Promises to My Family for Our New Homeschool Year

I was recently thinking about our new homeschool year and making a mental list of the things I need to do to prepare for it.  Then I began to think about the things that didn’t go very well last year and how I can help make this our best homeschooling year yet!

I came up with a list of promises I’d like to make to myself and my family.  I’m going to print my list, put it where I can see it every day, and try to follow my own advice to make this a wonderful school year!

I wrote this article years ago when I was still homeschooling all three of my children. (All of my children have now graduated from our homeschool.) As I read back over this article, I realized that I wanted to share it again because, even after homeschooling for over 20 years, it was still easy to fall into the trap of expecting too much of myself and my children and missing out on the joy that homeschooling can give us. The days are sometimes long, but the years definitely fly by! I hope this article is a blessing to you and that you will read it, remember it, and take the time to make this your very best homeschool year yet!

While homeschooling is a serious calling and something we shouldn’t take lightly, it is also a time we should cherish.  It’s a time to teach our children academics, but it’s also a time to love them, set a good example for them, and just enjoy being with them before they grow up and move on with their lives.

I am so very thankful to have had those years with my kiddos at home. The years pass by so very quickly!  My children are now 27, 25, and 19.

I’m thankful that I realized (while my children were all still at home) that it’s important to cherish every moment!

Now I hope to inspire YOU to have your best homeschool year yet! To help you do that, I’d like to share with you my list of promises you can make to your family for your new homeschool year.

I pray that God blesses you, your family, and your homeschool year!

 

I promise:

…not to worry if we don’t do everything I had on my to-do list each day.

…not to worry if my house isn’t perfect.

…not to worry if my kids’ school work isn’t perfect.

…not to snap at my children or my hubby when I’m tired.

…not to get so busy driving the kids to ballet, tennis, piano, etc. that I forget to talk to them and show them that I love them.

…to be patient even when the kids don’t want to do school or help clean the house or whatever else!

…to be patient even when the kids are having a hard time understanding something I’m trying to teach them.

…to be happy and cheerful and to set a good example—whether we’re busy or not, tired or not, or hungry or not.

…to read the Bible with my kids every morning before we begin school work, housework, or anything else.

…to show my husband that I love and appreciate him for all he does to help take care of and provide for the kids and me.

…to do my best to plan meals so that my family will be well-fed with nutritious food and I won’t be stressed at the last minute trying to come up with something!

…to be thankful for my children—even when they aren’t perfect.

…to forgive myself and realize that I’m not perfect when I goof up!  And then to refuse to get discouraged and give up.

I know I’m not perfect, and I’m sure I’ll mess up now and then, but I pray that God will help me remember these promises, stick to them as best I can and have a wonderful, productive school year at home with my kids!

What about you?  Are there any promises you’d like to make to yourself (or suggest to me) that would help make this your best homeschool year yet?