A Beautiful Mess

THE GREATEST WORK WE CAN DO WITH OUR CHILDREN IS THE WORK OF THEIR HEARTS.

BY JESSICA PRUKNER

The years continue to pass, and it is hard to believe my kindergartens are turning into high school and middle schoolers. The seasons of life have flown by far too quickly. The saying “the days are long, but the years are short” seems so very true.

I now consider myself a veteran homeschool mom, and with that comes lots of experience and wisdom. I get questions weekly from stressed parents asking, How do I start? Where do I begin? What do I do? It can all seem so overwhelming in the moment. There is so much stress not to mess your kids up or do the wrong thing. But looking back, I believe there really isn’t a right way to approach homeschooling. Each experience will be as individual as the child and parent themselves.

God gave us these beautiful, unique children to love and care for; He is faithful to supply all our needs to be the best for them as both their parents and teachers. Each child is fearfully and wonderfully made, and being able to see them grow day in and day out has given me a front-row seat to their individual beauty.

I have raised all three of my children the same, yet they are all so different. They each learn, love, and receive love in unique ways. Each has distinct struggles and strengths and talents. Thankfully, God has given me the wisdom to adapt to each of my children’s needs and the creativity to respond accordingly. While one may need a tutor, another may crave more social interaction, and still another may thrive with more alone time to discover and refill. This is the gift of homeschooling: being involved and engaged daily, setting our children up to experience life and learning in their best environments.

As homeschooling parents, we have the opportunity to hold our children’s hands and guide them in life as we walk beside them. Sometimes the best thing we can do is see the big picture—take a step back from the math book, take a deep breath, and remember the reason behind our work. God has given us the gift of raising our children to love Him and love and serve others. The greatest work we can do with our children is the work of their hearts. We get to see them for who they are and who God created them to be, not just a number in a desk that calls “here” at roll call.

Use your precious time to appreciate your children and all you both are learning. Those are truly gifts from God.