Tips to Succeed in Homeschooling
Episode Stats
Length
1 hour and 8 minutes
Words per Minute
135.89777
Summary
In this episode, we talk about the importance of supporting other homeschooling organizations across the country and how you can get involved. We also talk about some of the resources you can access to support your own homeschool.
Transcript
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Welcome, everyone. It is a good day and it's spring and we are all very excited about warm
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days coming and more beautiful weather and flowers. And I know a lot of you that are
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homeschooling are seeing your kids outside more, getting fresh air, more exercise. And I know you
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want to anxiously probably finish up and wrap up your school year. But sometimes we can get
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into a bit of a state where we need a little encouragement and a little boost and sort of
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a little kick to keep going. And so in a moment, I'll be introducing our guest part of this
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webinar session today. So while we're waiting here, we're just going to go over our Action
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for Canada website. So I will take you there. And I will show you how to find different things.
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First of all, I want to show you our chapters across Canada. And so we go to our resource
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tab here at the top and scroll down to chapters. And you can see our map here across Canada,
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all the chapters. And these are people who really care what's going on in our country. So if you've
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got a political concern, or even a spiritual concern, and you need support, you can reach
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out to these chapters. And the way you find these people as you scroll down the site. And so it looks
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like Alberta is already open. But you can find your province. And let's just choose New Brunswick here.
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We got Frederickton, St. John, Sussex, Woodstock. And you can email them and let them know you either
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need advice, encouragement, information, or even prayer. That's something we do also want to encourage
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and support here at Action for Canada. The other thing I wanted to show you under resources as well
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is our homeschool site. So we've got parent webinars. And that's the list where this video will come
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under. And you just scroll down. And if you really want to start at the beginning, this was last year,
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you want to scroll right down to the bottom. And that's where most of our homeschool sessions are.
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There's one on homeschooling options, parent resources. There's the HSLDA,
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Homeschool Legal Defense Association of Canada. That's a really good one to watch.
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Understand what's going on across the country. How to homeschool multiple ages. And then
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we did one on the SOGI Winsex Ed that's infiltrating our public schools across Canada.
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So that one is with Tanya Gaw, our founder of Action for Canada. This one here is history of
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education and homeschooling with Israel Wayne. So they're all really good to watch. And if you've
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got time, even this summer, watch one a week to get caught up. And I'm just going to take you back
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to the top here. We also did a course on biblical and healthy sexuality. It was for the parents to
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help and guide them and teach them on biblical sexuality. And that started last fall. Here's an
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example. And there's a whole series here that's available till next fall on our site here. And if
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that's something you want to watch, we always appreciate a donation towards that. That was done
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by peace education services based out of Ontario. And then CCEM, needing Christian education movement
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is a Christian mission organization, setting up town halls across the country, and encouraging
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activating churches to get more involved in the education of their children. And that can range
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anywhere from a daycare after school program or even running a non government funded homeschooling
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school in the church. So that's a really good one to watch as well. All right, so we're going
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to go back up here. And I'm looking for the homeschooling page right here. If you need a directory
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and need to find your province, in alphabetical order, you can find your province. So let's just
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choose Alberta here. They're the first one. If you click on the homeschool association, I put them down
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for each province. There are sort of the ones at the top of the line that have all the questions or
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the answers for laws, regulations in your province, they will know where the support groups are,
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whether it's for the parents or the activity groups for the kids. So that would be my starting point in
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any of these provinces is to reach out to your province. And I'll just scroll down, you can see
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them all listed here. And then below that, we've got other links that are of interest
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to help people with their homeschool education. Okay, I'm just going to come out of that. And I'm going
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to show you one more screen here. And let's see if I can do that.
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It's going to show you all the conventions across the country.
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They're all coming up. This is where you get encouraged and inspired.
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This is where you meet other parents, lots of moms. This is where all the good conversations
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in the hallways happen. This is where you get great keynote speakers, the curriculum vendors are
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there, they will show you curriculum, they have a lot of wisdom and insight into what they carry.
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And it's a great time of getting recharged. And I know for me back in the day,
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I'm in BC and ours were always early June. And when I left those weekends, I knew I wanted to
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homeschool again in the fall, and I needed this. So it's really good to go. And you'll notice right
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now there's nothing in BC or Newfoundland this spring. But do go to their websites anyways,
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which are on our website, and find out if there's anything happening in your region that they may have
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All right, so we're going to move on now. I'm going to welcome Colleen Lowther. And I'm just going to
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read a little bio. Colleen graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in elementary
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education with a specialty in reading and early childhood. She has taught in the classroom at
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various grade levels and was regularly recognized for her professional excellence. Once introduced to
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homeschooling many years back, Colleen and her husband decided to try homeschooling their own
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three children. They trusted in God's leading to creatively discover his truth intimately and
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practically learn how to be strong and courageous in these times. From her experience, Colleen went on
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to work over the next several decades with hundreds of homeschooling families as a teacher consultant
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with an Alberta Christian homeschooling board. Colleen and the school board she enjoyed working for
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clearly put parents first as the primary educators of their children.
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Over the years, Colleen served with the Alberta Home Education Association and the Homeschool Legal
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Defense Association and also helped develop practical curriculum for families. Even today,
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she shares in teaching a kindergarten class with her daughter in a classical program for homeschooling
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families. Colleen says, my greatest joy is encouraging moms to train up children in the way they should go.
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Even when they are old, they will not depart from it. Amen. Colleen and her husband Eric have three adult
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children, 11 grandchildren that are 13 years old and under and host groups and activities on their country
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acreage where she enjoys gardening and caring for her four laying chickens. So, welcome, Colleen. I know you've
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got lots to share with us and we look forward to this. You've titled it, Success with Homeschooling.
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And we want to know how to get there. So, you go.
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Okay. Well, thank you. We can do well here with this mic. Okay. So, primarily this talk today is for
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those of you who are homeschooling and it also though applies to those who are considering it. I hope it
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will excite and encourage you to engage in the opportunity to homeschool. So, in a time when society
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appears to undermine any parental authority, you have decided to home educate your children for varying
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reasons and you've endured some very real difficulties for the belief and the personal hope that it is just
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the best thing to do. That takes a tenacity hard to find and a pilgrim like faith. Well, today I'm going to
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share some joys and even some cautions from my own experiences as a homeschool mom and give some
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personal stories I had the privilege to know as a homeschool consultant with hundreds of homeschool
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families. But before we start, may you first of all be encouraged as women, mothers, and teachers. And most
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of all today, I want to pass on to you a hope in what you are doing, a peaceful, confident expectation
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of the goodness of God. This is yours as people of God and as homeschoolers. I am a firm believer in
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using scriptures to remember God's promises. So, you will find attached on this website a handout
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listing scriptures that you can cut off verses and stick them onto your kitchen cupboard, your bathroom
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mirror, and as you go through your house during the day or going to bed, you can quote these and say
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them aloud, placing your name into each one. I, Colleen, can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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Philippians 4.13. Doing this can set the atmosphere in your home. Use these continually and memorize them.
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Well, it is much different today than when I raised my family. There is surely more of a socialist doctrine,
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global events that are horrific, a forced ideology, and agenda through many areas of society,
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and especially through every level of education, K through post-secondary. Parents are and should be
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concerned as they seek possibilities for their children and families. They are concerned and believe
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it is mandatory to respect parental authority. And homeschooling is a growing phenomenon. It's common
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to see families that are second- and third-generation homeschoolers, and they wouldn't have it any other
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way because they know it works. And it is a tremendous option, a viable alternative to public,
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public charter schools, and I would attest even private Christian schools. And thousands of families do it
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successfully each year. I personally think all parents should consider doing this. It offers parents to
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directly choose and filter learning by a biblical worldview for abundant life, so that our children
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can stand for righteousness can stand for righteousness and have a transforming impact upon this quickly
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changing time. I'm seeing that, and you will too. I like the way I recently heard Tucker Carlson respond
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to a question from a frustrated mom, who realized even her Christian school offerings were dismal. And she asked,
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how could this have happened? Well, he responded something like this,
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people are not radical enough in defense of their own children. Hmm. Well, new trends for homeschooling
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are likely to become a reality. Maybe not yet widespread, but parents are waking up with realizations of what is
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really going on. And they're taking things into their own hands. I remember many moms during this time of
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year, sometimes wondering about continuing to homeschool, or feeling overwhelmed with the weight of what lies
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ahead to get to the end of this school year, or feeling frustrated with the curriculum that's not working,
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a child who is challenging, friends and families who wonder what in the world you're doing, and their
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questions or criticism is all it takes to have you wondering if you really are crazy.
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Well, you're not alone. Maybe before I try to look at realistically at the seemingly insurmountable
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problems of this time of year, let me ask, how many of you against your own motherly wisdom have
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yelled at your kids in a frustrating moment and said, that's it, I'm sending you back to school.
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Or if any of you has ever phoned your husband in the middle of the day in tears
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to tell him you couldn't keep homeschooling. Or checked with the school to see what would need
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to be done to enroll your children immediately. Well, this may not have happened to you, or maybe not
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yet, but it is very common. And it did happen to me. I do know when tempers flared, usually mine,
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I would have to get on my knees and call out to God. And when I'd ask forgiveness of my kids,
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kids, when they were the first to say, it's okay, mom, I forgive you. And later, you probably felt
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guilty that you're not so perfect. And you know full well that you are the one doing the most learning.
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Remember, you have more than one full time job, you are homeschooling, you're still a mom, a wife,
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a helper to your husband, and all of his needs, a keeper of the home, a chief driver, planner,
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booking agent for numerous other activities, shopper, cook, etc. If you are looking at possibly homeschooling
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next year for the first time, looking excitedly at this new adventure, and another day, you're feeling
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gripped with fear, you're going through the normal procedures to check it out.
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Even experienced homeschoolers can have lows at this time of year and wonder if it's time to get
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the kids back into school. Really, this time of year is a time all parents in and out of the school
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system question a myriad of choices for the deadlines of enrollment that can send even the most confident
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parent into a frenzy. As parents, you want what is best for your children. And that is challenging
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when each of your children is so unique in character and learning styles and ability. You question,
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am I choosing what will work? A whole year in school is a long time. If things don't work out,
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what would I do? Or how can I get through this year I committed to? Have your thoughts been on this
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kind of roller coaster ride and decisions and solutions seem far afield? Or maybe you've had
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difficulty getting back in a routine after Christmas break or after family day, or you feel disorganized
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in your program, or you got going again only to slump in enthusiasm. These challenges can be
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accentuated with mounting financial pressures, a husband who has lost his job, sickness or death in
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the family, any of which can be overwhelming. You are not alone because teachers in the classroom at
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this time of year can also panic with how much is yet to get through, or if the children are really
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getting what they need. Why do you think there's a teacher convention at this time of year? Maybe it's
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time to take a few days off to attend a provincial homeschool conference, like Doris mentioned. For
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example, the Alberta Home Education Association has a wonderful conference in Alberta, May 31st to June 1st
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in Red Deer and also one in Edmonton. These are so well attended, an amazing list of speakers and breakout
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sessions that will help you to get back into more of a positive mode of thinking and get revitalized with
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new ideas, techniques, and especially to share experiences firsthand with other moms of kindred spirits.
