By Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM

Well, homeschool parent, you’ve made it half-way through the school year!  I don’t know if you’re brand new to homeschooling or if you’re a pro. Either way, good job!  

This is my 23^rd Christmas & New Years as a homeschool mom.  When I began homeschooling, we had two young kiddos and eventually we had seven children in all.  After graduating five of them, I’m back down to two children in my homeschool.  Life seems much simpler for me right now, but just think of all the lessons I’ve learned over the years!  Most of them have been lessons I learned the hard way.  You know, the hard lessons (the ones we glean from mistakes and messes we make) are often the BEST stepping- stones of life.  They project us further in character and compassion and all sorts of things that we needed to make life more abundant.  Now being a mistaking parent is something I’m quite good at (here’s a link to my podcast on that topic… https://www.practicallyspeakingmom.com/podcast/episode/498ec199/46-the-hope-filled-life-of-a-mistaking-parent-including-a-mother-and-son-discussion).

Somewhere around ten New Years’ ago, I began a personal mom tradition – taking some time alone to practice something I’ve come to call the Five R’s of the Intentional Mistaking Parent: Reflect, Regret, Repent, Redeem, Refine.  I would love it if you joined me in this practice!

Steps to the Five R’s of Being an Intentional Mistaking Parent

1. REFLECT 

Begin by Reflecting on the past year (or semester because we homeschool moms usually think in semesters, LOL).  Here’s some questions to help you begin this beneficial time of reflection: 

 What are some things that went great or is going well in our family and homeschool? 

What needs a little tweak of refinement because it’s not quite right but is on the right track? 

What were big fails or is really not going well right now?  

Where do I see relationship walls or other signs of potentially troubled hearts in your home?  (The hearts of your family are the most important things of all to zero in on for your time of reflection.  Linger here the longest.)

As you prayerfully reflect on the hearts and souls that have been entrusted to you, ask God to show you any areas that YOU may be off-course or hindering their strength, or growth, or hindering your relationship with them.  

When He points something out to your spirit, linger there and be willing to take a close-up view. This is going to lead to some REGRET.  Now I know that doesn’t sound like a positive word, but it can be – if it is utilized productively!  

2. REGRET 

I’ve learned to stay in this REGRET step for a bit – to go ahead and live in the pain on purpose for a little while, letting reality sting. I don’t want to avoid the important role of regret. It is like a refiner’s fire of my character. It sears into my heart the importance of not remaining the way I am, of sincerely apologizing where needed, seeking to mend however I can, and being passionate about pursuing God’s help in growing in that area. There is healing in the refiner’s fire of regret.  Do not skip it, don’t undervalue it, but also don’t build a summer home in regret.  It’s a temporary stop in your journey to refinement.

Stay at the regret spot as long as is necessary for it to do the work it needs to do.  Then it is time to move on to REPENT.  

3. REPENT

Repentance is a time of TURNING, turning away from our old ways and pivoting to a better way.  It’s admitting that your way wasn’t working and acknowledging that God’s ways are always best. Repentance is a wonderful cleansing of our heart by God while making room for a fresh start.  

Now there is a very important action to take during the Repentance step, besides seeking God’s purification of our heart. This second part of Repentance can be tough, but it can also be so powerful for bonding with your family members. An essential part of repenting is apologizing to any family members that you may have caused heart-wounds from your mistake(s).  Now, for bigger heart-wounds, apology is inadequate.  Here’s my recent podcast episode about Mending Your Child’s Heart at every age: https://www.practicallyspeakingmom.com/podcast/episode/4a439287/mending-your-childs-heart-at-every-age-episode-62.

4. REDEEM 

The next R for intentional moms in this year-end practice is Redeeming what has happened.  This is the time for you to allow God to take your messes and turn them into a beautiful scar.  He doesn’t wipe out the memory of the past, but He does give it new meaning.  God is the great miracle worker who loves transforming brokenness into beauty. Some of my biggest bonding has taken place because I sought forgiveness from my children, I asked them to pray for me, and I committed to change. As you go through this process, you are also learning a wonderful skill to teach your children as well!  You are equipping them to face their mistakes in a productive, strength-building way. 

5. REFINE

Finally, REFINE your character, your perspective, your parenting habits, your priorities.  Take the time you spent in reflecting, regretting, repenting, and redeeming to permanently affect your future.  For the most thorough refinement, you want to be sure that you spent adequate time at each of the steps prior to Refinement.  In the refining step, seek God’s wisdom on HOW to implement change – what action steps to transformation that He would have for you.  This is hard work but so worth it!

Go ahead, dig deep, even ask your kids some hard questions that you won’t want to hear the answers to. Ask them if they have bad memories, if they feel resentful, or have a hurting heart about anything in their past. Open the door to those wounds and look at them together. Take some time at the end of this year to reflect and ponder, even if it stings, even if it’s messy.

You see, hiding in the messy moments from our past are opportunities for new God moments with our kids –times where God is quietly calling out for our attention. He wants to reveal His heart, His ways, His character and His power to transform the broken. He wants to do this with us and wants us to help our children discover who He is as well. If I will live a lifestyle of looking for the God moments, God will provide the lessons and it is these lessons that our children need most of all to prepare them for their future moments. He takes the wounds, the regrets, the messes and transforms them IF we will wholeheartedly face them, be willing to do the difficult work of cleaning them up and of learning from our mistakes.

You know, I think Miss Frizzle had it right. Did you ever read the books or watch the show Magic School Bus? The teacher, Ms Frizzle, always said to, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.” I think messes come to those who are living. We are flawed humans and if we wait to live until we are perfect, we will do no living at all. We really do want to LIVE life and teach our kids to do the same, even if it means we’ll have some regrets along the way. 

Jesus said that He came that we might have life more abundant. I don’t’ think that meant perfect or wealthy or easy either. I think an abundant life is full of challenges and messes and mistakes. 

I’ve got bad news and good news for you for the coming year. There’s going to be some messes and you’re going to make some mistakes. You’re not going to always say the right thing or identify every struggle accurately in your kids. You’re going to have lots of decisions to make and you’re not always going to make the right ones. You’re probably even going to cause some wounds on your children’s hearts that will require anguishing regret and uncomfortable mending. Of course, regret and mending is far better than ignoring and letting it fester. The good news is that we serve a God who is a redeemer! He doesn’t just redeem our souls from an eternity without Him, although that is a great gift! He redeems our moments. Not by erasing regret but by making our scars beautiful, IF we’re willing to face our messes and clean them up. 

So, Intentional parents, go ahead, at the end of this year – be brave and spend some time reflecting on the messes and allow some growth in you! Let’s not avoid the mess and let it fester – not in us or in our kids. I don’t know how He does it! I really don’t. But I know that in the last ten years, I have seen God reshape the wounds and the regret into something more amazing than I deserve, more beautiful than I could have asked for or imagined. He has done it in my marriage and in my relationships with my kids. He redeems our brokenness, and we can trust God with our mistakes and our moments. 

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Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM, is a podcaster, blogger, author, and speaker. She’s a wife to Rich for 28 years, mom of seven, grandma to two, and she has a passion for equipping intentional moms in their worthy role of motherhood. Val speaks at moms’ retreats, parenting workshops, and she and her husband enjoy leading marriage seminars as well.  You can listen to her podcast, Practically Speaking MOM: Intentional Mom, Strong Family, at www.PracticallySpeakingMOM.com or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.  She also has a private Facebook group, Intentional Mom Strong Family. 

By Elizabeth Biggs

When I was asked to write a blog post (or I volunteered, I don’t know) I immediately felt that I wanted to write about something near to my heart: words.  

As a speech therapist, I deal in words professionally.  As a mom, I invest in and waste words regularly.  Dear me…lots of them.  

I love words.  And I believe in the power of and necessity of communication. It’s ironic that I’m beginning this blog again with this topic as it was begun with our son coming home from Ukraine – and, at the time, he had no words of his own.  I’ll tell you his story sometime.  To God be the glory, Levi has found his voice many days.  

As mentioned before, the start of his life with us- post adoption- was tumultuous for us all.  We lost our rhythm.  We were needing a new normal.  We were scared.  We believed in what we had done as being God’s plan for our family but our reality was bleak at that time.  

I heard from someone (I have no idea whom but I know many people use this method, this is just my story) about choosing a word of the year.  I remember thinking at the time: that sounds tedious, just one.  But I was so worn down and discouraged, it also felt freeing. 

Just one.  

How do you sum up a whole year in a one word??? 

I.love.words. I use them regularly and flagrantly.  Maybe this wasn’t for me. But the thought persisted: a word. 

Processing this, I came full circle to the thought that the word wasn’t to “sum up” a year but rather to “project onto” a year. What if it was meant to provide intention? Direction? Goal-setting? 

What if it wasn’t just for me? What if the fragrance in our home could be altered by this intentionality? 

We needed something.  

We needed direction.

I believe the first word I chose was HOPE.  Not because I possessed much at the time…but because I was intentionally choosing it for my family.  Because I wanted to live each day not in the hope I can independently realize but only true HOPE that comes from Jesus.  Not because HOPE was something to be owned, but a goal each day; a living hope, if you will, that could be set before us and aspired to.  Even in our weakness and hopelessness.  

Do you feel ‘there’ this year? Have you lost intention and direction? 

Another year, I chose PRAY. Friend, there are situations in front of us (now maybe more than ever) that cannot be changed and affected by our human endeavors but only by the power of prayer. 

