A Beautiful Mess

BY JESSICA PRUKNER

Summer memories have been made, and it’s that time of year again when we try to find a routine and start the adventures of the new school year. I remember the first year we homeschooled as a family; we took a break for summer vacation and came back to the fall new school year. It was a total disaster! My kids seemed to forget their ABCs and how to do basic addition. I was horrified that I had done such a poor job at teaching the year prior that they had forgotten everything.

Looking back 7 years later, I now laugh at those moments of sheer panic. As we start the new school year, I am reminded to look outside of the basic foundations of education and look at my kids from a big picture view. It is helpful to see your kids as whole individuals, fearfully and wonderfully made by God. There are so many areas of growth that occur in our kids; it is unfair to only judge or view learning in a strict educational grading manner.

When I choose to step back and see my kids from a whole-person view, I can see so many areas where they have excelled and experienced growth. I see a window into how God is directing their lives and paths by shaping their likes and interests. Seeing the doors open for them to walk in their purpose and grow in strength and character is exhilarating as their parent. I can appreciate the relationships that help form their beliefs and feelings. It truly is amazing to watch their lives unfold before my eyes.

So instead of coming back from summer and entering the new school year with stress and doubts like I once did, I encourage you to stop, sit, and journal about the growth you have seen in each of your kids since the summer and then find ways to enhance and encourage continued learning and discovery in the new school year. A friend once told me something I never forgot: it’s not about raising super-smart kids, it’s about raising kids who love God and love His people. Yes, we want our kids to excel in their grades, but remember, grades don’t determine the heart of the kid. Make sure we are focusing on raising and maturing their hearts for the Lord, not just kids that make good grades. When you think about it from this perspective, everything becomes a little less stressful as we trust God more to do the real heart-work.

This idea also gives our kids freedom to not focus on just their ABCs and math work, but on discovering and thinking about how God made them, for their special calling and purpose. My oldest is entering high school this year and I am in a bit of shock at how fast the time has passed by. It’s never too early to start directing them in their God-given calling, and it’s never too late. Make the most of every moment because the saying is true, “The days are long and the years are short.” Don’t get so caught up in the homeschool stress that you forget to make the most of the little moments you are given.