Our new Simple Studies Guide releases this week! But first, I wanted to share our Homeschool Picks for Middle + High School for the coming year (and something no one prepared me for I don’t see many people talking about) 👀
This video not only walks through many of the books we're reading this year, but I also talk quite a bit about something I'm not sure many homeschoolers are discussing: the jarring changes that can and often do happen as our children grow into their teen years.
As a mom who started homeschooling in 2014, I had no one around to guide me through those huge shifts.
Thankfully, over the years I've been blessed with a few mentors and good friends who pray with me and help point me in new directions. But I won't lie to you. Your homeschool does and will change because your children grow, and it isn't always as glamorous (or Instagram-worthy) as many make it out to seem.
I've cried.
I've laughed.
I've prayed and researched late into the night.
There have been mornings I wasn't sure I was doing it right, and evenings where I sat quietly and just thanked God for the privilege of it all.
This journey can sometimes feel murky yet it's a blessing and absolutely worth it when we submit ourselves to the One who gives us this privilege in the first place.
Some days the homeschool table feels like sacred ground. Other days it feels like a battlefield, not just with our children but with the larger picture and where God is leading our children.
Ultimately, these are HIS children more than they're mine.
It feels all to real and if you've felt it too, I want you to know you are not alone.
Regardless, only you know your children. Only you know what season the Lord has called you to. My only suggestion is to not compare yourself or your homeschool to anyone else.
Also, it's okay to grieve a little for those sweet years when our children were younger (and not driving yet), those slow mornings with picture books and nature walks and nowhere we had to be.
And it's just as important to steward them well as they get older.
Homeschooling has never been a hobby for me. I've always seen it as my full-time job, and one of the greatest callings of my life. And while I prefer simplicity, I can’t say I’d ever call homeschooling “easy,” especially when you’re faced with NCAA requirements, dual-enrollment options and SATs.
I hope this video speaks to you, especially if you have tweens and teens. Life looks different in this season, but we can choose joy and gratefulness in this amazing, incredible, humbling journey!
If you’re looking for a few practical tips and benefits of continuing using the Charlotte Mason method through teen years, you may enjoy my Charlotte Mason with Teens That Still Feels Gentle article.
I'm so glad you're here. Don't forget, the new Simple Studies Guide drops this weekend and I can’t wait to share it with you!
