So You're Thinking About Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel

Author:Lisa Whelchel [Whelchel, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56345-3
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2012-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

1. Susan Evans, quoted by Linda Dobson, The Homeschooling Book of Answers, revised edition (Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing, 2002), 44.

Chapter Eleven

Full Quiver, Full House

Do you mind if we sit out here on the front porch? It’s such a pretty day, and I can keep an eye on the little ones playing by the chicken coop. Molly, would you get our friends a glass of lemonade? Emily, I need you to check on the baby and make sure she is still asleep. James, did you finish folding the laundry? Come here, Sarah, climb up in Mommy’s lap and lay your head down—you look like you’re coming down with something.

Okay, I think I have all my little ducks in a row. We should have at least five minutes’ peace to talk. Never a dull moment when you have ten children. Oh don’t worry, drink your lemonade. We had the water tested and discovered that wasn’t what was causing it.

The second question we are always asked is “Were they all planned?” (The first is usually “Are you Mormon or Catholic?”) The answer is, yes, they were planned—just not by us.

You see, we don’t think God was crazy when He said that children are a reward. The Bible says that children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. “Happy, blessed, and fortunate is the man whose quiver is filled with them!” (Psalm 127:5). I would be the crazy one if I responded to God’s blessings with, “Please don’t give me any more rewards!”

I understand that not everyone feels this way and that’s fine. We just know that raising a large family is our calling. If we are supposed to be making a difference in the world, what better way to do it than by training our children to become beacons to the world?

Many parents who choose to homeschool do so because they want to be the primary influence in their kids’ lives. Indeed, our responsibility—I like to think of it as our privilege—to train our children and shape their character is the main reason we homeschool. You can’t schedule a “teachable moment,” and the less time you spend with your children, the fewer opportunities you will have to seize these moments when they present themselves.

We believe that discipline is foundational—not only for a positive homeschool experience but also for a successful life experience—and I don’t want to leave it up to someone else to make sure my children develop good character traits in addition to good study habits. I’m not just referring to correcting the children when they make poor choices; we also try to catch them making good choices and point out when they demonstrate obedience, selflessness, diligence, initiative, honesty, and the like.

Did I forget to mention the benefit of good, old-fashioned hard work to develop character? Living on a small farm provides us with plenty of fruit, vegetables, eggs, poultry, milk, sunshine, and unlimited opportunities for responsibility. The children are learning life skills early and thus confidence. Because everyone needs to pitch in and help, they feel like they’re a part of something bigger.

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