Worldschooling

Until last week, I had never heard the word 'worldschooling' until I came across this ironically entitled blog post: '10 ways worldschooling has ruined my childhood'.It was an enjoyable and challenging read, written by a sixteen year old girl whose childhood has been on the road with her three brothers and parents who make a living by freelance IT-based work. Her mother actually develops curricula and resources for like-minded families and has a parallel blog here. And you know how it is with blog perusing, one click leads to another and quickly it is possible to amass much information (and for me, often much inspiration).

Our family has a similar philosophy in many respects, although we do not live simply to travel. Through our work, we often move around for courses, conferences and periods of time (weeks through to years) in different countries. Wherever possible we travel as a family, and embrace the educational opportunities that the different countries and cultures present. The boys seem to thrive on this, and do have a very global perspective - it is not unusual for them to have friends who do not speak much English, or to be part of a group of children from many different countries.

One of the blog posts I read was on just how it is possible for a family to be able to live in a way which allows 'worldschooling' - many of these are principles I share:

1) Live simply. A lot of what is seen as essential in our (when I say 'our' I am referring to our life in urban Britain) culture is actually not necessary at all. Never before has society been so materialistic. There are constant messages that life would be better or easier with some product or other. If you are frequently on the move, you cannot become too attached to things. When we travel in the UK, if not using public transport, we drive a small Renault (not a 'people carrier'). People sometimes ask how we manage this, but actually it is a blessing - we are forced to consider what we really need, and to travel without clutter.

2) Eat simply and seasonally. We cook everything from scratch and one of our first tasks in a new place is to find the market and find any local seasonal produce to sample. I say it often, but I believe through cooking and experimenting with ingredients and flavours, the children learn many useful skills - from literacy and numeracy, through to science, art, technology and hospitality. It is also a lot cheaper this way! Sometimes other families comment to us that their children would refuse to eat this kind of food. For us, it has never been an option - from infancy if they do not finish something on their plate, we don't give them an alternative.

3) Recognise that education is a life. Things are learnt so much better through practical experience and engagement of all the senses than through being 'taught' about them. Often it doesn't feel like 'school' or feel like learning, but that is one of the great beauties of all home education, but perhaps worldschooling in particular.

4) Having a close family unit - when you live and travel in close proximity to one another, any disagreements need to be dealt with quickly. I would be lying if I said my boys always got along in perfect harmony; they do not! But we deal with things quickly. At home, they share a bedroom. There are occasions when I see a short term benefit in separating them, but the longer term benefit of being able to share a room, share a bed if need be, being able to sleep just about anywhere is huge.

These are just a few thoughts. This month we have been on the move again, and as well as on the move, have experienced weather from snow two weeks ago through to glorious summer sunshine today. We've learnt a lot of geology - from the incredible limestone formations in the Yorkshire Dales, through to the incredible rock formations and fossils of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. We've been to the largest iron age hill fort in the country, to a Norman castle on the coast, and to two well-preserved castles which have taught us much about how people used to live in different ages. As we have moved from place to place, there has been a continual stream of questions and much soaking up of information. I increasingly appreciate that our choices regarding education are simply a logical step from the worldview and priorities that we share. It has been interesting to read how others have taken home education on the move to a much more extreme level - I don't think our family would do this (although perhaps a road trip from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa is a possibility) but it's been fun to read!

Global Mission - A Task for the Whole Family

On Friday night, we were asked to lead a seminar of about 30 people on global mission - we were asked in particular to talk about how some of this is possible (and not only possible, but a great opportunity) with young children. 

When considering what to cover, we decided to let the people attending set the agenda. Sitting around four tables, they created a list of what they might consider 'barriers' to overseas mission - the things that would make them reluctant to go. The list they produced as almost exactly as we anticipated, and we then went through each point in turn, looking both at the Bible, and also our own experiences of serving God overseas. Much of it may have relevance to the readers of this blog, so I will summarise the discussion here.

1) Health. 

This is often top of the list. What would you do if you became seriously unwell overseas? Are there not loads of incurable tropical illnesses? How do you manage without good access to healthcare? Of course the precise answers will depend on exactly where you are and what you are doing, and also might vary depending on whether you have any pre-existing health problems to consider. But we need to remember that God is sovereign - Psalm 139 states 'All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be'; in fact, these words are engraved on my daughter's grave. God already knows what illnesses will occur. When considering risk, there tends to be an assumption that there is no risk involved in staying at home; this is a very simplistic and naive view, because illness or accident could occur at any point. This piece written by a doctor regarding response to the Ebola epidemic makes this point well. Furthermore, I believe health is one of the greatest idols of our current generation. Let me ask you, what proportion of prayer requests at your church are relating to health issues as compared to spiritual issues? Who is to say that God cannot use illness, even death, for His glory. I do not make this point lightly. When our daughter was born, we prayed that God would use her life greatly. We had many ideas and dreams about what that might look like, but we certainly did not expect that it would be through a cardiac arrest at nine weeks of age, evacuation to a South African city where we had never been and knew nobody, and death from brain injury six weeks later. However, through that time I do not think I have known greater spiritual blessing despite the human anguish. Nearby Christians heard of our situation and rallied around - we were welcomed to live with a family with five children. We were lent a car. When we could not change money, gifts were given at just the right time. But more than that amazing physical and practical provision, the gospel was clearly preached. We knew 'the peace of God that surpasses understanding' (Philippians 4:6-7). We knew a 'hope that does not disappoint us' (Romans 5:5). We knew the absolute certain reality of heaven, and that 'our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.' and that 'what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). Through conversation and many emails, we were able to clearly describe this hope and confidence to others, many of who did not know God. And at both her funeral and her memorial service, the churches were packed with people we had been praying for for many years. Even now, seven years later, people tell me of how her life impacted on their faith. Yes I look back with sadness, but without questioning that God's plan here was bigger than I had imagined. 

For us, having walked through this, we know that whatever happens, God does not change. Our next child had malaria aged seven months, but recovered quickly. Our next son had some life-threatening infections and at one point was close to death - but went on to make a full recovery. In each of these situations, we have known God's comfort and strength.

2) Children

Often children and health go together - and I can only advise people to be prayerful and seek wisdom here. For example, it may well be better (if resources make it possible) to give birth in a country which has reasonable medical services. In my last pregnancy, I was admitted to hospital eight times and had I been overseas, I would have needed to return home. But many of my other thoughts regarding health are discussed above.