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This can be a bridge time to look and receive direction and become recharged to meet the challenge of
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finishing the school year, or what to consider to start next year. And remember it's okay to set up your
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schedule to regularly take some days off to regain your balance and also a joy in what you are doing.
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Give yourself permission, for example, to work only four mornings a week and take Friday off,
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or three weeks of classes followed by a lesser demanding week to extend, reinforce, or simply enjoy
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some informal things that you wanted to learn together. And experienced homeschool moms will be the first
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to say, be realistic and don't push it all the time. You don't need to work all day. Remember you have
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the flexibility of time and the benefits of incorporating learning into everything you are doing.
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important things that will go with your children the rest of their lives. For example, you can plan to
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travel when others can't. Use the discounts without crowds and plan trips and fun days because you can.
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If it's freezing out, why not leave the books and go to the local wave pool and have a Hawaii day. Get your
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kids to plan the day, snacks to take, Hawaiian music, get travel agent pictures to accentuate beaches and warm
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weather. Invite others. And then also put things on your calendar to look forward to with anticipation.
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I understand no parent wants their kids to fall behind, but mums often worry, am I doing enough?
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Well, just think of the wasted time of bus rides, school lineups, lineups, lineups, and dismal school
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lunches. One young mum remembered her child only had 10 minutes to gulp down their lunch, and this did
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matter to the mum who wanted her child to have the time to enjoy as they needed. I've seen single mums
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work diligently to homeschool with great successes. And if you have additional support of grandparents,
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friends, homeschool co-ops, amazing things are possible. I've also visited with young widows who
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continued to homeschool with their six kids and another with four kids. They built character,
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morals, morals, and gave opportunities to exhibit a joy to serve others in need. Some mums have even
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adopted special needs kids or multiple children at once to be part of their families, homeschooling
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and all. Did it take time to adjust? You bet. But what interactions those kids had as they remained
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loyal to their siblings and share life together? I just spoke to a grandma and grandpa who just
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started to homeschool their little granddaughters in grade two and grade five, one with some learning
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needs. They were organized, decisive, having fun with curriculum, and ready to make soup that afternoon.
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I've also seen dads doing a great job as the prime homeschooling parent with changes in their work
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situations. And they've been the first to share how much they realize their wives have done. And mums,
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you would probably like to see more involvement from your husbands, but ultimately you will shoulder
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the day-to-day working out of a regular program. However, it is vital that dads realize this is very
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real for their wife. And it's important for her to know that this is a shared responsibility. That as a
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family, you have both chosen this route, you both feel and know its best, and you both support each other
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in this quest. Dads can affirm mum's work and give her an audience to vent frustrations and talk about
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what is working and what is not working. This can do remarkable things to keep a positive perspective.
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Thus, it always works best for husbands to reinforce and support the daily homeschooling program with
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daily praise and the little things. And even meeting with the child being difficult. And let him or her
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know you will be looking at all the learning worked on that day. The husband is like a principal of the
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school, because he can oversee what is going on and give wisdom with the big picture. His advice is usually
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amazingly on track. And pray for each other too, because sometimes at home when you're having a difficult
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day, and you call your husband, you may find he's having a difficult day too. So once you feel that
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pressure, pray for each other, it works well. This all helps but understand for many, loneliness can be
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very real to mums working at home, day to day, trying to get it all done, determined to be tenacious and
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accountable. I usually hear mums say, I prayed for a homeschooling friend for my little boy or girl.
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And not only did I find one for them, I found one for me with that mum. This may not happen immediately,
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but it's very common. And most mums will find that they can confide in and discuss homeschooling matters
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with a mum that befriends them. Thus, it is so important to get involved in a support group.
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Even classes set up a day a week that others teach groups of kids, while mums have the freedom to do
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something else for themselves. Many school boards already do this. Maybe you need to think outside the
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box. No one is forcing you to school five days a week. Trade some learning times with other mums,
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like a science unit. Flexibility is how you create it. Next, it is important to recognize your children
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keep changing as they go through what I refer to as ages and stages. At different ages and stages,
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you may come upon challenges that seem insurmountable. And you question yourself and what is happening
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and what could remedy a problem. It might be a stage that is short lived and something that but or
00:26:01.760
something that tests your fiber for a stretch of time. And you may question if you have the grit
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or the child psychology know how to get through. If you have, like any parent, you look for answers.
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I remember a classic example of my son when he was about 13. We had a great relationship,
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but I was at my wit's end to keep him cooperating. I found like minded mums at a national conference.
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They gave immediate stories of their own sons with grueling episodes of ignoring mum's direction
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and daily struggles. The solution every time was recognizing these sons are looking at becoming a
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man. A mum's well-intentioned plans were not enough anymore. Dads had to take a closer oversight
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and accountability for specific projects and checking his work from mum. A dad's conference with their
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sons might sound like this. A man does a good job and completes his work. A boy does this, but a man does
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this. Thus, a boy will rise to the expectations and accountability of his father more than he will
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to his mother. He wants to become a man and will rise to the challenge of manly behavior. And they need
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and want to be affirmed by their father at this stage of life. Mums have to let go. And what about those
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little children interfering with that important work at the table? Well, work to involve them in their own
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homeschooling tasks. Even give them a special carpet remnant or a small tablecloth to sit on close by.
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And do a daily task chosen from the Ziploc bag of assignments kept in a special box just for them.
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You could even set a timer or use an hourglass for them to watch. You'll find another handout attached
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to this website to give quick ideas to try as needed with these little ones. My daughter homeschools four
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little children from the age of seven down to one. It's been noted very much by experts that reading a lot
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of books in a home really creates a very good indicator of educational success, high learning
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levels. Homeschoolers are usually good readers because it's encouraged in the home all the time.
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And they actually have time to read, unlike classrooms. My daughter was focused on her teaching lessons
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when she looked up and couldn't see where little Sarah was, not yet two years old. And scanning the
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room, she called out several times, Sarah, where are you? Where are you? She heard a little voice saying,
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I'm here reading. There in a private corner, she was looking at a pile of her favorite books. That's not quite
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two years old. Well, you have likely experienced a single incident that usurps your confidence or a
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combination of factors. Maybe it's being everything to everyone all the time, 24 hours a day. Maybe it's
00:29:40.080
having all the kids coming to you with needs all at once and you're pressed for not knowing everything
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at every grade level or feeling unable to check the children's work and wondering when they should
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have to redo it or if you've just been too hard on them or haven't expected enough. Any of this sound
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familiar? But you know of all these challenges, singly or in combination, the biggest one of all seems to
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be one that I experienced myself and I hear it time and time again from mums. You feel so responsible for
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your child's education and that responsibility is leaning on your shoulders all the time. You may wonder
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if you can really know enough and be able to really know the right choices to make so that your children
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will experience the success you want them to in the long run and that you won't ruin your children and their
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opportunities for the future. Yikes! Any of you ever feel like that way? I think this is one of the most
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daunting for homeschoolers, this sense of responsibility. This can cause any mum to say,
00:31:01.040
I'm quitting, I just can't take this anymore. Or we'll have you question, why am I doing this anyway?
00:31:07.760
Well Raymond Moore always says, it's better to change rather than quit. Remember teachers in the
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classroom are teaching the same class often for a number of years and at the end of the year they
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will say, I didn't like this and I won't do that again and this really worked well. You'll do the same
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as you gain experience with what works for you and your children. Remember you're teaching multi-level
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grades and learning new grades every year. But maybe start with a more structured program
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in language arts and math and then as you become confident you may choose to do more practical unit
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studies for history, science with many fun integrated studies that are given in the guidebooks written by
00:31:59.280
experts. Don't reinvent the wheel. In spring I watched a mum ease her panic looking ahead at how was she
00:32:08.960
ever going to finish and she went through her math book and marked the pages with coloured sticky tabs with
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dates that divided up the remaining book to ensure completion. Remember too because you are teaching
00:32:23.360
one-on-one your children are often under a magnifying glass and when you observe and teach them they are not
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lost in a crowded classroom. This has positives and negatives and can raise the frustration level of
00:32:39.440
specific tasks. Be careful with young children who have a need for shorter, intense teaching. I usually
00:32:47.840
suggest if your child is seven, they can focus for seven minutes before a stretch. Ten-year-olds can focus for
00:32:56.000
ten minutes and it's typical to change up an activity at this point for any age. It's just good brain science.
00:33:04.400
And there are many sites for brain breaks with music that can make you all laugh together.
00:33:11.600
Maybe make a list of daily tasks in a scribbler for each child and as they complete and check off the
00:33:18.080
items that are starred must-dos then they would get to choose an activity. And then mum can rotate teaching
00:33:27.280
times going around each child. Remember to make a program work for you and your child if they know
00:33:35.040
the concept. Numerous workbook pages are not necessary. Write at the top of the page did orally so that when
00:33:44.400
you look back you won't panic with the blank pages or sometimes decide to just do the odd numbers or just the
00:33:52.160
even number problems. Saxon math is a remarkable program to achieve excellence right through high
00:33:59.120
school. It can feel like a lot to do though so elementary through middle school consider doing
00:34:07.040
the new concept page every day and the review section every couple of days. I visited a math specialist
00:34:15.360
for Calgary public schools and she happened to start homeschooling her own son in junior high.
00:34:24.160
Since she chose an evaluated program she ordered Saxon math for all the classrooms in her area and she
00:34:32.400
noted that these same students using this program in the grade nine provincial achievement test they
00:34:40.240
showed remarkable evidence of excellent category. Maybe hire a tutor from a high schooler next door to focus
00:34:49.760
and reinforce weekly lessons. And when things become frustrating with a child or children, before you blow your
00:34:58.560
stack, start to say to yourself, will this really matter for eternity? It will put things back into
00:35:07.120
perspective and usually calm you down. I'd like to encourage you to prioritize what will make you
00:35:15.040
feel what you've accomplished and set out to do. Remember, always take advantage of the teachable moment.
00:35:23.440
For example, when those big fluffy snowflakes fall, grab that black construction paper for each child,
00:35:30.240
no matter what their age, to actually catch and see up close those six-sided shapes and then learn the
00:35:38.560
science about this miracle formation with God's account in scriptures of treasures in the snow.
00:35:46.720
Through all of this, don't forget it's your attitude that determines the atmosphere.
00:35:53.280
Now let's talk a little bit about time, time management and reserving some time for yourself.
00:36:01.760
First-year homeschoolers can sometimes get way too much curriculum and then feel overwhelmed with
00:36:07.760
trying to get it finished. Or they may be so enthusiastic in getting involved in different field trips that
00:36:15.200
they feel they're not accomplishing enough at home. Homeschoolers who are never home.
00:36:20.400
Be selective. Sometimes a support group can give you the confidence you need. Just be careful,
00:36:27.920
because sometimes listening to others can be counterproductive.
00:36:32.800
I would suggest that you draw up a philosophy of why you're doing what you're doing.
00:36:38.240
It will help with your decision making. Print it up and post it, because when you start to question
00:36:44.720
why you are doing this, and you will, when you're in the waves and feeling sidetracked or discouraged,
00:36:51.840
it can be an anchor in the ups and downs of homeschooling. Share it often with your children.
