I was speaking with someone the other day who seemed pretty surprised that we school in the summer months...I know you are shocked too! As I am telling her I see her eyes get big, then a little bigger, then she looked as if her eyes would blow up in my face. Here I am talking to this lady, feeling very confident in our decision to do this, while my mind was screaming much doubt. I n which I had to stay composed and not lead her to think I have made a wrong decision. These 4 children I love dearly whom I have been given this responsibility to train them in the way they should go! Surely, I am not having doubts about schooling during the summer months (having just finished 2 1/2yrs of schooling them anyway) and I know what is best for them...right?! I get on my way of conquering my grocery list and thinking on the pros and cons of this summer school session.
Some of the thoughts that I had goes a little something like this (and don't judge me cause if your a mother with 4 children and many things to do you know your brain works similarly)...
Mental list: Pro. They will stay on top of what they have been learning. They will thank me later because they won't struggle the first few weeks of school. Gives them something to instead of vegetating in the house all day. Doesn't help both sides of the brain...scratch that it helps every part of the brain! We have breaks during the regular school year. In the real world of work you generally only get 1wk of vacation and that is only if you have earned the time!
Whew! I know. I know. All this occurred in seconds. I tell you seconds! Yes I am obsessed with thinking it all out. I have also been known to think I said it and never did! Ask my kids, they can tell you. So the cons were a little harder for me. I am sure if you speak with my children they will have plenty but the only one that came to mind(in the split second of time) was this...
Con. Break...naaa they don't need a break. I just gave them a month off! If not more.
Well, the more I have thought about this, the more determined I have become to understand what God would want me to do. I'm a firm believer in the fact that my way is not usually your way and your way isn't always God's way(I mean my way isn't always God's way either). So what I do with the children God has given me is between me, my husband, and God.
In the time I ran into this lady and thought all these things through I sat down to write a tentative schedule for our summer session. I was very pleased with it! It was laid out so thoughtfully with every detail and nook and cranny combed over and ironed out. Then...my Lord God, maker of heaven and of earth, spoke to my heart and said "nope." So back to the drawing board. Although the drawing board was empty for days without a thought in sight. I was laid out flat on my back (literally couldn't move even using the bathroom was painful) and God gave me this peace about things I had planned taking out of the schedule and things I had planned for us to do outside our home. I got up the next day and I said "Lord what would you have me do today?" You see the past several months I closed a door that I thought was still open but I got in the way of myself. Lost sight of what God wanted me to do and put my own wants in the place of His. The door was open again and I could see and hear clearly so I stepped through it. On the other side I was able to start writing the things I wanted to get down for this summer and God weeded out what didn't NEED to be done. This freed up time that I always think I need more of but never have it. I sat down that night while watching a movie with the family and put together a calendar of school within minutes. It is a simple calendar that still touches on skills my kids should know for the next year but it also gives us the freedom to go to the pool, beach, out of town or even just have a chill day!
The pro for me now is it will be God's way and the con...well when God's hand is in it, I can't think of one con in this summer of schooling. If God lays it on your heart to home school great, if he says do it in the summer too...great!
Make sure you are in line with the Word of God, follow His lead and you will never go wrong.
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