But today, I'd like to share something different....I want to focus on why I am thankful for being a homeschool mom.
With my daughter now a senior in college, I can see all the benefits that homeschooling has brought to her and to our family, much more clearly than I could when we were in the thick of things!
There are so many reasons why I am thankful for having homeschooled for 15 years.
And in honor of Thanksgiving, I have also gathered up some of my family's favorite photos from our nature road trips....
Are you a nature-oriented family, too?
For Thanksgiving last year, my husband and I got together with our daughter and her friend, and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. (Our extended family is a continent away..)
We did an ethnic celebration this year. You see, my daughter's favorite food is east indian food. Every week, when we could afford it, I would take my daughter to our local indian restaurant for lunch.
HOMESCHOOLING HELPED WITH SENSORY NEEDS
When she was little, my daughter who has some sensory issues, was a very, very picky eater. All she wanted to eat was soft foods, like macaroni and cheese, every day. But she learned to like rice. So I often took her to our little east indian restaurant, where she enjoyed her rice, and gradually added in other foods, too, like chicken curry.
You see, it was also a soft food. This helped her to expand her food choices so well, that it became one of our favorite homeschool traditions!
I am thankful that I could build in activities during our homeschool day, that met these individual needs, with food, and everything else.
And the fact that my daughter was a picky eater, ended up adding a lot of variety of foods for our family. Above, is one of my daughter's new favorites, tandori chicken.
And what does she want to do in the fall...but go on a "field trip" to pick out a pumpkin...at the same place we used to go to for our fall homeschool field trip.....
Nature Road Trips - I love how homeschooling gave us ample time to explore my daughter's interests, and to pass on our love of nature...
We gave my daughter a camera, when she was 8....
HOMESCHOOLING BUILT STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
I also love that my husband was a part of our daughter's education, from the start. She still seeks him out for his wise counsel, as she decides on possible life tracks, and future possibilities.
Driving practice became a special time for talks with my teen. And somehow doing short nature drives helped my daughter to feel comfortable to share her heart with me.
HOMESCHOOLING BUILT LIFE LONG INTERESTS
I love taking pictures of the trees.....tall and serene....and I passed my love of photography onto my daughter. It is still a passion of hers...
And in honor of Thanksgiving, I have also gathered up some of my family's favorite photos from our nature road trips....
Are you a nature-oriented family, too?
For Thanksgiving last year, my husband and I got together with our daughter and her friend, and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. (Our extended family is a continent away..)
HOMESCHOOLING HELPED WITH SENSORY NEEDS
When she was little, my daughter who has some sensory issues, was a very, very picky eater. All she wanted to eat was soft foods, like macaroni and cheese, every day. But she learned to like rice. So I often took her to our little east indian restaurant, where she enjoyed her rice, and gradually added in other foods, too, like chicken curry.
You see, it was also a soft food. This helped her to expand her food choices so well, that it became one of our favorite homeschool traditions!
I am thankful that I could build in activities during our homeschool day, that met these individual needs, with food, and everything else.
And the fact that my daughter was a picky eater, ended up adding a lot of variety of foods for our family. Above, is one of my daughter's new favorites, tandori chicken.
And what does she want to do in the fall...but go on a "field trip" to pick out a pumpkin...at the same place we used to go to for our fall homeschool field trip.....
HOMESCHOOLING BUILT A LOVE OF NATURE
We gave my daughter a camera, when she was 8....
....and she's been taking pictures ever since. I loved teaching her about this favorite hobby of mine, through the years. It even became a high school elective.
My husband is always snapping pictures of the mountain, Mount Rainier....
HOMESCHOOLING BUILT STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
I also love that my husband was a part of our daughter's education, from the start. She still seeks him out for his wise counsel, as she decides on possible life tracks, and future possibilities.
Driving practice became a special time for talks with my teen. And somehow doing short nature drives helped my daughter to feel comfortable to share her heart with me.
HOMESCHOOLING BUILT LIFE LONG INTERESTS
I love taking pictures of the trees.....tall and serene....and I passed my love of photography onto my daughter. It is still a passion of hers...
She loves taking photos of the glorious colors in the fall....
I am thankful that my daughter still wants to do these nature photo trips with us...to the city and...
..............out to rivers and streams....
...stopping to watch the salmon come back to spawn........
I am so grateful that this love of nature has stuck with her.... It's in her heart.
IT ALSO TAUGHT HER IT IS OK TO MAKE MISTAKES
Homeschooling taught my daughter, not only to love learning, but to know that she could make mistakes, too..........