The second major issue with children is education. And along with education, socialisation. I believe this too to be an idol of our current generation, and I think there is a lot of misunderstanding as to what constitutes a 'good' education and what real-life 'socialisation' might actually look like. Again, I never want to be dogmatic and suggest there is a 'one size fits all' solution; that would be naive, and it is worth noting that the Bible does not speak specifically on this area. Rather we are giving guiding principles. I would encourage parents to consider what the most important thing is for their children. What are the most important lessons? I would encourage them to be creative in embracing the opportunities which present themselves in daily life - these are different, but often extremely rich in cross-cultural settings. There are many different options - for us, home education currently fulfils our goals for our children, but one could also consider local pre-schools  and schools (with the advantages of learning local language and culture) - perhaps with top-up lessons at home. Or for those who are uneasy, it might be helpful to consider a very structured home education curriculum that closely follows the national curriculum of ones home country. I would challenge parents to think outside the box, to talk to several other families who had travelled with young children and to spend time considering resources and materials. Some (ie Sonlight) have been specifically developed with the missionary family in mind.

3) Finances

A huge challenge can be the need to raise appropriate financial support - and the amount required does tend to increase as the family grows. Taking the lead from pioneer missionary Hudson Taylor, many mission organisations have a 'by faith' policy, whereby missionaries must never ask specifically for finances (unless direct questions are asked of them). This has a clear Biblical precedent, but can seem intimidating to many. Again, this comes down to trust in God. I know many testimonies of those who have been down to their last penny when a donation has arrived (the story of George Mueller is particularly inspiring in this respect). Or of clinics which have run low on essential materials, only to receive an anonymous package, just in time. You might say that God has never provided for you in that way. But have you ever been in that position of need? With finance (and indeed many other resources, such as stamina, strength, faith, wisdom) God does not often give you a 'bank account' full, so that you can look to the future and see that you have accumulated enough for your hour of need! However, He does know all that is needed. Consider the model prayer of Christ: 'Give us today our daily bread' - He knows what we need, although it is important to comment that this may differ from all that we want! Read the beautiful words in Matthew 6: 25-33: '“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.'

4) Language, culture, loneliness, isolation

(And specific things, like 'lack of clean toilets' and 'lack of privacy')

These are real issues, and again, I think it would be naive to say that they are not. I do not know any overseas mission workers who have not struggled with these things at some time or other. Psalm 37 says 'Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart'. Sometimes we think that if we have a strong desire to work in a particular area, then that must be a selfish rather than God-given desire. But that is not how God works! Often He gives a specific skill or vocation to be used for His glory - that is our story, and although we have worked in Africa with a mission organisation, a lot of our work has been in secular institutes, using our clinical, research and teaching skills. God is a loving Father, not an authoritarian taskmaster. Rather,“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!' (Matthew 7:9-11) . God knows that work will be tough at times, and gives us the resources to cope in such situations. I have heard many examples of people who have been poor at languages being able to learn quickly when there was a need; this is not invariable - there are times when it proves too difficult. Advice can be taken on this - there do exist language aptitude tests which mission organisations can use to help place candidates in appropriate countries. Regarding culture-shock, this is an almost universal process of adapting to change. The stages are well described, from the initial 'honeymoon period' where everything seems exotic and fascinating, through to the disillusionment and frustration that comes after several months before (hopefully) reaching a new state of equilibrium. There are also then problems of 'reverse culture shock' on return home, and for some (I'd put ourselves into this category) we never really feel 'at home' on this earth again. This can be both good and bad, depending on how you view it!

5) Lack of a Specific 'Calling'

I think great confusion can arise at this point. What does one require as a 'calling'? It may be that you know somebody who has always clearly felt directed to serve God in a specific way in a specific place. You may know another person who clearly felt 'called' to quit their job, and do something radically different in a far corner of the earth. But I believe that both of these are less common. How does God speak? How does God guide? There are many books, sermons and other resources on this topic! (Briefly - through the Bible, prayer, Christian friendships and counsel, circumstances, desires, dreams - and yes, also at times through the supernatural). But I would say that the Bible is clear on a couple of principles: Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). And in the words of the Apostle Paul, ' for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15). Many other passages speak of stewardship of our resources, and serving God with our heart, soul, mind and strength. This means using all that we have to reach out to others with the good news of salvation. The prophet Micah said, 'He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). Often, putting all of this into practice will involve using our God-given skills in the hardest, neediest, most spiritually dark places on earth. And that is global mission.

6) More specific questions on training - Bible training, skills needed, courses required

These sometimes come up among the first questions asked, but I have put these towards the end for a reason. I believe that if you are being obedient to God, then He will guide you and direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). By the time you are seriously considering going, the specific place and task may have become clear - and if so, then the specific requirements may well be more apparent now than at the start. As mentioned above, it is highly possible that God has given you a skill or vocation already - medicine (and related fields), teaching, IT, building, project management, accountancy, art, music and many others - that God can use. Or it may be that your role is in church planting ministry - but even here, no skill you have will go to waste!

And if it really is not the right time......

God is sovereign and He guides through our circumstances too. It might be that illness, caring responsibilities, other pressures and challenges mean it is not possible for you to seriously consider going overseas to serve God at this point in your life. But you can certainly be involved in Global Mission - and if (as many readers of this blog are) you are educating your children, this is an ideal time for them also to learn. Get old of Operation World (or the children's version). Read stories of missionaries. Watch video clips teaching on global missions. Pray together. Write to missionaries that you support (and if your church does not support missionaries, ask why not!). Get a map of the world and put it on the wall where the children can reach it - show them the journeys which were made by early missionaries. Mark where 'your' missionaries are. Read the Acts of the Apostles. And you will be encouraged by the childlike passion with which these concepts are embraced.

Diaries, Boys' Writing and Antarctic Adventures

It seems quite common for boys to be slower to write than girls, and when I read education blogs and research articles, there are clear differences in the methods that are best for the different sexes. Our boys are keen to write when there is a clear purpose in it, but seem a little turned off by worksheets or repetitive 'for the sake of it' type work (whereas I remember as a child that I loved to make rows and rows of 'perfect' letters). For example, writing thank-you letters after birthdays and Christmas, or sending postcards from trips. During our last trip to Africa, we started getting them to write a diary (more reflections on the educational opportunities here). This is a very simple thing - we ask them to describe something they have done over the past day - this might be a place they have visited, a game they have played, something they have eaten, something they have read. Then we ask them to describe it in a bit more detail, and say what it was about that thing that interested them most - we seek to encourage correct and colourful use of language, and it also helps us guage what they have gleaned from a situation (a bit like narration). We help them write a sentence, they then copy it into their notepads, and to finish, they draw a picture which goes with what they have written. It has been really interesting to see not only their handwriting, but their use of descriptive language developing. They have particularly enjoyed looking at their last diaries and remembering events, and it is a habit we have continued (in fact that is the main 'language arts' activity we do on a daily basis).

This past week, my husband was working in Scotland, so rented a cottage on a farm near Dundee. Nearby was the RRS Discovery, the ship on which Captain Robert Falcon Scott (and 48 other men) sailed to the Antarctic in 1901. The boys were fascinated - the ship was laden with enough food to last 49 men 3 years, but was not actually that large. The conditions faced were hard to imagine. But one of the main ways in which we are able to know these things was through the meticulous diaries, particularly that of Captain Scott. You may well know that after reaching the South Pole (narrowly defeated in the race by the Norwegian Amundsen), all five explorers died on the journey home. We only know the details of what happened, and how they approached the final demise through these diaries. The final entries are particularly poignant. This experience has consolidated the concept of writing and detailed description as a valuable tool, and whilst we were away they were asking to draw and write of their experiences.

We were then blessed with some uncharacteristically 'Antarctic' weather - about 10cm of snow and temperatures of -7. We made snowmen and an igloo. They also discovered that it was difficult to play out for much more than an hour at a time because fingers and toes got painful - this helped them understand a bit about how frostbite happens. We were able to discuss how privileged we were to have a warm home, plenty of warm nutritious food, and how we could only imagine what it must be like to face a journey of 800 miles, on foot pulling sledges in temperatures of -40 and blizzard conditions. During a heavy snowfall it was difficult to see, and the sky and ground seemed similar; this also helped them understand why Scott and his companions eventually could simply not leave their tent.

A couple of days later, in a different part of the country, we were able to go sledging for the first time. As well as being tremendously good fun, it was also a valuable lesson in how physically hard it is to pull a laden sledge up a hill. When we went inside to drink hot chocolate, we wondered what it must have been like to have very limited rations and no opportunity to get fully warm and dry.

My reflection from this week has been:

1) How satisfying it is to be able to embrace the unique opportunities that arise (here through travel and unusual weather) rather than being constrained to stick to a particular 'schedule'

2) How a hunger to learn skills flows from the appreciation of how those skills are useful - the example here being the ability to record one's own experiences

3) That tactile, active learning suits our boys far more than simply reading and talking about things (although these are useful things for consolidating)

4) That children learn things when they are ready (point 5 in this reflection) - we've been working on writing for a while, but often there is a point at which a key concept is grasped, or a there is a change in attitude and motivation - seeing this happen at different times and different rates in each of our children serves as a valuable reminder not to push too hard, not to compare against a certain 'standard' but rather to provide the resources and opportunity, and let the boys develop at their own rate.

5 More Advent Encouragements

As with last week, we have been busy enjoying Advent and preparing for Christmas. I have not had much time for reading, but as I stop and reflect (sitting by an open fire and listening to beautiful choral music), I am thankful for many things. Some specific encouragement this week have been:

1) Last night we had two other families round to sing Christmas carols. This was quite a new experience for one of the families. Nine children aged five and under played various kinds of percussion instruments, and it probably sounded quite unusual to anybody who heard. But we did not care, but rather enjoyed rejoicing together as we celebrate the greatest event in history.

2) Our local Christian home educators' group had a Christmas party. I have greatly enjoyed the fellowship that this group provides. We come from a fairly wide geographical area, but try to arrange something every fortnight. Between us, we have a range of ages of children (probably more younger than teenagers) and use a variety of curricula and teaching methods. Our lives are often quite different, but we share the desire to raise our children to know the Lord and to have a biblical worldview, and it is sometimes encouraging simply to know there are others who choose to live this way in our godless society.

3) Our boys' first Nativity play. A nearby church attended by many of our friends held a 'Nativity from Scratch' today. We dropped the five year olds at 10am with a packed lunch and returned to watch the play at 3pm. This was great for several reasons. Firstly, it was very relaxing for my husband and I to have a day with just our two year old. We were able to talk! Secondly, it was the longest time our boys have ever been without us, and they managed well - this is good for their confidence. Thirdly, it was a lovely, simple, Christ-focussed Nativity play, and the boys really enjoyed being part of it (they were angels)

4) Peace and security. Listening to the news has been horrible for the past few months - it seems there are so many awful things happening in many parts of the world. Ebola. Terrorism. Ruthless murder of children. Fear. Racial and religious hatred. I am thankful that I can enjoy comfort, warmth, peace, choice, freedom and relationships. It is easy to feel guilty, but I think a better approach is to simply live one day at a time. I know so many families where life has changed overnight. It has happened to us, and could do again. But for now, I can rest and be thankful. And we can pray that as we approach Christmas that the message of peace and hope would not be empty, but that it will be heard as a powerful and life-transforming truth to those who are lost.

5) That my boys do seem to be developing a Biblical worldview that often surprises me. I've mentioned the Jesse tree project in several places, but this has been one of the most worthwhile things we have done, and has taken on a bit of a life of its own. It will certainly become a family tradition. My five year old was asking about the exile to Babylon earlier, and is starting to understand that through history, God had a plan to preserve His remnant, and that even now, in days which can seem dark and godless, His perfect plans have not changes. Jesus would often speak about 'little children' and how we can learn a lot from their innocent trust. I am learning from my boys as they grasp concepts which many older people struggle more with. There have been days when home educating is tiring, and even times when one might be tempted to question whether it really is worth the investment and whether it really is the best thing for the children. Some of the conversations, comments and insights over the past few weeks have encouraged me greatly that there is fruit developing in their young lives.

Practicalities of Home Education on the move

As you may know, I try to blog at least once a week, and Sunday evening is often my time to stop and reflect. I find it helpful for a number of reasons:

1) Sometimes there are specific issues or challenges that need contemplation
2) Sometimes there are milestones to celebrate or record
3) Sometimes the week has simply seemed so hectic that there has not been much 'down time', and reflection is a helpful discipline.

When I blog, I try to consider:

1) Is there anything remarkable about the week (either good or bad)?
2) Is there anything that might be helpful for others to read about (or links to share)?
3) Has anything education-related occurred locally or nationally that deserves comment?
4) Have I had any significant conversations or encouragements?
5) Have I remained focussed on God through the week?
6) Have we kept to our main aims for our family?
7) Is there anything I need to be held accountable for? (I know you don't know me, but somehow by blogging it helps in this way, because the same issues tend to recur)
8) Is there anything I need to do differently in the week ahead?

These last few weeks have been busy with work-related trips up and down the country - and this is going to continue for about another month. We try hard to focus on the positive, but there has also been quite a lot of tiredness, and I can see the boys really need a few good nights of sleep in their own beds. On the one hand, they are accustomed to moving around a lot, to sleeping in cots/ beds/ floors/ sharing beds etc - and we hope they keep this up as a useful skill, but on the other hand, there is something about the ease and routine of being in one's own home, having the space to choose what to do and to take time over things.

