The question that plagues modern homeschoolers, in the same way that men and women in the middle ages wondered if the world was flat, is: are we making any progress and are my kids really learning anything? I say 'modern homeschoolers' because I don't think the pioneer homeschoolers asked that question.

For them, it wasn't about whether their children knew enough, but about 'what' they knew. They used God's standard in the Bible as their standard. In the last couple of decades, we've changed that standard.

Now the standard used is the level of academics a boy or girl should be at by age 8, 12, or 17. We look towards the "experts" who say a child should be reading chapter books by age seven, doing algebra by 9th grade, and taking Chemistry in 11th grade.

"Sez who?"

It certainly isn't God. The truth is that some children don't read until they're ten, struggle to learn algebra, or never make it to Chemistry. And that's OK!

Your children are learning! They will be well prepared for whatever it is God created them. That doesn't give us license to blow off school; instead, it gives us grace to enjoy our children at whatever level they are.

I think it was one of the THM readers who introduced me to one of my new favorite quotes.

"Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein

It's not just good. . .it's TRUE. So believe it, and. . .

Be Real,

Todd

Todd Wilson, "The Familyman," author of Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, Help! I'm Married to a Homeschooling Mom, and The Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons, is a dad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd's humor and gut-honest realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. Todd and his wife Debbie homeschool their eight children in northern Indiana when they're not traveling around the country encouraging moms and dads. You can visit Familyman Ministries at www.familymanweb.com.