Do you have concern for a child? Concern for health? Concern for job? You’ve done all that you can do and now…”all that’s left is to pray”…I determined that year to make prayer my first response, not the last.  I set a goal before me. I posted it through my house so that I would be held accountable…so that my kids would hear me talk about it.   

We’re reading The Screwtape Letters this year in school and I’m reminded that there is a battle constantly being waged.  My complacency and apathy, disinterest and distraction fuel the Enemy’s fire.  May I not be so pliant.  May I enter the fight for God’s Kingdom fully.  I do so by being engaged in prayer always and increasing my vigilance to where God is working and calling me to be. 

So, how does it look? Choosing a word?

I’m always amazed at the words I choose and how they affect my whole family.  I put them out there for all to see and know.  I place them in noticeable places.  I sometimes wear them on jewelry (I like jewelry and wall art, what can I say?)

My word this year is: FAITHFUL.  It hasn’t been on our walls or anything.  It’s one I’m still working out in my spirit. 

God’s faithfulness has been evident to us.  He’s calling us to increasing faithfulness.  It’s a work in progress as I flesh it out on a daily basis.  

Does that make sense? Some years are clear and neat.  Others, like this year, they are promised but hard…and may take a couple of years.  That’s ok. 

As you are looking forward to the coming year, striving for intention, consider these words from the Psalms: 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

Also, Luke 6:45 says: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  

This year, with intention to fill the very heart of your home with only good…whatever is pure, lovely, true, honorable, of good report…choose your word from that list and you’ll never go wrong! 

By Heather Brown 

Time, time, time. . . where did the time go? Do you ever catch yourself saying that too?

I know that at times, I certainly feel that there are just not enough hours in the day. Time is always evolving and changing, and we need to adjust accordingly too! This is my third year homeschooling my two children and trying to do the balancing act with my job as well. Life may not always go as planned when you are homeschooling, and especially when you add in other responsibilities that come about. I admit it can be a little rough at times, but with proper preparation and being open to adjusting your time, things can go a little smoother!

When I first started out homeschooling, I was lost and confused of what to do. I did not know anyone else that homeschooled in my town or near me. I knew I had several months before our start date, so I did some research of what I needed to get accomplished. I did a basic search on Google and found a website called Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which is a homeschool support organization that talks about the main things that need to be done for homeschooling per state, which lead me in the right direction.

The only problem now was that I needed some guidance about how to organize all that curriculum that I received in the mail! So, I checked out YouTube videos of how other moms organize their curriculum and found out there are several moms using the same curriculum as me. While watching the clips, I was able to obtain some pointers of what extra materials I needed to purchase to help keep us organized. One thing that I thought was genius was the idea of week by week crates. It is time-consuming at first to put together, but in the end these crates are a lifesaver! Because all your lessons are grouped by weeks, it makes it easy if you need to miss a few days here or there for whatever reason.

When the big first day arrived and after we had completed a few weeks, our homeschool routine was flowing smoothly. Occasionally, there were hiccups that would appear from meltdowns over certain subjects, unexpected doctor appointments/sickness, and not to mention my job as a daycare provider. When those meltdowns would spring about, communication and giving space/time seemed to help them the most. With sickness, we would have to adjust our schedule until they were feeling better. This would push us back a few days to a week, and I would have to alter my homeschool schedule, which conflicted with my daycare schedule. To help with that, I created an assortment of busy work for the kids, which really helped in the end! Occasionally, I will work one late night a week to type up lessons, grade papers, and file. I still get to enjoy quality family time on the other nights of the week.

In conclusion, I try to take things day by day and not sweat the small stuff. Acknowledge the big things in life and celebrate all accomplishments in your homeschool, big or small. There still might not be enough time throughout the day, but being prepared and adjusting time are my simple steps to success!

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Heather Brown grew up in Kansas all her life. She graduated from high school in May 2001. She graduated from Kansas State University in May 2010 with Bachelor’s degree in Science Education. She has four children ages 18, 14, 9 and 8. She has worked from home as daycare provider since 2013 with her husband who with the infants and homeschooling too!

By Paula Drennan

“Well, that didn’t go as planned.”  These were the words I found myself saying the other day and as I paused, I realized that no truer words have been spoken since the beginning of 2020. But, as I thought back on my home educating journey and even my life’s path for that matter — it’s also a fair assessment. In relation to my homeschool journey, I would have to say that some of those plans were brought about by my need to make my journey match my friends. I liken it to seeing that cute outfit in the store window but when I get home with my purchase,  it just doesn’t fit the way it did on the mannequin. Bummed by the need to return the items and try something else, led me to realize that the mannequin and I don’t share anything in common. My need to have what looked good, caused me to be disappointed. Unfortunately, that is often my experience when I start to compare. 