Today I'm going to write about how we structure home education whilst on the move:

1) Firstly, it is a great advantage to be home educating, because our current lifestyle would simply not be possible if we were tied to being in a particular place at particular times. It is important to emphasise that we had chosen to home educate regardless - and probably in consequence we respond to different opportunities because of this choice (rather than it being the other way round, home education as a convenience to fit our lifestyles).

2) We have the same basic daily routine wherever we are. Breakfast, Bible, reading, writing/drawing/colouring and then out and about. Home for lunch/nap, and then more creative activities or field trips in the afternoon. Home for dinner, Bible, singing, prayers and bed. (Sometimes we make a full day outing, and the youngest nap in the car, but we try to break the day into two whenever possible). We take our basic materials (notepads, coloured pencils, some favourite books) with us when we travel. Currently we get the older boys (5 and 4) to write a sentence about something they have done or enjoyed in the past few days, and then to draw a picture of it. Sometimes we get them to write letters or postcards home. That way the writing and drawing has a real purpose, and we encourage them to start reflecting on what they have learnt, enjoyed and the reasons for that. It is interesting to see the differences in what they choose to focus on. Without discussing the educational methods in detail, it is important to note that the Bible is central to most of what we do, and in addition to Bible reading and prayers morning and evening, we often reflect on and discuss matters arising during the day in the light of Scripture; indeed in some environments the stories of the Bible acquire a new clarity (such as the woman at the well in the middle of the day, when we were living in a very hot, dusty land where women drew water from the wells in the cool of the morning or evening, but NEVER at midday!).

3) We even keep breakfast the same. We go through 1Kg of porridge every week. So, the day before a 5 week trip to Africa, we might buy 6 Kg of porridge to take with us. It sounds a little mad perhaps, but we have found at least having one meal of the day utterly familiar, at least at first, really helps.

4) Creative play using everyday objects. We've always encouraged them to be resourceful in their play. So often they make complicated games using sticks and stones and leaves. At the moment, a major theme is camping, hunting and exploring, so often there are imaginary fish being cooked on imaginary bonfires. To me this is beautiful for several reasons. Firstly it encourages resourcefulness, but it also allows their imaginations to really flourish. I find that these days children don't have much free time, and also that the entertainment to which they are exposed tends to crush imagination.

5) Plenty of physical activity, usually in the form of long walks. I often reflect on Deuteronomy 6 where we are instructed to teach our children as we walk along the road, and as we sit at home, and generally as we go about our daily lives. Often the richest spiritual and educational opportunities occur at random moments, flowing out of questions that the boys have raised as we walk along the road. The physical activity also helps them focus their energy and to eat better and sleep better.

6) Another huge advantage of regular walks around your district is that you get to know others in your community and to become known. This both helps you to settle and feel 'at home' more quickly, but also allows relationships to build whereby we can share our lives and our faith. And the children are very much a part of that. So whenever we land somewhere new, particularly if we are going to be there for more than a few days, we spend a lot of time exploring the neighbourhood.

7) Not trying to do too much. As you will know if you are a parent with young children, there are some environments where they do not thrive. We find going to peoples houses, or spending too much time indoors can be challenging. As Christians, there are often evening meetings and Bible studies and other activities to get involved in, and it would be easy to take on too much. Sometimes we need to say no, and to prioritise settling our family. I used to feel more guilty for that, but it is our primary responsibility (see reflections on Third Culture Kids), and other areas of service and ministry are so much more effective if the family are well settled.

8) Finding the local markets, buying local food, trying new dishes and delicacies. I've reflected before on the vast curriculum that is involved in cooking - and this continues to be one of our main activities. One of my sons particularly comes alive in the kitchen, and when he is unsettled and not behaving well, sometimes the challenge of cooking or baking really helps him focus.

9) Embracing the unique opportunities of that environment - whilst keeping the general structure and routine of the day very stable, we usually have a short walk in the morning and then an afternoon activity out and about - so that can involve whatever is unique about where we are currently. And by having the other things stable, I feel the boys can really appreciate these things without being overwhelmed.

10) Sleep. Sensible bedtime routine (of course the children go through tricky periods like any others). And sometimes as parents, we need to accept that the most useful thing we can do with some evenings is get to bed early too.

For those of you who move around, or who are considering it, I hope some of this is helpful!

Scottish History 'Field Trip'

We are enjoying an impromptu 'module' on Scottish history! I recently described the opportunities that come form having a slightly hectic and itinerant schedule. So I currently find myself in a farm cottage in central Scotland, and the boys and I are making day-trips whilst my husband stays home and works on various distance-learning tasks. It's been great!

Highlights so far:

1) Walking up a steep hill to discover two cannons and the 'beheading stone'. The boys of course wanted to know who was beheaded there, and I had no idea....

2) As well as checking on the internet for information (they boys still haven't realised we look up their tricky questions overnight to supply answers in the morning!) the following day we went to Doune Castle. If you had opportunity, it is a gem! Unique in that it represents a single period in history rather than having been refashioned through the ages, it was the hunting lodge of Kings James I-III. And whilst we were there, we found that it was Murdoch, earl of Lennox, his sons and father in law who were beheaded by their cousin King James I.

3) Stirling Castle itself is well worth a visit. High on a hill, overlooking much of central Scotland, you can really understand the strategic importance of the city as the ancient capital. It is one thing to explain military strategy in words, but so much easier and more captivating to stand on the battlements and be able to see for many miles and understand how one could see enemy invaders for miles around. (And I got to take an international teleconference about one of my studies at the castle, whilst my husband took a break from his work!)

4) Climbing Dollar Gorge to Castle Campbell. This was interesting, because it was very hard, steep walking for boys aged 5, 4 and 2, even though they are accustomed to much physical activity. It made us question why on earth there was a castle in such a remote, difficult terrain. But hiking up to it really made the boys appreciate its situation (and it was breathtakingly beautiful; we are in the midst of a crisp, cold, colourful autumn.

5) That the boys are keen to record, in writing and drawing, their experiences and impressions of what they have seen and done. People sometimes think us harsh because 'school' never really stops, but my understanding is that this is in keeping with Charlotte Mason (and many other educationalists') philosophy that 'education is a life'. It doesn't start and stop. Technically we are 'on holiday' and yet this week has been more richly educational than many others.

6) Later in the week - plan to visit Bannockburn - apparently the new visitor centre has some great interactive activities that will be good for the children. (I'll report back - often I find that things that are described as 'good for children' are dumbed down and involve lots of media and flashing lights and displays which we find a little unnecessary and unhelpful!)

7) Living on a farm - I've written about this before, but we see many things which remind us of where our food comes from, the cycles of life (including animal slaughter), the seasons and help us understand some of the biblical parables about sowers and farming.

This post is mainly to encourage you - everything is an opportunity. We have not spent much time at the table (probably 20 minutes per day) but we've embraced many educational opportunities which I am sure will be more lasting than my attempts to explain concepts verbally would have been. Visiting the castles and talking long, challenging walks up to them has really brought a lot of Scottish history to light (and I must confess, I am learning more than I ever knew, even though I spent my childhood not too far from here!)

