One Day at a Time

When we first started homeschooling all those years ago, I was so excited to begin pouring all sorts of knowledge and wisdom into my pint-sized student! But the thing was, I often found myself looking so far into the future that I lost a lot of the joy that those early days of homeschooling can bring. I worried about whether or not my little one was meeting all her academic milestones. Whether or not she was identifying enough phonetic sounds and recognizing the appropriate amount of shapes & colors. All of these things are obviously important and necessary but my focus and concern was misplaced.

I was so focused on the next thing (or the thing years down the road!) that I was missing all that was happening right in front of me…in the moment. Thankfully, we still had a wonderful time together (God’s grace) and I don’t think she has a clue what she lost because of this (also God’s grace), but I do. In those days, I was so consumed with getting her to the right grade level at the right time that I wasn’t enjoying all that we were doing in the day-to-day. Now, fast forward nine years and add two more kids. What I have learned is that this homeschooling thing is more about the journey than the destination.

As homeschooling parents, we often get so caught up in preparing for the future that I think we forget to enjoy the present. Maybe that sounds like some kind of quote you’d find on a calendar or refrigerator magnet or something, but it’s true! I’m not saying that preparing for the future is bad, far from it. In fact, preparing for the future is a critical part of homeschooling. Preparing though, not obsessing. Preparing for the future, not allowing yourself to become all consumed with worry over it.

Jesus tells us all about this in Matthew 6. At the end of the chapter, in verse 34, He says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Isn’t that the truth! So how do we move from living in constant worry about the future to enjoying these precious days and the opportunity we’ve been given to teach our kids?

I’ve heard it said that if parenting doesn’t send you to your knees in prayer, you’re not doing it right. Well, the very same thing can be said about homeschooling! That’s why we start just about every single school day doing just that…praying. We commit our day to the Lord and spend some time in His Word. I have a very long list of Bible verses I cling to throughout my days and one of my favorites is Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” What that’s saying is when you align your heart and desires (your plans) with the Lord’s will, things will work out in the way that He intends. The hard part for us is that sometimes (often times) our plans aren’t necessarily His plans.

I can think of quite a few times when the academic lessons that I felt were the top priority of the day had to get scraped for one reason or another. Then, when I looked back at the day, a much needed character lesson was learned or a relationship was grown instead. And wouldn’t you know it, eventually they did get the academic lesson too and all was well! We need to trust the One who has called us to this because He is faithful! When we commit our days to Him, walk in obedience and trust Him with the outcome, our work will be fruitful.

Even when it is clear that we have been called to homeschool and we have dedicated our work to the Lord, stepping into the role of teacher can still feel very overwhelming. There is undoubtedly added responsibility and a new kind of burden that comes with it. Especially when you try to conquer your child’s entire educational career all at once. Any big job is easier when you break it down into smaller chunks. I start each year with a rough map of where I’d like us to end up. Then we take one day as it comes and re-assess (and adjust if necessary) every six weeks or so. This doesn’t mean that I don’t correct math problems as we go or grade essays as they’re completed. I do all of that but I try to take one day at a time. If someone is struggling with something, I’ve learned that it does no good to get worked up over the fact that he or she may not get to the next skill by the date I had in mind. I try to allow myself, and my kids, to settle in and enjoy where we are on that particular day.

So, as we all set out into a new school year and so many are starting their very first homeschool year EVER, I encourage you to try to settle in and enjoy this journey…whatever that looks like for you. There will be days that seem never ending and you might feel weary. I’m not denying that. That’s just life…homeschooling or not. But don’t get so caught up in worries about the future that you miss what’s right in front of you. Make your preparations. But keep your focus and attention on the present, take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey; you’ll get to the destination.