Homeschooling is About So Much More Than Just the ABC's

It's no question that one of the reasons we homeschool is to give our children a solid education.  A solid education at each child's pace, with time to pursue their interests and passions. I can say with confidence that we will achieve a 100% literacy rate in our homeschool.  That's a good and achievable goal, however, it's certainly not the only goal of our homeschool.

Pursuing Life Goals in our Homeschool

- We want them to know their purpose.  They are here to know, love and serve God.  They are not an accident or an random clump of cells.

- We want our children to know, live and love our faith.  We want them to know and understand our Catholic faith, not just as a set of arbitrary rules, but an understanding of the wisdom of the church.  Each day they see us, terribly imperfectly, striving to live our faith.

- We want to know our children.  Really know them as individuals.  Know their hopes, fears and dreams for the future.

- We want our children to be more than just siblings, we want them to be lifelong friends.  That doesn't mean they are each others only friends - far from it.  Just that they always can count on one another.

- We want our children to be engaged with life, not just spectators.  We want them to be ready to answer the call that God has laid out for them.  Eager to give back and share with others, eager to try new things, and always interested in learning.  Life is much too interesting to ever be stagnant.

These are things that can't simply be listed on a lesson plan.  I can't check off a box labeled "know my children" in my planner for the year!  This is the nitty-gritty, the stuff we pray about, the stuff of endless discussions.

But worth it.  Totally worth it.