Travel and opportunity

These past few weeks have involved quite a lot of travelling around. Interestingly, I found a Facebook page called Home Education Travels, and it is a forum for people who move around a lot whilst home educating their children. Sometimes people ask us how we manage to juggle two part-time (but often ~30-40 hours/week) clinical and academic careers whilst homeschooling, but in fact I think it would be a lot harder to juggle if we were constrained by typical length school days and the academic calendar.

Recent opportunities have included:

1) A conference in Chester, which is a city in the north of England full of Roman remains, old city walls and beautiful architecture. Our hotel was directly opposite the Roman amphitheatre and on several occasions 'Roman soldiers' would pass through. My eldest in particular is fascinated by ancient Rome and so we packed some relevant books and his notepad and magnifying glass.

2) Medical education in Fife. For me the highlight was St Andrews - the ancient cathedral was quite incredible to behold; apparently it was once the biggest building in the country. I was encouraged when the boys wanted to go back to see it the following day, but in fact this was because they had found a dead pigeon, not to do with the magnificent architecture or inspiring history. Ach well... I loved walking along the beach at sunset - so peaceful, so beautiful. It was where they filmed Chariots of Fire, the dramatisation of the story of Eric Liddell who refused to run competitively on a Sunday. The boys know this story, and it brought it to life a little bit.

3) Wild camping in the English lake district. Due to some swaps in our shifts, the boys were able to travel up and pitch camp during the day, and I arrived after dark. We then climbed together with head torches, pitched a second tent in the dark and spent the night on a mountain. The boys have loved reading the Swallows and Amazons series of novels which tell of children who spent their holidays in the Lake District around 90 years ago. They found it exciting that they might be camping in the very same spot! I was impressed at how well they climbed, and how well behaved they were whilst tents were going up and down, and whilst climbing the steep parts. (We couldn't have done this if they boys had been 'in school' or if we were working completely regular hours).

What I love when I speak to other home educating families is how we are all different from one another, and have different patterns, different passions, different perspectives. For us, our life and work cannot easily be separated - it is our medical work that takes us all over the country and back and forward to Africa. Our motivation is to help and serve the most vulnerable, wherever they might be, and this is intertwined with the outworkings of our faith. The boys are involved in all of this, and it brings its own set of opportunities too. Probably all parents who teach have their own strengths - our boys love experiments, which are sometimes very scientific (such as making chromatograms of chlorophyll using filter paper and acetone) and sometimes just seem to involve lots of mess and tipping of water from one container to another. I am impressed by their enquiring minds. Writers such as John Holt really celebrate the natural curiosity and ingenuity of the child's mind, and I so much hope and pray that this hunger for understanding never gets stifled. I see them asking logical questions and searching for solutions, and this contrasts greatly with my own education where I simply memorised facts in order to do well in exams, or re-iterated material in beautifully presented, but completely unoriginal projects.

These past few weeks I have felt very tired, yet in the face of that, the boys have really flourished in some areas. I pray that we have wisdom in the choices we make, in the responsibilities we take on, and that we are able to respond to their questions as they arise. I remain utterly thankful that our family has made the choice to home educate, and even when feeling exhausted, I see so many benefits. Tonight I am simply pausing to reflect, and to celebrate some of the joys of the past few weeks.

My eldest (aged 5) told me the other day that he doesn't want to be a doctor when he grows up. He wants to be an explorer. That sounds good to me!

'Summer holidays'?

'Do you take a break for the summer?' a lot of people have asked me lately. I wonder what your reply is, and what your reasons are. For us, because the boys don't really know that they are learning or 'doing school', then there seems no need to take a break or do anything differently. Quoting Charlotte Mason, 'Education is a life', and in summer there is plenty of life about to learn from.

Some examples:

1) Summer storms. Why? Why does the weather do that? What is thunder? Why does thunder come after the lightening? Why are thunderstorms most often in the afternoon? Why do we get more rain in the summer? Examples of 'educational' activities: Dancing in the rain, and making comparisons with the rain in Uganda. Books describing weather. Rain guages (made out of just about any kitchen recepticle they can find!). Watching plants grow and fruit ripen. Describing different types of cloud and learning which ones are rain clouds.

2) Walking between some farmers' fields, watching the harvest. Comparing ripe and unripe grain. Gleaning amongst the edges of the fields (and explaining how in the Old Testament there was a provision made for poor people that the edges of the fields would be left, and that the harvesters would not return to collect the gleanings. The story of Ruth comes to life as you walk through the edges of fields on a hot day!). Collecting enough wheat to thresh and make a small harvest (enough to grind and make a loaf of bread). Discussing the impact of farm machinery on the lives of individual farmers and the economy in general. Linking wheat and the harvest to the weather conditions as described above - comparing this year with last, for example.

3) Ripening fruit. Earlier than usual this year, as a result of the different weather conditions. Ample time to start foraging and dreaming up new recipes. And as always, cooking brings with it a whole multitude of literacy and numeracy tasks, in addition to art and science!

4) Taking a picnic blanket and a pile of books to a park. The activity (reading) hasn't changed, but summer affords the opportunity to stay outside for longer and enjoy the warm weather.

For us, to take 'breaks' in accordance with a traditional school calender might not be a helpful thing. One of our reasons for home education is that we don't want the children to lose that love and zeal for learning that they currently have. It doesn't feel like school, and doesn't usually feel like 'work', because they are exploring the areas of life which currently fascinate them. To say, 'Now its time to take several weeks off and have fun' might communicate a message that what we are currently doing is not fun. However, we do take breaks at other times - for example when we travel or are visiting friends or family, we do a scaled down version of our normal activities. Whilst attempting to maintain the usual basic structure of a day, things will change. And so we communicate that there are times of celebration when life takes a different pace; this seems healthier to me, that there is a specific and positive reason why we have not read so many books today, or have not done any experiments or so forth.

This summer is proving less frustrating than previous ones - perhaps my expectations have changed, the boys are that bit older so the range of things we are doing is changing, perhaps also I am learning to be content and celebrate the unique opportunities we have as a family. The autumn will bring several trips to different parts of the country, and I look forward to these with eager anticipation. In contrast, I hear of other friends feeling frustrated by being constrained by the academic year. Contentment is a wonderful place to be!

10 reflections

I haven't blogged as much as I would like lately. I haven't spent as much time as I would like considering educational theory, learning styles, resources, schedules, timelines and goals. And yes, there have been days when I have felt a little guilty about this, before remembering that this is one of the joys of homeschooling. And also, one of the reasons I have had less time to consider the theory is because we have been busy putting things into practice. When things have been busy, I find it really helpful to stop and reflect, even if briefly. So here are 10 reflections on the past weeks:

1) Enjoying watching their different learning styles develop and finding ways to tap into both. My eldest (aged 5) I find easier to understand. He likes learning new things. He enjoys copywork, and even though he is very energetic, can sit very patiently and colour in neatly. My second (aged 4) seems more complex to me, although I recently spoke to a friend who described similarities in her son who is exactly the same age. He can write all his letters, but he seems to pretend not to remember when I try and get him to write. He will say silly things, like 's' when it is clearly an 'a'. But for some reason, he really enjoys writing on wipe-off books with dry-erase markers, and when I sit him down with these, he will write and copy beautifully. I don't know why this is, but its been very satisfying to find a system that he embraces!

2) My eldest learning to read. This is interesting. Some days seem really positive and exciting. Other days, gets quite upset when we ask him to read to us, and refuses to do it. I think part of it is frustration, perhaps being so close, and yet so far. It is difficult at times to know whether to push on, and tell him not to be silly, and that many good things require hard work to get there, or whether to leave it for another day. I probably use both approaches at different times, and can't pretend to have it all worked out yet!

3) Watching them learn to play well together, including the 2 year old. They love races. We often do staggered starts so that they all end up at about the same time. We send them on paths that form a triangle or a square, and its great to see them understand rules and competition, and to enjoy being physically tired from the effort. We've recently started going to an athletics club for 5-8 year olds, and I enjoy seeing a healthy form of competitiveness, and also discipline developing.

4) Frustrations with some of the online forums I am part of (mainly Facebook groups). I get particularly frustrated by some of the Charlotte Mason ones, which prohibit discussing any other method. I also get frustrated by those that wish to adhere so very rigidly to what one woman may have thought - for example, questions like, 'What would Charlotte Mason have thought about X, Y or Z (in modern life)?' or 'when Charlotte Mason suggested short lessons of about 20 minutes, did she mean to have a break between these or not?' - my frustration is that people seem constrained by a particular method, as though it is the gospel truth that must be adhered to with 100% accuracy. I feel grateful for the ability to embrace the best of several different methods and adapt things to our specific family dynamics. (And I have been restrained and not made comments to some of the frustrating posts,  although I think I will remove myself from some of the groups soon!)

5) Meeting a new home educating family this weekend, who have just moved to our city, who have children of similar ages to ours, and who are involved in similar professions to my husband and I. This was a great blessing and encouragement  - and also made me thankful for Facebook and forums and 'modern' ways of meeting others.

6) I've been surprised and encouraged lately by about five conversations where I have told people that we are home educating and had a very positive response. Indeed, I have not had a negative reaction for a long time. People from various walks of life have been positive about the benefits it brings, and have been very interested to know how things work out in practice. It has made me realise that we can sometimes bring our own baggage and preconceptions into conversations. I hadn't really mentioned home schooling much before, because it almost did not seem relevant. However, now the oldest two are both 'of school age' people are asking where they go, or whether they are starting in September, and so it is an ideal time to explain what we are doing. Maybe it is partly our own confidence now, maybe it is because they see the children as normal, lively, healthy and well-adjusted, I don't know what it is, but reactions seem quite different than they did two years ago when I started writing here. (Indeed one reason why I started the blog was because of feeling isolated and misunderstood!)

7) Relating to the comment above, I've been surprised by how many people have said, 'Oh, you are homeschooling' as though this was a completely normal and acceptable option. In fact, maybe it is. I am familiar with some of the data, that increasing numbers of families are choosing to home educate for a plethora of reasons. In the UK, there have been recent teachers' strikes and there is increasing disillusionment with the system. But its surprised me that people see it as a perfectly reasonable option.

8) Starting to plan the future. I've reflected before about being 'strangers and aliens' in this world, how we are simply pilgrims passing through. For some time, and particularly since the death of my daughter, I've been aware of how we can't make presumptions about tomorrow, and that the only day we are really responsible for is today. Jesus speaks about that when He tells us 'do not worry about tomorrow, for each day has trouble enough of its own'. Whilst living for today, we are aware of a transience of our situation here. Another year, and it will be another big move. The real benefit of this is that we embrace every opportunity, make the most of every day, take each moment, each relationship, each activity as it comes because we know that these things won't always be possible. Later on, we might feel sadness and loss, but right now it just enforces that we are living for today, and that feels good.

9) Long summer days, days of freedom, days of long walks and picnics, of adventures outdoors, of butterflies and barbecues, days when we pack our books and a picnic blanket together with plenty of sandwiches and just head out to where-ever we end up. These are lovely days. Often older women tell me that these were the happiest days of their lives, when they had young children around them all the time. I hold onto that - there are times when I feel so tired I am almost dizzy, but there is an innocence, simplicity and freedom that I wish I could capture and hold forever.

10 Little personalities that develop and surprise me. Yesterday morning, by husband had gone to a 6am prayer meeting, and my 5 year old said, 'Mummy, I promise you, they won't be singing. Not the men. Their voices will be like 'uuughh, ugh, ugh' [excellent impression of what a man might sound like trying to sing at 6am]. It made me laugh a lot, and also conveyed quite a lot of his understanding of things. I love the fact that every day, even the hardest of days, is filled with a reasonable amount of laughter. And at the end of the day, those are the moments I hold onto.

Each day unique

One thing I love about Home Education is that no two days are identical. There is so much flexibility to respond to situations within the family (ie discipline!), to the weather, to energy levels or lack thereof, to celebrations, to the interests of each child. I know that readers who already home educate will know exactly what I mean, but I'd like to share some recent examples:

1) Applying the Bible to current situations and challenges. We've spent a lot of time working on 'The Fruit of the Spirit'. The boys have learnt Galatians 5:22 and can recite 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control' (although the two year old struggles to pronounce 'self-control' and comes out with some amusing attempts). But more than that, we're really trying to teach the boys what these traits mean, what they look like, what they most certainly don't look like, and that we need God's strength within us to develop these fruit. We have a 'fruit of the spirit tree' where each branch is one of the fruit and they boys can each add a fruit when they achieve a good example of that fruit during the day. It is still quite sparse.... It's nice that we can stop here and look at the Bible in depth, look at other passages about development of godly character, and keep revisiting things rather than feeling the need to keep up with a schedule.

2) Plenty of time out of doors. This is always a great advantage of home education, but I think during the summer months we appreciate it more than ever. We have taken a pile of books and a picnic blanket and sat in a beautiful garden near our home, and have been thankful that we do not need to stay inside. We’ve done relay races that involve counting and other tasks. We’re working on playing together as a team and sharing – lessons that could be learnt in many ways I am sure, but can be useful taught with a football and a Frisbee. The there are all the specific trips that can be done alone or in groups.