In the spirit of transparency, I guess I should say I am one of those home educators that gets dubbed with the dubious distinction of being called “veteran” or “mentor” strictly because of the number of years I’ve logged. Laughingly, I will be the first to admit I have no idea what I am doing most of the time. I am just thankful for sharpened pencils and those big, pink erasers so I can at least appear on paper that I have it together.

My son is entering the 11th grade this year. Yep, we made it to the “big leagues” as we are almost finished with our home educating journey. We started homeschooling when he was entering 2nd grade for many reasons. One of which being he was reading at a Kindergarten level and I disliked watching him struggle and not get the help he needed.  Honestly, I started this process thinking he would just be home with me for a few years,  but we never looked back. It has been a tremendous blessing for our family. Interestingly, those fears I had of “messing him up” or that “I could never do that” have been put to rest each time he takes a test and he performs “at grade level” or above. I don’t say that to pat myself on the back, but I say it to encourage those that may have the same concerns. 

I will tell you the hardest and most difficult thing for me in home educating – (shhhh– I still struggle with it at times even now) – was/is COMPARISONS.

Comparisons can be a killer. Not in the literal sense of the word but it does play a number on your thought processes and opinions of yourself. Early on, I struggled with trying to make my home school look like everyone else’s. I saw all those cute little homeschool rooms; mommas that had multiple kiddos and were able to make up their own curriculum; people who seemed to have the most well-behaved, well-read children; moms who completed the most awesome science experiments and art projects; and the list goes on. I wanted to be able to do all they did and for the end result to be the same. I had a bad case of homeschool insecurity. After a couple of years, one of these sweet “veteran” moms pulled me aside and gave me some powerful advice that I want to pass on to anyone that needs to hear this for the first time or just needs to be reminded. 

• No two homeschool situations are the same.  Just like no two families are the same. Stop trying to duplicate a process that may not work for you. There is no one size fits all. = No Comparison. 

• Remember your WHY! Why did you and your family choose to homeschool? Be true to that and don’t let anything distract you from your intended purpose and mission for home educating.  Sometimes, we lose our bearing and get off course. If you come back to your WHY, you can get back on track.  = No Comparison.

• Don’t compare your homeschool (husband, life, children, bank account, body, etc… fill-in-the blank) with anyone else.  Your situation is unique to your family,  just like a fingerprint.  = No Comparison.

• Don’t try to keep up with that friend that seemingly pops out geniuses and star athletes. As a mom whose son struggled just to read, this was really disheartening so I had to again realize that my journey was different than theirs. I had to realize that the Lord made my son just as he was with his own gifts and talents thus, we had plenty of things to celebrate.  = No Comparison.

• Find the blessing in each and every situation. By that I mean, even in those rough days/weeks/months (Yep– you’ll have them), there is ALWAYS something to be learned or a blessing to be found. It takes time to pause in the midst of all the chaos and truly look around to find it. It’s sometimes hidden pretty deep, but it’s there. Just keep looking and you’ll find it. It may be small but at least it’s something to work with to keep moving forward.  = No Comparison.

• My favorite thing to say is the “give yourself some grace.” That is true of all aspects of life, including home education. I hate to tell you this, but you’re not going to get it all right. You will mess up. There will be hard days. There will be good days. There will be days in between. But, GRACE covers it all. Don’t be too hard on yourself.  = No Comparison.

Bottom line with all my ramblings comes down to this — Don’t get caught in the Comparison Trap. It will steal your joy. I don’t know about you, but these days I could use all the joy I can get and I don’t need comparison issues adding negativity in my life.  You can do this!  There are lots of homeschool families out there that would be happy to walk through this journey with you. Just don’t stumble into the COMPARISON TRAP.  Be Blessed!

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Paula is a recent Florida transplant to the state of Kansas. She is a Christ-follower, wife of almost 19 years, mom to a teenage son and a pup named Ginger.  When she is not trading out her flip flops and Mickey Mouse ears collection for new boots and sweaters, she loves to read, spend time with her family, and explore the great state of Kansas. Her family is beginning their 9th year of homeschooling this fall and still trying to process that!  She is constantly giving herself grace and using her big, pink eraser to keep her planner looking “just so.” 

By: Jessica Yourdon

It is the prayer I utter regularly during my homeschool days.

I fail on the daily.

My mission is to lovingly teach and guide my children and yet I catch myself with a tone of voice that just isn’t right. I don’t even have to tell you what my face looks like in that moment. Not to mention, my body language, as I point harshly at the problem at hand and instruct in a manner that no student would find beneficial. 

Once again, I have fallen short. I see the look of frustration and discouragement in my child’s eyes. The tears begin to well up and I can see clearly what I have done. I have communicated to my precious child that the lesson is more important than she is.