00:36:59.440
For us, academics wasn't our overall priority. Not that we ignored it, as we did regular programs in the
00:37:09.520
basics. Reading, writing, math, science, etc. But we worked to see what would challenge our
00:37:18.160
children's unique giftings. We stressed standing for family with a Christian worldview.
00:37:25.680
And to be able to stand alone and be critical thinkers.
00:37:37.120
A mother's verse that I held through homeschooling years and I often share with moms is so important
00:37:43.840
to remember. Do what you can, use what you have, and let God perfect it. That again means you have to
00:37:52.880
be humble in that you accept that you aren't and can't be in control of everything, but that you
00:38:01.120
should prioritize some recharge time for yourself, for the benefit of your kids, your husband, and
00:38:09.040
everyone that has to live with you. Sally Clarkson, a well-known homeschooling mom, author, and motivating
00:38:18.640
speaker, says that it is in the home that sharing both the mundane and the meaningful moments of life
00:38:26.400
happens. It is celebrating life in the midst of building roadways into each other's hearts and met with
00:38:34.080
memories and love. I'm a great fan, as I said, of whenever possible to use hands-on activities with
00:38:41.840
the light-directed studies. In other words, using the things the kids are already interested in
00:38:48.160
to energize the learning activities. Unit studies, as I've said, can integrate all learnings in fun
00:38:55.280
reading, writing, math, science, etc. When we tackled a unit on owls, it was the first time God actually
00:39:03.840
showed us a great horned owl on the high tree on our property. We took the opportunities to dissect
00:39:09.840
owl pellets found at the bottom of the tree, and we extended learning with many projects
00:39:16.880
and reading an old novel study called Owls in the Family by Farley Mowit. Very funny. When doing a
00:39:24.960
unit on fur, Canadian fur trading, a mom made simple outfits of fun fur for the kids to happily march around
00:39:33.440
as fur traders, to dramatize scenes, to summarize events, such events brought history to life.
00:39:43.520
While socialization is probably one of the strongest homeschool benefits, your kids will be confident
00:39:50.480
with all age groups, and they're not peer-dependent. One father said, my kids don't smoke, drink,
00:39:58.960
or take drugs, so I guess they're not socialized. You'll see young people who are actively ministering
00:40:07.840
to others, and they seek these ideas in prayer and ministry opportunities. I visited a family with three
00:40:18.080
young men through junior high and high school who decided to make sandwiches for the needy, and it became
00:40:25.520
replicated all over the city with students working together in larger organized groups, and it was
00:40:32.960
reported in the media. Each of my children had a large number of strong Christian friends, and not from
00:40:42.000
the church youth group, that they continue to have as friends today as they raise their own families.
00:40:49.120
Well, remember the important thing is not that your children will do well in school,
00:41:01.760
We have arrived at a time many graduate home educators are exploding into the marketplace in
00:41:09.760
society with notable character, joy, servant hearts, and integrity. Levels of excellence like that are sought
00:41:18.480
after and being noticed. Tackle things prayerfully and remember your children are unique in each having
00:41:26.160
a special destiny that you're part of molding and shaping, but realize you do not have full control of
00:41:33.600
how they're going to turn out. God has placed in each one natural inclinations that are part of their
00:41:40.800
defined character right from the very start. You might think you're molding your children,
00:41:46.720
and with perseverance you will have your way, but there's a design you're not going to change,
00:41:54.400
and that is in each one of your children, and it's going to express itself independently.
00:42:01.840
I have many amazing and incredible stories of homeschool families and students and what they have
00:42:07.840
accomplished, but I better summarize. We recognized that it can be very challenging, especially at this time of
00:42:16.160
year. We touched on a number of strategies to modify your programs to meet your needs and keep going.
00:42:24.720
Remember, don't worry about doing enough. Give yourself a break. Trust in God's peace and leading.
00:42:33.360
Do what you can, use what you have, and let God perfect it. It's in our homes we model by example,
00:42:41.040
more is caught than taught. Defeat the feelings of loneliness or your isolation feelings by having
00:42:50.000
regular connection with other homeschooling kids, moms and families. Remember that you are
00:43:00.400
mom learning, and remember the first time you were a first time mom, you were learning all the time about
00:43:07.280
babies, and this is kind of similar. We mentioned that your kids go through ages and stages. Be flexible,
00:43:16.080
and adapt and get husbands to help with this, especially with early adolescent boys. Finally, you know your
00:43:24.800
attitude determines the atmosphere. Your energy rubs off. At the same time, you must schedule times to step back,
00:43:34.080
take a break, and recharge with the grace that God gives. I will close off with a story. A number of years
00:43:44.480
ago, my husband and I were asked to be able to speak at the Quebec Homeschool Conference. Homeschooling is
00:43:52.480
very difficult there in that province due to government regulation and opposition. It remains so today,
00:44:00.080
today, yet parents are tenacious to choose this route. In preparation for this conference and speaking to
00:44:08.320
moms and dads, through prayer, God gave me a creative insight about the Bible story of the five loaves and
00:44:16.720
two fishes, John 6-8. And I shared this with them, and I will leave it with you. A boy brought a lunch,
00:44:25.680
lunch, something that Christ was able to use. Had he come to hear Christ teaching, or was he out walking
00:44:33.680
and stumbled upon the disciples? Either way, he had brought food that he was willing to share. Imagine
00:44:41.840
that bundle of food was a catalyst that allowed him to be used. He was prepared to be used for a miracle.