3) Some friends from another country visited mid-week, and we were able to take them on a tour of the city including many of the typical tourist activities. This wouldn't have been possible had the boys been in school, and it was really interesting to hear them describing certain things about the city and the things they enjoy much. I suppose this was a form of 'narration' in some respects, as sometimes you don't realise what a child has absorbed until you hear them teaching it to others!

4) We went to Yorkshire, hiked across moorland and enjoyed both watching and riding on the steam trains. It was fabulous to see the excitement of the boys at seeing the workings of the engines, the great clouds of steam, being allowed to climb up into the engine compartment with the driver, watching them fill the tank with water etc. We spent a whole day around the railways, and because there were not so many children around, the boys were really able to make the most of the opportunities to see and explore much.

5) During our trip to Yorkshire, we visited a Baptist Church. It brought great refreshment and encouragement and my five year old was keen to come for the evening service (it was his first time of coming to evening church, as where we currently attend does not have an evening service). It was such a wonderful encouragement to sit with my son hearing the Word of God and worshipping together, and it was a delight to see his hunger for these things. An added encouragement was some teaching on the Sabbath, which was much in keeping with my understanding of things; I think God put that there, just to specifically encourage us on that point. 

6) Planning for the future, we now know that we will move back to East Africa next year, for several years. It is great to consider how our education will continue to build on what we are already doing, and to feel confident that by home educating, we can keep this area of their lives relatively stable in the face of much change. Partly because we know we will be moving on, we are keen to make the most of the opportunities which are so abundant in the UK – libraries, museums, art galleries, exhibitions, festivals, sports lessons etc. I think when you live between two very different worlds as we have done, and will continue to do, the glass is always ‘half-full’ as we embrace the unique opportunities that exist where we currently are.

7) Dressing up. This is something a little unexpected for me since we never did it as children, but I’ve been astonished to see how the boys get ‘into character’ with costumes, and start to act out things they have read about in their books. At Christmas, we had built a giant castle in the living room, out of the three-ply cardboard box that the electric piano arrived in. We had several fun lessons making shields and armour, and then they boys would often act out the roles of king and visitor, of attacker and defender (and yes, occasionally got a little rough at times). This week, one of the boys dressed up as Henry the 8^th in the art gallery, and rather than bouncing off the ceiling as he normally does, he was very stately and regal for about an hour. He was particularly thrilled to be allowed up to see the painting of Henry the 8^th whilst in his costume, and also told other visitors to the gallery all about what he was doing (quite factually correct). The only downside was that the only costume that fit my 5 year old was a dragon costume, and after having crawled around the art gallery, the dragon then ate King Henry. History has been rewritten it would seem… But in seriousness, I’m going to put together a ‘dressing up’ box before our next big move.

It's been a busy time lately, with big decisions being made - this is why I have written less in depth here. But I was keen to share an assortment of encouragements to remind you of the benefits of a method of education which can be tailored to the needs of your family and to each individual child.

10 Encouragements

When I have had less time to blog, I find it helpful to simply stop and think of all the recent things I am thankful for. I believe we often have a choice about how we think about situations, and as Christians home educating, I think there is always much to be thankful for, even during the tiring days.

1) Flexibility in our work, enabling us both to continue in jobs we love whilst having one parent home at all times (the spin off lately has been that we have both been working unusual shift patterns including nights and shifts ending in the small hours of the morning, so we have not actually seen much of one another). But the boys get a different set of adventures and routines during these periods, and this brings different educational opportunities.

2) A wonderful afternoon in the park with some other local home educating families. I think we had five adults and thirteen young children. It was exhausting, but amazing to see their boundless energy and the number of different adventures that can be had in a simple local park. This makes me reflect on how little time most children these days have to simply roam free, to explore, to learn about nature, to get grubby hands and grazed knees, to wear out their shoes and trousers....It was great to see their freedom.

3) Our online community - we have a local Facebook page of Christian Home Educators, and this can be a great supplement to meeting face to face. Often when we physically meet up, we are so involved with the children and the current activities that we cannot discuss, for example, what handwriting or maths resources we prefer. But we can continue those discussions online, sharing links, resources, wisdom etc.

4) Health and strength. Last time I did this chaotic working pattern I was still unwell with vomiting, and it made it much more difficult. Although the work was intense and challenging, I felt well and that was something to be very thankful for.

5) Being able to attend church as a family before heading to bed. Hearing my sons sing about how God is 'indescribable' at the very tops of their voices, and feeling thankful that they love to sing to God.

6) Reading Christian biographies to my children and hearing them ask increasingly relevant and important questions. My prayers are that I can answer these succinctly and wisely in an age appropriate manner, and that the boys are able to understand these truths and incorporate them into their developing worldview

7) Springtime. Ducklings and baby coots. Blossom and flowers. Fresh air. Sunshine (although not yet warm!). Freedom to run. Longer light evenings (that too has a flipside as the boys are struggling to sleep when it is 'still light').

8) Museums, libraries, art galleries - the vast resources that are free and easily accessible living in a moderately sized UK city. Sometimes these things can be taken for granted, but our recent time in Africa reminded us that we should make the most of them whilst we are in places where they exist.

9) A colleague at work having spotted my boys and husband on the bus remarking to me that 'they must be home educated, because no other four year olds are so well behaved and have such a good vocabulary'. I don't know that they are always impeccably behaved, but I also am aware that as parents we tend to see the negatives rather than celebrate the achievements. I was also encouraged that home education was considered a perfectly normal, and indeed a positive choice.

10) That God gives us sufficient strength for every day, and even when weary there is much to be thankful for.

I hope you can also reflect on encouragements, and that you rest well tonight.

Snapshots of daily life

I think one of the beauties of home educating is that there are no real boundaries between education and the whole of our lives. Within the course of a day, multiple opportunities arise when you least expect them, questions which astonish you by their depth and perception, moments of clarity as a new concept is grasped, the unique opportunity that presents itself to illustrate something which caused many questions yesterday.

The last few weeks have been busy, but there have been some highlights which I would like to share:

1) Mummy got fixed by the doctors. During my last pregnancy (almost 2 years ago now), I was in and out of hospital with vomiting, and the vomiting just continued every day after the birth. I knew what the problem was, and last month I had surgery to my stomach to correct it. This was successful, but for about four weeks I was unable to lift the boys. Not being able to drive was not really a handicap, but my sons are very lively and energetic and I was not sure how their energy and need to jump and climb be very physical would be. I was astonished by their concern for me. They keep asking me when I am going to be sick, and then thanking God that the doctors could fix me. They keep asking if the doctors allow me to eat certain foods (I am on a special diet for a while).They are being very gentle and kind (when they remember) and quick to say sorry when they are not. Even this time of illness has been an educational opportunity in terms of them showing kindness and gentleness. (Every so often, we 'revisit' the fruits of the Spirit and look to see how these have, or have not been manifest in their lives. They have surprised me this month).