Time for a major reset.

Time to apologize.

Time to ask for forgiveness.

Time to try again.

“Mommy needs a quick time out.” I say, as I step outside on the porch. I take a deep breath. I might even jump up and down a few times if I am dealing with some anger. I cry out to my heavenly Father, “Lord Jesus, make my face right! Help me to love my children well and teach them with kindness on my tongue. I cannot do this without your strength! Help me to see them with your eyes and love them with your hands.”

I call to my child, “will you come out here with me?” I wipe away her tears and get down on her level. I look her in those sad eyes and see the pain I have caused.

“What is more important to mommy, you or school?” I say.

She smiles and says, “Me.”

“You are right!” I say, “You are way more important to me that any school lesson we are working on. I need to ask your forgiveness. I was acting like school was more important than you by they way I was talking to you. Mommy needed a time out to make her face and voice right again. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes!” She answers quickly.

“Can I try again?” I ask her.

“Yes, Mommy.” She responds.

“I love you, sister.” I say as I pull her in close for a hug.

“I love you too.” She says as she squeezes me tight.

We take a few more minutes to snuggle the kitty cats and pet the puppy dogs. Our work will be waiting for us when we head back inside. When I realize that we are approaching lunchtime, I choose to feed my people before we begin again. Everyone will feel better with a full tummy. I brew a cup of coffee and settle in beside my little love to try again.

I will never be a perfect mom. I will certainly never be a perfect homeschooling mom. However, I will give this season everything I have. I will teach my children what it means to stop, reset and humbly ask for forgiveness. I will teach them that I am after their hearts. I will model for them what it looks like to seek the Father, listen for his voice and walk in obedience to him. He will always know the way.

I admit, there have been times where I have looked longingly at the big yellow school bus that drives by. Certainly, that is the answer to all my struggles, right? I have cried out to God and asked if this cup of homeschooling could pass from me. A little dramatic? Yes, I know. When you are pouring yourself out day after day to answer the calling to homeschool your children, there are moments when the painful reality of your insufficiency becomes too much. It was during one of these seasons for me when the Lord gently communicated two important truths to my heart. I was at worship one night, singing praises while feeling exhausted and defeated. I told him that I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted released from homeschooling. He spoke right to my heart, “I will be with you and I will bring you joy.” The tears rolled down my face. I believed him but I sure wasn’t feeling the joy at that moment.

I have good news.

The joy did come and it continues to flow.

My fellow homeschooler, He will do the same for you.

He will be with you.

He will bring you joy.

And guess what?

He will even make your face right!

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV)

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 (ESV)
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:26 (ESV)

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Jessica Yourdon has been married to Joel, her college sweetheart, for eighteen years. They have seven children ages 14 to 6. She spends her days “making her face right” while homeschooling, serving in leadership at one coop and teaching several classes at another coop. She is passionate about hearing the voice of her Father and teaching her children to do the same. Jessica delights in encouraging other moms with her own stories of struggle and victory.

By: Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM

As homeschool parents, it’s so easy to get overly focused on the academic success of our children and neglect other key areas of life, such as the relationships we have with them, their relationship with God, or their physical health (mind and body).  While all of these areas matter, often it is the academic achievement pressure that seems to overshadow our homeschool days. 

*How can we foster growth in all the important areas of our child’s life while reducing education stress without throwing away their academic success altogether?  

*Won’t our child’s education decline if we don’t make it the top priority?  

*Is there a simple way to reach academic excellence AND grow a well-balanced child who becomes a well-balanced adult? What does this look like?  

I hear you, parents, and I’ve asked all of those questions myself. Keeping the growth areas of our children in appropriate balance can be tough.  

There is always fallout or ripple effects when we neglect key areas of life.  For example, if we neglect the parent/child relationship they likely won’t want to listen to us when they’re dealing with big decisions or won’t come to us with private pressures in life. How well we have maintained the parent/child relationship will determine the strength of our influence in those difficult or secret moments in adolescence and beyond.  

What about when we’ve focused only on academics and then they don’t perform well?  We, unintentionally, then, assign a big FAILURE label on ourselves and our child because our main measuring stick was their high scores in education.  Is that what brings significance to their life? Is their academic success what brings significance to our life? 

Most homeschool parents feel so much pressure to “perform” well by producing an academic over-achiever in your child.  After all, we feel like the whole world is evaluating our every move and our child’s every ounce of knowledge. The stress is especially heavy when it comes to preparing them for college and career.  

I totally get it!  I’ve been raising seven kids for the last 26 years and we’ve homeschooled all the way through.  Sometimes that pressure has been brought on by others’ intrusive questioning of my kids, and other times it has been self-imposed, fearing that I wasn’t doing a good enough job with my kids’ education. 

