By Beverly Whalen
- Many mothers seem to struggle with homeschooling. They obviously
have the desire to be a help to their husband in this area, but
as the family grows, they can't figure out how to "fit it all in." I
hope these tips can help someone (1 Corinthians 14:40).
1. Have time with the Lord
Lamentations 3:23
Get up at the scheduled time, before the children wake.
This is an absolute necessity if you are going to have
a successful day. If you examine your "good" days versus your "bad" days, you'll find that you started your "good" days
communicating with the Lord. Honor the Lord first of all, then
put your first load of clothes in the washing machine.
2. Don't teach your children slothfulness
Proverbs 19:15
Get the children up at the scheduled time. There is no
place for "sleeping in." There may be a cause for an "hour delay" due
to an unforeseen late night the night before. This should be
the exception and not the rule. The earlier you start school,
the earlier you finish.
3. Reward good behavior
Psalm 18:20
Offer incentives for chores done promptly. We use a sticker system. Twenty-five stickers earn a tool for the boys. The girls combine theirs for a DVD that Dad and Mom approve of.
4. Approach school time with purpose
Isaiah 46:11b
Start school with prayer and Bible, and work on school only
at the scheduled time. Use a family-friendly curriculum. Many
subjects can be taught together. Older children should be disciplined
enough to do their schoolwork alone, with occasional help.
When older children have a schedule to go by for chores and
schoolwork, they shouldn't have to interrupt Mom while she is teaching and helping the little ones. Don't
answer the phone during school time. Invest in an answering
machine if you do not have one.
5. Bring order through discipline
Proverbs 13:24
Keep the schooling environment orderly. Limit the activity
of little ones during school time. For example, don't allow
drinks except at break time. If there are two or three floors,
everyone should stay on same floor (a gate is helpful). Children
should know their boundaries. Yes, little ones like to be with
Mom. They can play with blocks at your feet or sit on your
lap and play quietly while you teach.
6. Finish what you start
Acts 20:24
On your scheduled break, you can have chore inspection and
catch-up time.
- A. Unfinished chores can be completed at the loss of break time.
B. When nursing a baby, schedule breaks at nursing time, or nurse the baby
before school and after school.
C. Many nursing babies can take a nap during school time.
D. Provide a snack.
E. Start back up on time.
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7. Don’t let household tasks interfere
Luke 16:1
Housecleaning, cooking, folding laundry, yard work, supper preparation, and
other household projects should all take place before and after school time.
Many of the housekeeping tasks should be delegated to responsible children.
Take time while children are young to teach housekeeping tasks one-on-one so
that they can do these chores well as they become older.
8. Use school time only for school tasks
Don’t try to work in the kitchen or get laundry in during school time, and
don’t schedule appointments during school time. School time should only be
school time. Dentists, doctors, and orthodontists want your business, and they
will work with you. Our dentist will schedule our whole family in one afternoon
if needed, and we have a family of ten! If you leave your place during school
time, you can’t expect others to stay where they should be. Have children do
their instrument practice as part of their individual schedules before or after
school time, not during it.
9. Enjoy your family
Psalm 128:2
When schoolwork is caught up and chores are all finished, set aside one night
a week to watch a video or DVD.
10. Reverence your husband
Ephesians 5:33b
Work at putting your husband first. The children need to know he is number
one in your life. Have a time each day just to converse with him alone, with
no interruptions. If your husband works at home or works irregular hours, do
not schedule his time. He must oversee all that you schedule, because he will
have to answer to God for how he has taught and trained his children to walk
in the right paths.
Many moms don’t want to be so rigid. Balance is essential in a homeschooling
family, and as a whole, our weakness is not being scheduled enough. Our family,
friends, and neighbors often watch us, criticize us, and laugh at us because
of our lack of commitment to the very task we preach about.
Beverly Whalen is the wife of David Whalen. They live with their eight children
in the country near Enon Valley. Their oldest child, Jeremiah, is 20 and mentally
disabled. Their oldest daughter, Susanna, is 18 and teaches a variety of stringed
instruments. Twins Naomi and h are 15. They enjoy piano, violin, and harp. Jared
and Nathan are 13, also twins. Uriah is 10, and Levi is 6. The boys are taking
beginning music lessons and enjoy the Haflinger horses on the family farm. The
family sings and plays together as a ministry in their church and likeminded
churches. They have been homeschooling for 16 years.
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