeah...poor unsocialized homeschooled kids....ridiculous notion!

BUT, I will say that homeschool moms have the tendency to be unsocialized.  4-5 days a week must be fully dedicated to school.  I try not to answer phone calls.  I try to keep people away while I teach, because, well, I am responsible for giving my kids a decent education and part of that means removing distraction.  It also involves a deliberate intent to create and preserve a solid learning environment.  For me this means I have to KNOW what I'm teaching the kids everyday which involves extensive preparations.  I have to have their work marked.  I have to ensure corrections are made and that they understand the material given them.  I need to make sure we are covering a good amount of material everyday.  This all takes a lot of time.

Then, when the school day is done, a homeschool mom still  has a family to take care of and a home to maintain.  It's not unusual for me to see 6 loads of laundry on a Monday.  Meals need to be put on the table.  There are little ones who need attention.  Floors need sweeping, bathrooms need cleaning, kids need bathing, and chores need to be delegated and supervised.  Discipline needs to be meted out.  The list is never done.  Pretty soon a homeschool mom feels the pinch. 

Now, I LOVE, and I mean I really LOVE teaching my kids.  I think it's a good option for our family, if not the BEST option for our family right now.  Maybe things will change in the future--that I can thankfully leave in the Lord's hands.  But the road can be hard at times and it can get lonely too.

Let's face it, when you get busy, I mean really busy, you stop answering phones.  You don't talk to friends or family much and the circle starts getting very small.  Discouragement and loneliness creep in and yet the excuses for keeping yourself unsocialized continue unabated--and the reasons are usually very good.  'Can't have people over tonight, I need to plan my lessons for next week.  Not answering the phone, I have to teach.  After I drop the kids off at Kid's Disciple's Club/birthday party/catechism, etc, I'll do my groceries since I haven't had a chance all week.  I've GOT to catch up on my marking.'


I think homeschool moms run a much higher risk of being unsocialized than their kids do.

If you're a homeschooling mom who's reading this and are expecting to now read a solution to this problem, my answer is that I don't have one.  I've come to the realization that I, myself, need to get out a little more.  I need to enjoy the company of other Christians more frequently.  I need to ask people to pray for me more often than I do.  I need to stay involved with a congregation that I love.  How do I do this?  I'm not sure.  Right now it feels like one more thing to add to my to-do list, and that's already starting off with the wrong attitude towards the very matter I was talking about!  One day I'll increase in wisdom and have this all figured out.  Until then, I'll just keep treading water.

Quoting a Famous Allegory

Upon hindsight I realize my recent posts are 'heavy.'  Today's plan is not much different.  I am sharing an exerpt from John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress'.  I am reading it to the kids, who by the way are LOVING it, but I am also gleaning MUCH encouragement by it.

We find Christian tired and discouraged when he finally looks up sees a place he knows has been built by the Lord for the relief and security of pilgrims.  He is welcomed inside and is served and encouraged by Prudence, Piety, and Charity.  And here is a part of the conversation that takes place...


PRUDENCE: And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount Zion?

CHRISTIAN: Why, there I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death, and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best.  For, to tell you the truth, I love Him because I was by Him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness.  I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, 'Holy, Holy, Holy.'

See Isaiah 25:8 and Revelation 21:4 for reference.

Where a Few Gather

The chickens are gone.  This is when the work REALLY starts on our place.  Dan and I both work hard in the barns for about 2 days at getting the manure out.  I asked if my in-laws would consider taking 3 kids for a sleep over so that I would not have to worry about them as well.  No problem!  Now we were down to 2 kids from Friday night to Sunday morning.  This got me thinking...maybe, just maybe I could go to the prayer meeting Saturday morning before we started work.  Dan agreed to take 2 boys out for breakfast on Saturday morning so I could go!

I am so very, very thankful I went.  What a time of blessing!  There were only 4 of us.  We sang and then our pastor read a portion of a psalm and spoke about it.  Then we shared some prayer requests.  The others had taken a pen and paper with them to write things down.  Since this was my first time, I did not.

The atmosphere was calm and so relaxed.  It felt so natural, so right and good, to pray with others from the congregation.  One would pray on a certain topic and when they finished our pastor would finish with an amen.  Then the next one would pray over a certain topic and once again our pastor would finish with an amen.  We continued in this fashion until the list was prayed through.  Extra requests were mentioned along the way.  We finished by singin Psalm 63 (I LOVE that psalm) which really was so fitting.

It was a beautiful way to start the day, and it very much set the tone for the rest of my day.  On the way home I added my own private prayers to the mix of the prayers that we as a group had already brought to the throne of heaven.

All I can say is that I really want to go again.  I have 5 kids but I want to go again and I will look for a way to go again as well.  The blessing I received was worth waking up early  to an alarm clock.  It was worth the 35 minute drive.  I realized afresh that this is my family.  These are the people I'm going to see in heaven.  I want to pray with my congregation.  I want to pray for my congregation.  Thank you Lord for these desires.  Thank you Lord for providing a way for a busy mom to find a place of quiet worship and sweet fellowship with believers.  Thank you Lord.  Oh how you've blessed me today.

The Costliness of Prayer

Following is an exerpt from a book by Alexander Whyte entitled "Lord, Teach Us to Pray."  which I've read, own and constantly reference.  The book talks about prayer and this particular chapter talks of how prayer can be so costly to us at times.  I've wept when I read the words for I know the words are so very true.  I weep as I write them again.

"3. Both time and thought are easy, pleasant and costless compared with this, --Thy will be done.  To say "Thy will be done" when we enter our Gethsemanae, --that throws us on our faces on the earth: that brings the blood to our brows.  And yet at no less cost than that was God's own Son "heard in that He feared."  When someone, far dearer to us than our own souls, is laid down on his death bed, to say "Not my will, but Thine be done," --at what a cost is that said in such an hour!  What a heart-racking price has to be paid for that prayer!  And yet, pay that price we must: pour our hearts into that prayer we must, if we are, like our Lord, to be made perfect by suffering.

And not at death beds only, but at times which I will not trust myself to put words.  Times also, when a great cloud of disappointment and darkness gathers over our life: when some great hope is forever blasted: when some great opportunity and expectation is for ever gone, and never to return.  To lie down before God's feet and say, "Not my will but Thine be done," at such times--at what a cost is that said and done!  And to say it without bitterness, or gloom, or envy, or ill will at any one:  and to go on to the end of our lonely and desolate life, full of love and service to God and man, --at such a sight as that, God says, "This is my Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!  Come up hither.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for thee before the foundation of the world!"

Monday Night Soccer

Monday nights throughout the summer the kids go to soccer.  This is run by a man in our congregation who uses soccer as an evangelism tool.  The kids all play soccer then there is a time for a message and prayer.  The kids LOVE it.  Here are some shots.  These were taken the last day of soccer.  Eric played with the bigger kids and Lindsay and Paul played with kids their own age.  During a round robin play-off game, Eric and his team of six won gold.  They were the smallest team yet definately played the hardest.  They deserved those gold medals!!!  Paul and Lindsay also won first.  All I have to say is man, were those kids ever excited on the way home....try getting them in bed after that!


Paul gearing up for his corner kick.  He is informing his teammate of where the ball is meant to go.

Paul's corner kick.  His style is.....unique.

The younger league.  They always had a lot of fun!

The Blue Team--winners of the gold medal.

Eric single handedly taking on the red team.

Lindsay playing goal.

Eric and his best pal.