Yet, I also have wanted my kids to do well in life after our family’s homeschool in many more ways than just knowing that they had high marks academically.  As adults, we don’t walk around with name tags saying, “I got all A’s in school” or “I used to have all the physics formulas memorized.”  These academic markers are merely a small part of their overall future, so let’s not allow the wrong markers to define our children’s daily life growing up.

 The culture’s lie is that focusing on academics is the road map to success and a good future.  However, I believe it is best if we take a different path to success for our children. 

Here’s what I want to you to know, my intentional parent-friend:  There is more than one path to academic success; We can take the Education-centric Approach which is filled with stress and pressure, or we can take the Character Road which is guided by God using His manual for effective growth in children and allowing Him alone to be our measuring stick.

I can zero in on high performance academic results as our top priority.  That’s one way to get excellence in education.  OR, I can focus on developing character qualities in my kids such as integrity (doing the right thing no matter who is watching), wisdom (applying knowledge in the best way possible), hard work and follow-through, trouble-shooting, problem-solving, team work, and people skills such as honesty, articulating ideas, presenting reasoning to support my ideas, etc.  If I focus on these skills, I am preparing them for much more than just academics, but it is, at the same time, creating a very exceptional student.   Two roads to the same end point.  I choose the Character Road.  It is not EASY and is TIME-CONSUMING, but honestly, I’d say the other road is also not easy and is time-consuming.    The Character Road reaps much more benefits than the Academic Road.  On the Character Road, academic success is just one stop on the path.  There’s lots of other great intersections on this trail – such as quality relationships, a better understanding of self and God, and a healthier body and mind. 

One of those stops along the Character Road is healthy relationships.  I’ve never met a person with poor character that has healthy relationships.  Thriving relationships are one of the blessings along the character trail.  You know what is one of the greatest benefits to having a good relationship with your growing, older child? This strong relationship means that we MAINTAIN THE RIGHT TO INFLUENCE their life.  This is critical as they move into the middle and teen years when the parent/child relationship can really be tested.  

If I have focused on character strengths and if I have remained vigilant about the health of our relationship, then my child has two very strong chords keeping them aligned with quality academics.  They are performing well because it is in their character to do so, and they’re performing well because they desire to bless me, their parent, knowing that I want them to do their best.  

What if there’s another chord that keeps them tethered to excelling in academics when they take the Character Road?  There is!  It’s knowing God, His character qualities, and knowing who we are because we’re made in His image.  This is the best way to travel the Character Road  – teaching the character of God, our Creator, whose image we reflect.  If we seek a lifestyle that daily brings our attention to the attributes of God and allowing Him to develop these qualities in us, His children, then we’ve got yet another strand holding our children to quality effort and behavior in education because they are seeking excellence in all of their life.

Now I bet you’re thinking that a Character Road sounds kind of abstract, confusing, and difficult to manage.  Well, I’ve got two tools that are both very simple that I’ve used for over twenty years to aid my kids in the right kind of growth.  I call them Raising a Luke 2:52 Kid and a Hierarchy of Needs to God’s Will for My Child’s Life -Daily and Long Term.  

Luke 2:52 says, “Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with man.”  This verse has served as a great guide for me to keep a clear focus on all four areas of my children’s growth, not just laser-focused only on academics. I need to seek their growth in their physical ability and health, their academics and wisdom, in their relationships with others (including me!), and their relationship with God, including their understanding of their own worth because He created them.  We see this same concept that people are four parts in Matt 22:37, Luke 10:27, Mark 12:30, Deut 6:5, which all reference that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart (relationships), soul (relationship with God), mind (academics and wisdom), and strength (physical health). 

I’ve been monitoring and goal-setting these four areas of my kids’ lives for over twenty years and it has been a compass for me rather than getting lopsided in one area.  I haven’t always been successful at remaining equally balanced in those areas, but since it has been my goal, that has helped tremendously.  This is one of the three things that I’ll be talking about in my workshop titled, “Balancing Academics and Relationships” at the upcoming convention.  I’ll also be talking about how to find God’s will for your child’s life – daily and long term – and I’ll share some academic strategies for excellence without harming relationship.  I hope to see you in my workshop! 

You can also hear more from me on the topic of Raising a Luke 2:52 kid – 

Click here to listen to my podcast on Raising a Luke 2:52 Kid: https://www.practicallyspeakingmom.com/podcast/episode/4ad128b9/14-helping-your-kids-grow-in-character-wisdom-relationships-and-health-raising-a-luke-252-kid

 Click here to read my blog post on Raising a Luke 2:52 Kid: https://www.practicallyspeakingmom.com/post/podcast-blog-post-raising-a-luke-2-52-kid-character-mental-physical-and-relationships-too

My other workshops at the KSHE conference will be: “Emotional Health in the Middle and Teen Years” and “Start Here.”