00:44:50.160
Why? Well, I would propose to you moms that his mom sent him off for the day. He was prepared. She
00:45:00.880
readied him for service. She didn't know what was ahead for that day, but she lovingly and obediently
00:45:08.480
prepared him. It was so significant it was recorded in scripture for eternity. God used what he brought that
00:45:18.240
day for a huge miracle. Moms, you are in a similar position. You are working with your children to prepare
00:45:27.360
to send them out in that world, not knowing what to expect, but eagerly setting them to task, hoping
00:45:37.680
Christ will use them in astounding, unimaginable ways. Well, believe God has a plan for you. You are
00:45:48.000
in the right place for such a time as this. I hope that was helpful and that you continue to succeed with
00:46:03.920
Thank you, Colleen Lowther. That was amazing. You've covered so many
00:46:08.320
areas of thoughts that mothers go through. Parents, the questions they go through. You've covered so
00:46:18.480
much and so encouraging and great perspective. I just have a few questions on my mind here. Some people
00:46:27.680
who homeschool sometimes say their children will develop better character and think critically. Have you
00:46:35.120
seen evidence of that? Well, I certainly have. I think I remember a student who had homeschooled and
00:46:44.320
they went to university and they noticed an immodest and offensive statue in the public cafeteria,
00:46:53.120
Mount Royal University. She wrote a letter to the dean questioning why was that there? Since a student was on
00:47:01.120
the dean's list with high marks, she had a valid entry point for communication. She asked for a written
00:47:08.560
reply of what would be done about this. The dean found out that a private business had installed that
00:47:16.160
and it was removed. The business contract was cancelled and was not allowed the following year.
00:47:22.960
This student had thought critically about why would this be and what can I do about it. Another story was
00:47:31.200
a student taking a business class was critically thinking as well and standing alone when he encountered
00:47:38.240
a professor who decided to preach his views that marriage should be extended beyond being between a man and a
00:47:47.200
woman. Following class, he and a small group of students made a plan. The next time the professor
00:47:55.520
decided to preach his personal views, the students from different faith denominations who placed
00:48:02.720
themselves strategically throughout the classroom took the initiative in class to stand up one by one to
00:48:10.320
quote the latest polls that affirmed traditional marriage and statistics that showed the opposite of
00:48:17.040
what the professor pushed. They quoted clear examples of how families provided the best strength for
00:48:24.000
children. It didn't take long for that professor to take a step back and begin his accounting lecture once
00:48:31.520
again. I don't even think this student lost any marks for being so bold. Lots of those stories happen.
00:48:40.560
Post graduates are doing things that are amazing out there in the world.
00:48:46.880
Wow, good for them. That was that's great story. What about the parents being vital in this
00:48:52.640
in the process? Do you have an example of how parental choices for a child made the difference? Well,
00:49:02.960
certainly parents are the best ones to love their own children and because of that they make the best
00:49:08.320
decisions as they go through the process of rearing them and seeing them do the best that they can
00:49:16.480
through the parents guidance. I remember a little girl with cerebral palsy and she was homeschooling
00:49:24.080
through early years and even middle school age and she was an amazing little reader and very involved in so
00:49:31.280
many areas of learning. So she even was successfully researching getting a horse of her own
00:49:39.680
and using horses that were trained for special needs kids. She needed to go through several surgeries on her
00:49:48.320
spine. And when the children's hospital following their routine assessments and medical expectations
00:49:55.600
suggested that this little girl should join the hospital school for three to four weeks during a recovery
00:50:03.040
time, her mom asked me, what did I think of such an education plan entailing this? And when I responded with
00:50:12.880
asking the mom, what did she think was right? She immediately and tearfully said she would instead desire
00:50:21.600
to homeschool her little girl after each day in the recovery program, meaning she would have to drive back and
00:50:29.440
forth. Of course, this mom had incredible plans for challenging this young woman and cheerfully
00:50:36.160
undertook it willingly with optimism and successfully met her little daughter growing into a young woman,
00:50:44.960
her individual needs with expertise, the best that any parent would do. The hospital actually learned from
00:50:52.800
all of this. And this upbringing made her an incredible young woman today. What an amazing
00:51:09.520
Really, it's really true. Homeschoolers seem to have a lot of flexibility from what you've said.
00:51:15.920
How have you seen families take advantage of the flexibility homeschooling offers? I know we used it
00:51:26.240
every year. We would go down to Palm Springs for two weeks where my parents were and we grabbed our
00:51:33.920
reading and our math. And yeah, we enjoyed a rest in the sunshine during the winter months.
00:51:39.920
And that was the flexibility we had. My husband was a shift worker. So it worked better for us to go away
00:51:47.920
in the winter. And so that was one of the ways the flexibility was great. What have you seen?
00:51:56.000
Well, you're right, Doris. There's so much flexibility offered to families because they are creative thinkers
00:52:02.880
and they want to do the best for what will work for them personally. Well, I've seen so much flexibility over
00:52:10.080
and over with homeschoolers. And just a few would be, I saw athletes that were competitive figure skaters
00:52:19.120
over in Japan for a number of long months. And they were able to continue with homeschooling programs.
00:52:26.560
And I had a knowledge of a little pianist who was truly a little virtuoso. And he traveled on tour to
00:52:35.440
many places in Europe performing. And because he homeschooled, he had no lack of academics.
00:52:44.000
I was also a facilitator with a family that was doing mission work in South America. And she was working
00:52:51.520
as a nurse and her husband was a doctor, they were working with indigenous people groups. So we were able to
00:52:59.760
complete the two family visits that were needed with one in person visit, and then a second visit that was approved
00:53:06.960
to be on a Skype call, an old version of zoom. So these parents made the decision of traveling, doing academics as
00:53:16.720
needed. And they made the decision of what was going to work for their children, and for their families. It
00:53:25.840
Yeah. And I'm just thinking to like, right now we're in spring break, or some people call it March break.