2) Spring is on its way. The last few days have been explosions of glorious spring. They boys have taken delight in showing me the buds, the fresh green leaves, the snowdrops and crocuses. They've noticed the warmer air. Yesterday, we were out early to go to a farmers' market and the birdsong was a delight. The boys were able to celebrate this, and started to sing 'Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun moon and stars in their courses above' - from Great is thy faithfulness. Its one of my favourite hymns, but I did not realise they knew it so well.

3) We've had a few longer field trips - I've seen it as part of my rehabilitation, to build up my exercise tolerance. So, we've been to the museums in town. We've had a couple of long park walks. We caught the train up to the coast, and walked along the beach to the next station and travelled home again. We took our 'collectors' bags, and gathered welks eggs, differnet kinds of shell, seaweed and some old rope. The boys suprised me by using the razor shells to draw out large letters on the sand. (I've mentioned elsewhere, but one of my boys can pretend not to know his letters, but in this kind of situation almost forgets to pretend, and does amazingly well).

4) Generally I've seen an improvement in their social interaction, such that they have little conversations with older people who speak to them on buses and trains. I don't mean that I am careless and let them talk with any stranger, but I am meaning friendly individuals who ask them their names, or how old they are etc. This is something I know other home educators comment on - that the children actually become better socialised because they are exposed to real people living real lives. I'm starting to see, and celebrate, evidence of this.

5) Just a general contentment. Some days we are very active, and are outside much of the day and walk miles and have adventures. Other days, we have more stories, reading books and quiet activities. Some days involve lots of socialisation, whereas we sometimes go several days without meeting with friends. But we can't easily plan these things. The last few days have brought spring sunshine after a long season of rain; any indoor activities can wait on days like these! And its that flexibility, and ability to respond to changes in weather, in health, in energy levels, that makes home education so delightful. To be able to say, 'writing practice can wait, we're going to the beach!'

Not every day has been momentous. Not every day has been easy. But generally, day by day, I am encouraged. Your home education journey will have been different to mine over these past weeks. But more than anything I pray that as parents we can all have the wisdom to embrace the opportunities that arise, and to respond to the needs (educational, discipline, health, emotional) of each individual child as we seek to see them growing physically and spiritually.

Do not become weary in doing good

Do you ever cease to be amazed by how children learn? Recently, all of my boys have grasped new concepts, the light of new understanding bringing with it huge amounts of energy and further desire to learn and to explore. It is quite remarkable.

The eldest has suddenly learnt to read. Or, perhaps better put, has suddenly grasped that the letters on the page represent words and that he can work out what these words say by applying various things he has learnt here and there and unlock the meaning for himself. He sits for long periods hunting for ‘God’ and ‘Jesus’ in the Bible, and just as it was with speech, every day is acquiring new words and putting together more and more. He is so excited by this that all he wants to do is spend longer and longer reading the Bible and learning more words. (He is also spurred on by a kind of game. I was in hospital last week, and as a distraction, daddy set him the challenge of ‘learning to read to surprise mummy’; he doesn’t realise I know he is doing it, and the element of surprise makes it even more fun).

The next boy has learn to draw. For a long time, he would have great fun making splodges of colour, and he would invest these with meaning; however to anybody else, all they would see would be a mass of colours, perhaps a bonfire or a sunset. But suddenly, he realised he could draw objects, and make a story come to life by drawing the shapes and the structures that go with it. Now, he likes to sit and draw the Bible story we have just read. It’s been a huge jump, and it is fascinating how the changed just seemed to occur overnight.

The youngest can clearly understand  lot although he still speaks in monosyllables. He has grasped some games, such as snap, and takes delight in pointing out things that match (for example on the pattern on the tablecloth). He is absolutely overjoyed to be able to show these new skills and join his brothers in his games.

But the thing is, we haven’t done anything different or special this week. It’s just been a rewarding time for us, seeing each child developing in a specific area, but in terms of our structure, methods, daily routine, discipline, motivation, spectrum of activities etc, nothing has changed. And I think it is important to reflect on this as a home schooler. Not every week feels like an achievement. But the harvest comes as a result of months of faithful, ongoing, faithfulness in the small, everyday tasks.

I remember laughing out loud the first time I started to read some of the original writings of Charlotte Mason where she described things of value and others which are flashy but of little worth, such as spending a morning making a brightly coloured collage to bring home. (I am not saying, and I do not think she was saying, that creativity and craft are to be stifled, but rather used the example to make a point). Children who attend formalised early educational activities often return home with some kind of ‘product’ of their labours, and parents can be easily satisfied that the child is ‘achieving’. As homeschoolers, we may be tempted to compare. (At least I can! I can be impatient, and quick to forget all that God has taught me about patience, perseverance, trials etc)

The joy is that children learn at their own pace, and when they are ready, it just seems to fall into place. This is often cited as a major reason for choosing home education, but whilst we may state those words, is there a little part of us that worries if child X has not achieved Y by age Z? These past couple of weeks have been helpful to me to remember that each child is unique, and progresses at the right rate for that child. And the greatest encouragement of all is the absolute unashamed delight in each of the children as they grasp the new concept, such that they are hungry for continued learning. The jaded apathy that I have observed amongst mainstream educated children is something which saddens me greatly, and again reinforces to me that for our family, to help the boys acquire the necessary skills within a real life environment and develop the tools for lifelong learning, the choices we are making are right.

What if the children could not read by age ten? Or draw by eight? Or grasp the concepts of ‘pairs’ at all? Would that negate my enthusiasm for home education? Would this prove that our ‘method’ was failing and that the children would be better off elsewhere? By no means. In fact, that too would confirm the need for an individualised approach where the children were not made to feel that they were failures for not achieving at a set rate. In any normal distribution curve, there are outliers at either end; some children will naturally read at age 3, whereas others may be 9 or 10. That is illustrated in our own family, where I was reading Enid Blyton under my bedcovers before starting school at 5, whereas my husband was unable to read properly until about 10.

The reason I am writing today is to encourage you. In our current society, we are encouraged to seek instant gratification, quick results. For example, how often these days do you hear of somebody who has ‘saved up’ for something? How often do you see people working tirelessly, year after year on the same thing? I believe we can seek quick results in our parenting too, and if we are home educators, in our childrens’ progress.

In the letter to the Galatians, Paul writes, ‘And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart’. (Gal 6:9) Whilst this applies to the whole of our Christian lives, it is particularly pertinent to the responsibilities of Christian parents, whether home educating or not.

Be encouraged. Keep going. Be faithful in the small tasks. And in the right time, God will bring the harvest.