The Frugal Grandmom

Disclosure: Affiliate link included. Do you remember this commercial? Passiton.com When this commercial came out a few years ago, I was touched by it’s message.  The young child is pushed by his mom to explore activities to enjoy.  He tries quite a few sports, but even with all the right gear and lots of encouragement; he fails. But, mom never gives up.  She wants him to succeed and wants him to have fulfillment and fun.  She doesn’t know what will inspire him or be the “right fit” for him, so she tries everything she can think of.  Does it harm him to fail? Failing isn’t harmful.  It could be, if we give up.  But, this mom encourages him to continue his search and his exploration.  And, he finally succeeds at what he discovers! This speaks to me so much as a homeschool mom.  With my children, they were each encouraged to try many things.  We provided all the necessary equipment and training.  We wanted them to try and explore many activities and see what they were fit to do.  It was always surprising to see what they loved doing and were good at. Homeschool moms do this with our children’s extracurricular activities as well as their curriculum and learning opportunities.  We take them to sports, chess clubs, dance lessons, debate clubs, and much more.  Children will find what they love and are good at doing. Sometimes, children love to do a certain thing, but they’re not especially good at it.  That’s fine.  In fact, I believe that it’s good for them to participate in something in which they may fail or not be the best.  Just participating in an activity will teach your children so many things.  Their character will grow stronger as they learn to deal with competition.  No one wins every time. I always felt like children shouldn’t be allowed to quit, just because they weren’t “no 1”.  As they win or lose, the parents have a great opportunity to teach them through these times.  This is when they really grow.  Don’t prevent them from being in these types of growing experiences. @2018, copyright Lisa Ehrman

Disclosure: Affiliate link included. Do you analyze your life at the end of the year?  Do you create a list of New Year’s Resolutions?  At the end of a year, I always consider how life was and how I would like it to be different.  Though, I may not always write a list, there is certainly a place in my life for resolutions. As a homeschool mom, the end of a calendar year is also the end of a semester of learning.  I was very conscious of this and always wanted to improve.  When we’re in the midst of teaching, we don’t always have enough time to think through how far we’ve come.  At the end of the year, I like to revisit the semester to see what worked and what didn’t. Make Any Necessary Changes Many years, the new year brought about a change of curriculum.  That doesn’t mean I changed everything, but usually just one subject.  But, there’s nothing wrong with making a drastic change if it’s needed.  If your child can’t learn a certain way, it’s the teacher’s job to find a way that they can learn. Marriage Comes First Although I’m a homeschool mom/teacher, I’m first a wife.  There are always things I need to do to improve in this area.  It’s good to resolve to make the changes needed to have the best marriage possible.  Homeschool never will work well, if my marriage is struggling. Create a Special Beginning After a Christmas break, it always seemed like a resolution to buckle down was helpful.  The children can have a hard time getting back on a full school schedule after time off.  At our house, we would discuss how we felt, and then have a special celebration to kick off the new year in school.  It would be fun to plan a fun field trip to go along with the first week back of learning. What are your New Year’s Homeschool Resolutions?  Do you start the year in a unique way?  Whatever works in your home, don’t feel like you have to be like anyone else.  Comparing your homeschool with someone else’s won’t be the right answer.  Enjoy your family and your New Year! Here are some of my favorite Homeschool Resources! @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman