Every year I fall into a trap. It happens every August and sometimes throughout the year as well. The comparison trap.

Instagram. Does it every time. Mommas post pics of school days starting and shiny new curriculums or whatever and I start believing that I’m not doing it right. It’s obvious that I’ve been “caught” when I start to Google new curriculums to buy.

But five years into this homeschooling gig and I’m getting wiser. This year I noticed the signs early and cut myself off at the pass. Amazon won’t fix this, Ginia. Something’s gotta change. (Hint: it’s not the curriculum.)

One of the reasons it’s so easy to be caught in the comparison trap is the exact reason homeschooling is so great: freedom. In Missouri, there’s hardly any restrictions (beyond hours spent) to what exactly needs to be taught. This is a blessing and curse to Type A me. That means there’s an infinite amount of ways to teach an infinite amount of information. It’s 100 percent overwhelming. And with four different kiddos with four very different learning slants…. Well, you get the picture.

All of this needed some clarification. It needed some ink to paper thought distillery. In black and white, what are the goals? At the end of their schooling journey, what do you want them to know? (I asked myself.)

Here’s what came to mind.

#1 – To know God.

#2 – To be able to effectively communicate verbally and on paper.

#3 – To have confidence in their own intelligence and ability to figure out problems.

#4 – To be self-starters, self-motivators, self-organizers.

#5 – To be curious about a few things.

#6 – To not be intimidated by reading.

#7 – To be able to take tests.

After writing these seven things down, I felt better. At peace. Those anxious feelings about not having the newest curriculum or dreamy school room or weekly nature walks left. Because if my children can do all of the above — even if there are holes in their education (which EVERY child has) — they will be able to fix it. Trap escaped!

So, here’s to the start of our fifth year of homeschooling. As my oldest says, “HAZZAH!”

Categories: Life on the farm

Tagged as: goals homeschooling learning

Ginia

My name is Ginia Oehlschlager and I'm a small-town gal from Missouri. Join me as I document my crazy life on the farm with my husband and four kids. I'm always looking for frugal, simple ways to live the life God set before me. Where faith, family and fun come together on the farm.