Homeschooling taught my daughter, not only to love learning, but to know that she could make mistakes, too..........
She tends to be a perfectionist, like her mom. And as a 2e kid, she hated it when she made any mistakes.
For years we avoided doing any quizes or tests, to focus on the joy of learning itself.
She learned that it was not about avoiding making mistakes. But that learning was a joy in itself. And that we all make mistakes along the way.
....And that making mistakes was a part of learning.
HOMESCHOOLING PREPARED HER WELL FOR COLLEGE
Homeschooling taught our daughter good study skills and gave her practice in organizing her own study schedule. And it taught her to love learning, so when she got to college, she was already a motivated student.
For years we avoided doing any quizes or tests, to focus on the joy of learning itself.
She learned that it was not about avoiding making mistakes. But that learning was a joy in itself. And that we all make mistakes along the way.
....And that making mistakes was a part of learning.
HOMESCHOOLING PREPARED HER WELL FOR COLLEGE
Homeschooling taught our daughter good study skills and gave her practice in organizing her own study schedule. And it taught her to love learning, so when she got to college, she was already a motivated student.
With our daughter now a college grad, my hubby and I are seeing the values of our homeschooling journey....
And how it has built family relationships, that have continued to be strong through the college years.
When our daughter encounters difficulties as a young adult, she knows she could turn to us for anything and that we would be there for her, no matter what.
And we have together found wondrous surprises along the way....
My hubby and I are thankful for the joys that we have had, watching her explore her interests in college and find her way there.
One of those joys was watching her intern as a campaign manager for a city council person, as part of her Political Science studies.
She wants to run for office herself or work in the government in some way. Can't wait to see where that will take her!
Looking back...
Homeschooling has given us so much to our daughter and our family, including:
- helping with sensory issues
- building a love of nature
- building strong family relationships
- developing life long interests
- learning that it is ok to make mistakes
- preparing for college
Yet the homeschooling road is not an easy one. There are twists and turns along the way. Sometimes, very hard ones....
All the work of finding the resources and strategies that fit then changing them again, when they don't....correcting math work, finding a rhythm for our days, dealing with the annual testing required in our state, and all those rainy afternoons...
Finding the personal time to take care of oneself, so you can give to your kids.
It all has a cost.
But the homeschooling journey builds so much more than just an education.
It builds family.
And isn't homeschooling the best way to build a kiddo as well! And the memories that we built through her homeschool activities, those high school activities, and the lifetime friends that we have made, through the years...are ones that we treasure.
The road ever beckons.....
And how it has built family relationships, that have continued to be strong through the college years.
When our daughter encounters difficulties as a young adult, she knows she could turn to us for anything and that we would be there for her, no matter what.
And we have together found wondrous surprises along the way....
My hubby and I are thankful for the joys that we have had, watching her explore her interests in college and find her way there.
One of those joys was watching her intern as a campaign manager for a city council person, as part of her Political Science studies.
She wants to run for office herself or work in the government in some way. Can't wait to see where that will take her!
Looking back...
Homeschooling has given us so much to our daughter and our family, including:
- helping with sensory issues
- building a love of nature
- building strong family relationships
- developing life long interests
- learning that it is ok to make mistakes
- preparing for college
Yet the homeschooling road is not an easy one. There are twists and turns along the way. Sometimes, very hard ones....
All the work of finding the resources and strategies that fit then changing them again, when they don't....correcting math work, finding a rhythm for our days, dealing with the annual testing required in our state, and all those rainy afternoons...
Finding the personal time to take care of oneself, so you can give to your kids.
It all has a cost.
But the homeschooling journey builds so much more than just an education.
It builds family.
And isn't homeschooling the best way to build a kiddo as well! And the memories that we built through her homeschool activities, those high school activities, and the lifetime friends that we have made, through the years...are ones that we treasure.
That is priceless.
May you find joy in your homeschool journey....One day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time...
It is all worth it!
My best to all of you and your precious families, too. What makes you the most thankful this year?
For those with college bound teens:
My teen got into each of the colleges on her list, with scholarship offers. And it was not hard to help get her into college. I wrote a book to share how we helped our daughter get there in 10 easy steps.
Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd Edition gives you my best tips to help you plan your high school homeschool.
Plus guidance for getting them into the college, if that is where they are headed.
 |
| Amazon |
Recommended by: Lessa Scherrer, certified college counselor from College Inside Track.
Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,
Betsy
Betsy is a Christian and mom to her college grad whom she and her husband homeschooled through high school. She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, and wrote
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