Education is about so much more than book smarts. I’ve known this for awhile and believed it to my core. In fact, this fact alone has dictated so many decisions we make in raising our children, especially since we home school and want to make sure that they are learning more than just “reading, writing, and arithmetic.”
Yesterday and today our school time was “interrupted” so that I could spend time one on one disciplining a child for behavior. Each time it was a different child. Each time the issue was about much more than their behavior but the character issue underlining it. And as you can imagine, each time it took way more time and energy than I truthfully wanted it to. But, I plowed through. As I did I recalled a nugget I took from the parenting DVD I watched last spring in SS. The speaker said we need to view these situations as “moments of ministry” and GIVE THANKS for the opportunity God has given us to work on this character issue now… while they are young. I am so grateful for that perspective change b/c I realize as I home school I am given a unique gift (though I don’t always view it as that in the moment) of extra time with my child to work out these issues. And I promise you I don’t think a home school day goes by where we don’t have to stop and work on our hearts. It isn’t quick, it is definitely not painless and I too often wonder when or if we’ll see the end result. It is my prayer though that through these battles and through these discussions, God will use them to mold and shape our hearts to be like His.
I know that these battles wouldn’t have arisen had they been in a regular classroom this morning. And yet, that doesn’t mean that those underlining character issues wouldn’t still be there. And so, in a strange way I am grateful for those outbursts and the opportunity they provide for us to work on character. I am hopeful that God will use them to draw each of us closer to Him and I am thankful for His grace despite my many, many shortcomings as Mom and Teacher.
I left today’s battle in need of some chocolate… I didn’t have time to mix up those cookies yet but after we got some more school work done and broke for lunch I was blessed with some time to blare some praise music on Pandora while making mac and cheese… it was just what my soul needed. It’s quiet/nap time now and I think I’m going to mix up those cookies (or at least eat some cookie dough) before we hit the books again this afternoon.
So true, so true! It's hard to stop what we're doing and take the time to address "issues" that to me just seem plain bothersome in the moment, but are so important over all. You've got the right perspective, though!
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