Lessons from Home 'Part I' Loosen Up!

My six year old son just graduated Kindergarten. I am so proud of him. I am amazed on how much he has learned in our first year of homeschooling. It has been a blessing, a challenge, a learning experience and a joy. 

It is a blessing to say that I taught my son how to read. It brings such joy specially when I hear him read his Bible all by himself. This first year has been a challenge with two other small boys. It has not been easy to stay focused and keep my composure when I have been constantly disciplining and correcting. It really wears one out.

I've been pulled in many directions this year, but these things have 

                                                     changed me, and they have changed the way I do things. 

                                                     My son has learned this year, but I have learned the most.

There are three things I've learned throughout this year, I call them the 3 L's of Homeschooling.

The first thing I've learned is to Loosen up.

Yes, loosen up. I wanted things in order and done the right way so that we could make most of our time. Order is a good thing, because it helps with the routine of the day. But I was expecting perfection out of a six year old, when he was really trying and giving his best. I realized that he was just beginning to learn these new concepts and that eventually with a lot of repetition and encouragement from me he would get it. I had to loosen up in the way I was imparting  the lessons to my son as well. We were not in a school setting, we were at home. The way I was doing the lessons became boring to my son, that he was losing interest, because he wasn't having fun while learning. Learning should be fun. It should be something that  they can't wait to do again the next day. My son was dreading it.  I knew things needed to change, but the change had to be in me first. I needed to loosen up and have fun teaching my son.

Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".