As it’s the start of a new year, I am particularly thoughtful today. Looking back, looking forward, and evaluating what has come before. Most New Year’s Days I spend focusing on my goals, trying to figure out what I really want out of life, and writing it down. Distilling it so that I can move forward.
This year is a little different. I have actually spent significant time in the last year and a half or so, focusing. Getting in touch with myself, my values and my hopes for my future, and that of my family. For this month’s booklist, I will be sharing some of the inspiration I have found, and the writers that have influenced me. Needless to say, I have been inspired, and feel more focused this year than any other.
So, for me, this New Year is less about making new resolutions, and more about continuing forth. As the new year unfolds, I am excited for many things. Beginning Kindergarten with my son, editing the novel I wrote last year, starting a new writing project, reorganizing our learning and living space, and continuing on the exciting journey that we’ve begun here, at The Homeschool Co-op.
I know I would not be in this place, if I didn’t have my family to learn alongside with. By watching my children’s learning processes unfolding before me, I am inspired to learn myself. By seeing them do the impossible – learn to walk, talk, read, build, sing – I am seeing myself and my husband jumping over our own hurdles. In this way, we help each other find our passions and pursue our goals (even if some of us are too young to realize it).
While many homeschooling families will be evaluating their children’s learning experiences thus far – half of the school year finished, half to go – I would encourage you to examine your own, personal, learning journey as well. What can you learn together with your child? Alone? Be selfish for a minute, and consider that, in many ways, homeschooling is just as much about you as it is about them. As I hope you can attest to, you have probably grown in leaps and bounds already, in echo of the leaps and bounds your children have taken.
So, this year, go ahead, evaluate your child’s journey. But, evaluate yours, too. Because being a lifelong learner is a gift we can give to ourselves. A gift we can give to our children. And, chances are, a gift we are already receiving from them.
All the best, and Happy New Year.
This is so well put! One of my goals for the New Year is to actually grow and learn more MYSELF, through reading and researching. I’m so thankful the opportunity to do this – which probably wouldn’t have happened had I not decided to homeschool my children.
I’m so glad I visited here today from The Carnival of Homeschooling. I’m sure I’ll be back quite often.
Hi Mary! Thanks for visiting. So glad you did. =) I know, I read voraciously, but every year hope to read more. I’ve always thought parenting makes us such better people, and I think of homeschooling as an extension of that. Helping our kids learn, pretty much necessitates modelling learning – and pretty soon, we are learning alongside them. It’s really wonderful, isn’t it?
Kelly,
I often think I homeschool for selfish reasons. I am so excited to be on this learning journey with my kids. I always thought I would do better in math if I had a lot of time to use manipulatives and work on real-life problems, so I’m really excited to be able to do that with my kids. I love doing lots of science experiemnts with the kids. And I get to go to so many facinating places, too.
It is neat to think of the ways we could of learned things more effectively, isn’t it? I loved math, and was good at it, but now am rubbish at it. But, for the first time in my life, I think I am really starting to have a relationship with math. It’s everywhere! And so fascinating. The new perspective thanks to learning alongside my son, of course. And, I know, science experiments are so much fun.