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Years of long car trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s have heightened my awareness of life along the highway – the sights, the signs, the symbols. Some a small and subtle, like the mile-markers along the way. Then there are billboards blasting messages into our consciousness. There are signs along the road of homeschooling as well. Failure to observe these can have an impact on the effectiveness of your home education as well as the strength of your family.
YIELD A Yield sign seems easy enough. Riding down the road you must make room for other drivers. At home, your kids need to take turns and yield their mom time to a sibling. Mom performs a major yield in her personal agenda by investing her life in her children. When you yield, do it gracefully. Don’t let your kids see you feeling resentful or too selfish. You are giving them a tremendous gift of home education. Give it with grace. CAUTION Caution signs present themselves everyday in the home school. Is your child sulking and talking back? Watch out! She is giving you a sign to proceed with her with caution, perhaps spending some extra time talking about what’s going on her heart. Caution signs are good for us. They warn of greater things ahead which can be avoided. DIRECTION To a lost driver, a direction sign is a welcome sight. There is a path. There is a way to go to meet your objective. Besides, if you don’t know what direction you’re going, just about any route will get you there. Have you established directions and goals for your family’s education? SERVICE SIGNS These tell us that our needs can be met just ahead. Are you tired and need more rest? Don’t ignore that, as it is a trip to burnout. Are you hungry for more encouragement or inspiration? Maybe you need to read some uplifting books or attend a convention this year. These services are available to you as a homeschooler. Take advantage of them. BILLBOARDS On the way to Grandma’s, Big Boy restaurant signs were everywhere, announcing wonderful things just around the bend. Remind yourself of the current and future things that are wonderful about homeschooling. Are your kids growing in character? Are they making progress in their subjects? Pray that what’s ahead is a productive, happy future for your child. STOP At some point, we all need to stop. Maybe we have succumbed to exhaustion and are forced to come to a screeching stop. If we are clicking along the journey, make regular stops and make them carefully and intentionally. After stopping and refreshing yourself, you can continue on Can you spot any signs along your homeschooling journey? Are you observing them? Doing so faithfully will make the difference in finishing the journey.
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