00:53:33.680
It's some some week here in Canada, somebody is having a March break. And when you homeschool,
00:53:40.800
you can take your breaks outside of those high, busy times when airfare is higher, entry tickets are
00:53:50.800
higher, you can go like end of October, you can go February, you can go mid April, anywhere you want
00:53:58.240
and avoid lineups. So, again, flexibility is really great for for lifestyle.
00:54:04.720
Yeah, we did it very often ourselves. And most homeschoolers are aware, they don't have to be
00:54:13.680
contained with that structure of dates given to them by the school system.
00:54:19.040
That's right. Yeah. You once shared a story with me.
00:54:26.480
That I was hoping you could share again with the audience, you mentioned that families have done some
00:54:31.200
amazing things that you've seen. Can you share an example?
00:54:35.520
Well, again, creativity is at the high for homeschoolers, new moms need to realize that
00:54:42.240
it's what they think can be done, and what will work for their situation. And then the learning comes
00:54:48.560
after that. Because it's so incredible, what can be accomplished just for their own families. And they're
00:54:55.840
really a good model for others to say, Oh, I didn't know you could do that kind of thing. But I had the
00:55:03.280
privilege of visiting many creative families working to integrate their learning with what worked best.
00:55:09.440
And life service to others is usually deliberate. And so it's quite amazing. I visited a missionary
00:55:15.760
family building a light two person plane with the expert expertise of their grandfather,
00:55:22.800
their uncles and their dad and their goal was to build the first plane that could carry enough fuel
00:55:29.680
to cross the Amazon River and enable missionaries to reach unknown tribes there. They worked on the
00:55:37.040
project on their large hangar that they had constructed on their acreage with a runway and all. It was quite
00:55:44.480
incredible. They actually did it with the boys helping to drill in bolts and screws. They talked about
00:55:52.000
getting the official flight hours completed that were necessary. And it was actually given to the
00:55:58.080
missionaries there in the Amazon. You can imagine how they poured their own knowledge of flight
00:56:05.840
fuselage for it, how things worked to get it to at the Amazon, and what life experiences those kids
00:56:15.120
had that captivated their hearts for more opportunities in their future. It's just amazing ideas. But most
00:56:23.840
people can't build a plane. But I'm just saying that as a real example of being true to yourself and and
00:56:31.040
letting your kids experience things that they need to see for their futures.
00:56:35.440
Absolutely. Yeah, the creativity is beautiful. And I remember as a mother, how fulfilling and exciting
00:56:43.440
it was for me to create ideas with each child because they all had separate interests.
00:56:52.320
And then just create some sort of a plan that got them excited about
00:56:56.800
doing something. And yet it was it was school. And, you know, we always think school is sit down at the
00:57:04.240
table and fill out the blanks and check the boxes. And then it makes mom feel good because we've
00:57:11.760
checked all the boxes. But did they actually retain? Did they actually remember what they just did?
00:57:18.880
And so there's so many other creative ways to instill and teach and implant knowledge.
00:57:28.240
And like with this plane, you know, there's math, there's science, there's history or geography.
00:57:35.840
And and then, of course, the life experiences. And so that fills the soul as well and brings joy and
00:57:43.360
satisfaction and purpose. And this is what our kids need. If they don't have purpose.
00:57:51.600
And if they don't feel good about what they're doing, we need to add to that. And it's those
00:57:58.480
kind of projects. And then a family, the family working together. That's another key component,
00:58:03.920
is families doing things together. And how many parents, especially moms long for that relationship to
00:58:09.680
be a to have a relationship with their child. And they, you know, they're not really sure how to
00:58:16.400
get that back. And so homeschooling also really develops that. And yeah, that's a really great story.
00:58:27.120
It's really a learning to learn experience for families to just choose these kinds of things that
00:58:34.720
are, you know, individual to their families. And they're doing amazing things around the world.
00:58:40.880
They really are, even with their post-secondary learning. I have many stories about those options
00:58:46.400
for homeschoolers that really are very well recommended. And they're very excited about what
00:58:55.600
they can stand alone for and have good character training to show to others. So it's just a real
00:59:03.280
incredible journey. Yeah, that's fantastic. You in one of the attachments that will be on our website
00:59:13.520
is a list of verses from the Bible that have been an encouragement to you. Do you have one or two you
00:59:18.800
want to share with us and why? Oh, there's just so many in there for homeschooling different days,
00:59:24.480
I would rest on different verses, and I would get alone on my knees in prayer many times. And sometimes
00:59:31.840
my kids would join me just because of the situational things. I used to say a lot of
00:59:41.120
what was the verse I gave earlier, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I
00:59:48.960
really would advise say these out loud and put the scripture at the back of what you're saying, because
00:59:54.640
you'll end up memorizing those. And you'll use them many, many times through your day or different
01:00:02.640
It's funny, you mentioned that verse, because I actually have a printed your list here. And that
01:00:09.040
one I checked off for me. And then and another one you have on the list is surely God is my help.
01:00:14.800
The Lord is the one who sustains me from Psalm 54 verse four. And another one, the Lord is the strength of
01:00:24.080
my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27 one. And yeah, when you print this, folks, when you get this
01:00:33.120
list on our website, it's three pages, and you can even cut them out if you want, or you can create your
01:00:40.080
own. You also have another attachment that we'll have available for people to print its practical
01:00:47.120
ideas for younger children. Tell us about the Ziploc activity bags that you store in a box.
