Hope in the Homeschool

You would think I would have an idea how to homeschool after nearly 15 years of doing this, but no.  Each child brings a new set of challenges that I have never faced before, so it is like starting over each year, like a newbie.

This year it is my youngest 2 boys.  Doing school is the equivalent of prison to them.  The only thing that keeps me from pulling my hair out is that the next two kids up, the 10 and 11 year old, are now so wonderfully independent that I hardly have to spend time with them.  This gives me hope that I'm just in a tough stage with the youngest and that for some reason, (perhaps too much summer?) they need me to be more patient and give them more help and just keep praying that they'll eventually fall into line.

My 5th child (3rd boy) will be 12 in a few days.  He was a super tough baby, one of my hardest.  He was a super tough toddler, too, always running, never walking and it felt like he was always injury-ridden from bumping into all the corners in the house.  He was the one who made me really start working on controlling my anger levels because he was super naughty!  I would repeat, "I will be a joyful mother of children...." over and over again just to convince myself I could be.

Last year in school had to be one of the hardest with him.  Looking back, I think it was just because he was really trying to learn, but if he didn't get math right away, or whatever subject it was, he would be frustrated and he would appear like he was being a "smart alec" when in fact it was his way of coping and not appearing like he didn't get it.

All this to say, something has happened to him recently.  I can't explain what it is.  Perhaps he has matured or taken some magic pill, but he is not the same at all.  He has become one of my most diligent children. Sometimes I'm not grateful for the negative influences older children can bring in, such as music, media and other things, but in some cases I'm soooo grateful for the older children because they are influencing the younger ones in really wonderful ways.  My two oldest boys are so diligent and respectful (most of the time) and rarely give me flack and I think the younger ones notice this.  Last year, my then 10 year old boy, said, "I want to be just like J (my oldest son)."  That was the ultimate compliment to him.

I think he noticed he hadn't been the most respectful son and hadn't been very diligent and I don't know if a switch went off in his head or God was simply answering my prayers for him, but this last year has seen such a remarkable change I had to write about it. 

The best example recently was in the listing of the kittens on-line to give away just last week.  I had asked my older kids to do this last year and they nearly lost their minds.  All the phone calls that came in, all the emails, the juggling of the different times, the different sexes of the kittens, keeping it all straight.  It was nuts.  My daughter told me, "I'm never doing that again."  But I wasn't going to do it either, so who would?  I thought my 11 year old was a little too young, but I asked him anyway.  He figured it was too hard, too and that he didn't know what to do, but then one day last week he said, "I'll try."  Yay!

He somehow figured out how to get an ad up on-line and then how to post pictures with the ad.  He wrote a quick little description and that was it.  Problem was, I would be away for a couple of days.  I wasn't interested in dealing with phone call about kittens while I was supposed to be enjoying my anniversary.  So I made a big decision and gave him my phone on the condition he would only use it for kitten administration. 

By the time we came home a couple days later, he had "sold" all the kittens and handled every email, phone call and adult interaction entirely himself not once getting frazzled or confused.  I was so impressed!  I don't think I could have done that at that age.  He's hired!  We have 4 more kittens to go from a younger litter and I will certainly be giving him the job again.

I wonder if God allows those moments as sheer encouragement to the parents to press on, it'll all work out, eventually they do mature, they do come around, they don't stay little.  Never did I ever think I'd see the day when he would be able to handle such a big responsibility.  This was the one who had me calling RM last year, often near tears, wanting to give up, wishing I had an "out".  The change has been so fast and so recent I would almost call it a miracle.  I'm so grateful that the Lord hears our prayers for our children and gives us this kind of encouragement at just the right time.  I sure needed to experience this kind of answer to prayer right now because my two young boys have me believing that this could be the toughest homeschool year yet.....a great reminder that God hears my prayers, my crying out.  There is hope for these two as well!