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Mother of seven, Val Harrison, knows how you feel as a dedicated yet overwhelmed mom!  Speaking at conventions, moms’ groups, and in parenting classes for many years, Val encourages and equips parents with practical solutions in all stages of parenthood.  She’s been homeschooling for 22 years and has graduated five, so far, from their homeschool, Heritage Academy.  

Her books include:

• When Littles Are Loud: Maximizing the Moments without Drowning in Chaos
• Wearing All Your Hats without Wearing Out: Finding Focus for Your Family to be the Masterpiece God Intended it to be
•  Clash in Your Home: A Game Plan for Cleaning Up the Conflict
•  Gaining Momentum: Preparing Your Student for a Career with or without College 

To contact Val for speaking at your moms’ event or to have Val and her husband Rich speak at your marriage event, she can be reached at val@practicallyspeakingmom.com.  

Through her website, her podcast, “Practically Speaking MOM — Intentional MOM, Strong FAMILY,” Instagram and Facebook @PracticallySpeakingMOM, or her private Facebook community “Intentional Mom, Strong Family,” Val wants you to remember that your family, even with all of its unique personalities, imperfections, and scars, is God’s masterpiece in the making!  

With Father’s Day right around the corner, I want to offer a glimpse into the hearts and minds of homeschool dads. Dads, I want you to hear from a homeschool mom directly, we could not do what we do day in and day out without you! Your support, your ear, your advice, your cuddles – all of it means the world to us! Now, read on below some heartfelt responses I gathered from a few real life homeschool dads, right here in Wichita!

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Q. What is your role in your family’s homeschool?

A. “I feel my most important role, out of the many, is to encourage and empower my boys to grow to be the men God has called them to be.” – Curtis C.

Q. What is your favorite part about being a homeschool dad?

A. “Relationships, relationships, relationships. I also get to disciple my kids as part of the process. There is no greater honor for a dad than being able to watch your kids grow and homeschooling gives me a front row seat (a seat that is usually given to others).” – Jeff G.

Q. What is one thing you wish your wife knew about being a homeschool dad?

A. “It makes me so happy to see you teaching the kids, but take it easy on yourself. What we have is a real blessing and I’m so glad we are on this adventure together.” – Dean H.

Q. What is one thing you wish your children knew about being a homeschool dad?

A. “I’m so glad you get to go to school at home. I hope you learn about my job, hard work, cooking, keeping house, loving marriages, loving families, communication, and many others things from spending so much time with this family. I hope you learn more than what we can teach you at home. I hope you never miss the opportunity to learn something from a new experience. Above all else, I hope you learn love for each other, obedience to you parents, and that “normal” life can be whatever you make it. Don’t be afraid to do something different.” – Dean H.

Q. What is one thing you wish public school dads knew about being a homeschool dad?

A. “We only get our children for so long. There is so much pressure in the world to distance yourself from others, be successful above all else, and put personal pleasures first. We have an opportunity to provide an alternative example. We should strive to build a home life that teaches them the importance of togetherness, love for others, respect, hard work, faith, and creativity. My hope is that we as father’s can guide them in this pursuit and that they can learn from us in the safety and comfort of their own home. This is not to shelter them, but to build them up and prepare them to live good and wholesome lives. We can work hard to be good examples so that we teach our children not only while they live in our homes, but for as long as we are on this Earth with them.” – Dean H.

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Wow! I really could not have answered any better myself. Thank you to all the dads who participated in making this post! Thank you to all homeschool dads everywhere for all you do for your families! From everyone here at KSHE, we hope you have a Happy Father’s Day!

By: Kayla Suderman

“This is boring! Why do you keep making me do stuff I already know? I HATE school!” My second-grader Lane* screamed through her tears. 

It was true. Every time I taught a new concept she either already knew it or mastered it within that day. It was a pace for which I was unprepared. Most lesson plans spent a week on new concepts, or would spiral back to previous taught skills before moving on, but I had to condense an entire week’s lesson plan into one day’s worth of teaching in order to match her speed. It was an incredible amount of extra work on my part, and even then we would still run into many things she already “knew.” How is this even possible? I would marvel. Of course I’d heard the old adage “kids are like sponges” but this seemed extreme. 

In the beginning of our homeschool journey we both had immense fun. And while kindergarten was the same confusing story with Lane knowing most subjects, we both still enjoyed the work. However, after three years of that routine we had tired. School was something mundane and pointless to her by second grade since I had somehow failed to academically challenge her. Teaching was now a source of anxiety for me and a fuel for feelings of inadequacy. The problem was I thought I was challenging her, yet at the same time I couldn’t seem to catch up to her. She was reading three grade levels ahead, was at least one grade level ahead in math, and already understood geography as well as most middle school students. But then there was the issue of her handwriting and spelling. Nothing about teaching this child was simple. In second grade she could read words such as “unconscious”, “obscene”, “purification”, “phenomenon” and “omniscient” but would then ask for help in spelling words such as “house”, “state” and her own middle name. Sadly, her handwriting was in worse shape than her spelling with her letters being hardly distinguishable, something I was conscientious of for a year but didn’t genuinely worry until I saw her kindergarten sister Bitty writing with better skill and formation.

