If you wander around the internet long enough, you’ll come across some pretty cool homeschool blogs and websites. Those sites will be full of fresh-faced children playing multiple musical instruments, raising show quality livestock and making homemade bread for dinner. Mom’s hair will look great and the kitchen is spotless! Beautiful science projects and well-written reports make you feel a bit envious. You’ll go to bed a bit heavy-hearted, wishing you could have amazing experiences with your children as well.
But you DO have amazing experiences with your children! Didn’t you teach your youngest to tie his shoe this week? Remember the butterfly that landed on a flower close enough for everyone to examine? The joy you shared with your child when he read his first word on his own?
We must remember to take what we see going on in other homeschool families’ lives with a grain of salt. Most of the time we hear and read about the final result, but we’re not always privy to the process that led to that result. Every family deals with bad days, sickness, burnt dinners and piles of laundry, but that’s not the side we normally show to the world.
Don’t fret if you see what seems to be families living and homeschooling in a way that makes your life seem less than perfect. Remember that one of the main reasons for homeschooling is to provide your family with unique experiences tailored to the needs and interests of your household. Forget about sculpted Roman aqueducts made from hand-dug clay. Embrace the joy of pyramids made from mini-marshmallows and dry spaghetti!
The Adventist Home Educator 