01:00:54.160
Well, those activities on the list that you can put into those bags. And then when you need one,
01:01:02.160
on the last minute, you can just pull one out. Or you can simply just say, okay, this is the activity
01:01:07.680
I'm going to do today. And you may not have it in a Ziploc bag, but organize it so that you have it
01:01:13.360
ready to pull out and use with your little ones. So there's many easy activities there to use with
01:01:19.840
blocks with play with library books that you can listen to audibly, and have little microphones for
01:01:27.680
them to hear the story and know when to turn the page. There's and but they're meant for little guys,
01:01:33.280
so that you can continue some of your paperwork at tables, or some of your discussions with the older
01:01:39.840
children. Yeah, no, that's fantastic. I will definitely be giving this to my kids, because they're
01:01:45.760
starting their homeschooling journey in the fall. And they've got little ones, that's for sure.
01:01:53.040
Thank you. I appreciate you, Colleen Lowther from Alberta. And I know you've got a lot of experience.
01:02:00.480
You've really brought it all together. It's one of these sessions that I think, and I'm glad it's
01:02:09.520
recorded, because I think it'll be useful for moms to come back to again, and listen again, to be
01:02:16.160
re encouraged again. Because, you know, there was so much there. And, you know, we focus on two or three
01:02:24.880
things. And then, you know, you kind of maybe you master it. And you're going, oh, there's more. And
01:02:29.920
I'm sure Colleen knows the answer. So I really appreciate that. I also just wanted to go back
01:02:38.480
and mention on our screen share, my screen share here, I'm just going to go back to the list of
01:02:44.880
conventions. You did talk about it. And I think it's important for people to go. Here we go.
01:02:56.800
And if any of these places are close to you, I do encourage our audience to head out there this
01:03:07.200
spring. Alberta has two of them. Ontario has to invest in taking care of yourself, like Colleen
01:03:16.800
mentioned, and get connected, and be encouraged and inspired by the speakers and by the
01:03:32.640
vending hall where all the curriculum is. It's really a powerful time. Yeah. Yeah. I just also
01:03:41.440
wanted to mention, if anybody wanted to reach me, my name is Doris Livingstone. I'm at homeschooling
01:03:49.280
at actionforcanada.ca. And I redo reply within two days, usually two to three days, I do reply
01:03:59.360
with any concerns or questions. Colleen, did you have any last closing words? I'm going to
01:04:06.800
add one more thing here. But I just want to give you a chance to wrap it up here before I
01:04:11.440
add one more thing. No, it's an amazing journey for you to try out. I do believe it's the one of the
01:04:21.440
best that you can encounter. You can teach your children well, don't have limitations because of
01:04:29.920
who you think you are, you're not a teacher, or etc, etc. Don't look at high school when you've got grade
01:04:36.560
twos. But look at what you're doing now. And then just rest that God is working with you day to day.
01:04:46.960
That's right. And you know, earlier, you mentioned different types of moms, single moms, widowed moms,
01:04:54.240
moms of special needs kids. And I know some people know my story. But after 13 years of homeschooling,
01:05:00.560
my husband was killed in an accident. So then I was a single mom of teenagers. And I wanted to finish
01:05:09.200
and I did the last five years alone, I had my network of support people around me, and my community and my
01:05:17.440
church and my homeschool community. And so there are ways to do this if you are on your own, and you feel
01:05:26.000
this need to homeschool your child. So if it's pressing on you, and you need a little direction,
01:05:33.600
please reach out to me at homeschooling at actionforcanada.ca. I'm happy to get you started
01:05:40.960
and point you to the right people. And I also love calling what you mentioned, our attitude as moms
01:05:48.720
determines the atmosphere. And I think we know that also that's with our husbands. And it's definitely in
01:05:55.600
the home, the kids know. And yeah, every day, we bring it before the Lord, I guess, right, start the day
01:06:05.040
there. And we do have hard days. But overall, those were the best years of my life, ever. I loved,
01:06:13.520
I loved the whole family homeschooling thing. It was amazing.
01:06:17.360
Mm hmm. And it does go to second and third generation, my 11 grandchildren are all homeschooling.
01:06:24.640
So they encourage each other, and they encourage other people looking at starting.
01:06:31.280
Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah, that's our hope, isn't it for all of our children take it on.
01:06:37.360
I just wanted to put out there to our audience, our next webinar will be Tuesday, April 23.
01:06:45.280
We're gonna have Dorenda Wilson back. And she has a website. And she's an author and has daily
01:06:54.400
podcasts. And we're excited to bring her back. She just released her first book, Raising Boys to Men.
01:07:00.960
And Colleen, as you were talking about boys, and when they need their dads, more so even when they're
01:07:08.640
teenagers. And Dorenda also brings all that up and starts right in the earliest days. And what a great
01:07:18.320
person to have talking about that, because in this age where boys and men are being challenged not to be
01:07:26.800
men and not to live to their God created design, and they're wired to be masculine and men and leaders.
01:07:34.880
And so she's going to talk with us about that. And that, again, is Tuesday, April 23,
01:07:43.600
at 10am Pacific Standard Time, and it'll be a live webinar. So if you want to attend and you've got
01:07:52.400
questions, that would be a great time to sign in as well. And again, all our webinars are will be on
01:07:58.560
our website. And you can always go back and watch something over again, so they won't disappear on
01:08:04.800
you guys. All right. Thank you again, Colleen, Lowther, appreciate you having you on today.
01:08:13.120
And I wish you all of God's blessings and favor on you and your children and your grandchildren.
01:08:20.240
As they, it sounds like the whole families, including you, you're still involved in homeschooling. So
01:08:28.720
part of it as a grandma. Grandmas, any grandmas listening, we have big jobs out there to take care
01:08:35.120
and be part of it. It doesn't stop. It doesn't. But it's with, and it's with joy. That's, you know,
01:08:42.720
that's, that's what I love about it. I love being part of it. All right. Well,
01:08:47.200
we're going to say goodbye. And we'll see you again in two weeks. Bye bye, folks.