While struggling to figure out Lane, I was also struggling with Bitty who was a young kindergartener. Like her sister, Bitty entered kindergarten reading. And like her sister, I didn’t teach her how to read. It just happened. But she was an even more puzzling case. For one, Bitty was unable to sit without fidgeting for more than a few seconds. This was true of her even in the womb. Of my now four children, I still remember her insanely fast movements in utero. None of her siblings mimicked those gymnastic moves to the level she was capable of prenatally. Now in kindergarten, she was a ball of furled energy. While similar to her sister in many areas, there were some distinct differences. With Lane I couldn’t catch up to whatever level she was at. With Bitty I couldn’t get information to stick! Some days it seemed she completely understood concepts but several days later it was if that information literally fell out of her mind. Someone close to me with similar experience in her now-grown child said it is like a “Swiss cheese mind.” 

Since Bitty was a young toddler I had lamented it was like living with an amnesiac. Her short term memory was awful. Yet while she frequently forgot simple instructions, sometimes couldn’t remember her birthday, and couldn’t recall the state where she lived, she could hear and identify every instrument she heard in an orchestra, could tell you from age three if a chord was major or minor, and eventually began composing her own piano songs at age six in spite of not being in piano lessons.

Our normal is not the norm.

I’m describing life with twice exceptional (2e) children, a term often used in the gifted community to indicate a gifted individual (someone whose IQ is generally 130 or greater) who also struggles with a learning disorder such as ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, Autism, or sensory processing disorder. I know we’re not the only homeschool family with children like this. This post is a shout out to parents who also find themselves in the perplexing roles of parenting gifted or 2e children. I’m vulnerably sharing our story in hopes it encourages another homeschooling family, something I desperately searched for years ago but was unable to find. 

Two years ago we walked into the office of an educational psychologist. It was our cry for help. On the verge of abandoning homeschooling, we desperately needed answers for our children’s oddities. We couldn’t keep up with their learning in some areas yet also couldn’t help them effectively in the areas they struggled. The disparity in their skills was alarming and depressing. Answers finally came. We discovered our daughters each struggle with different learning disabilities yet at the same time are gifted. We finally learned a word for their abilities but more importantly we learned the word to describe their bizarre uneven development: asynchronous, which means they operate on high levels in some areas of their lives yet struggle to be peer-level in other areas, which is common among the gifted population. 

Between the girls we covered everything diagnostically from gifted to ADHD to dysgraphia and dyslexia. According to the CDC, roughly 9% of children will be diagnosed with ADHD. About 15% of the population is dyslexic, and in elementary school around 4% of children struggle with dysgraphia. Top that off with only 5% of the overall population being gifted and it looks like we’ve won the “outlier” lottery. Finding another homeschool family that intricately understands the complexities of schooling such out-of-the-norm children is rare, and yet that community is very much needed. I know there are other homeschool families who need to know they’re not alone. Like us, you may be that family. Perhaps you’re ready to quit homeschooling as well, because a bright and voracious learner is not only intense academically and intellectually but also emotionally (more on that later). In fact, the emotional meltdowns our family daily experiences between our children often overshadows their high abilities. For the first half-decade of our parenting career we chalked up their uneven development to poor parenting skills. No one else’s children in our social circle had such paroxysmal behavior. Surely we were doing something wrong.   

If you suspect your normal is also not the norm and you’re struggling with that, then keep reading. It can get better. I hope I can offer some online comradery to fellow parents in similar situations with their children! 

One of the most helpful tips the educational psychologist offered was to “throw out the tests and repetitious quizzes.” Rather, he said, if our children demonstrate clear mastery of the subject then quickly move on (this can be applicable to gifted or non-gifted children). With gifted children they master content so rapidly that you also run the danger of boring them just as quickly. In the beginning of homeschooling I couldn’t fathom leaving so many blank pages in workbooks. Not only did it seem a waste of money but it would also look as if we did nothing! Furthermore, I feared moving too quickly would inhibit me from seeing “gaps” in their understanding. But we were in a place of desperation. I had no choice but to try what the psychologist suggested. Thankfully, that simple piece of advice has saved us hours of wasted time and tears. 

Practically speaking, if your child insists he knows a subject and therefore doesn’t want to do the required work, give him a chance to prove himself. Explain you’re more than happy to move on if he can do several of the problems or questions well enough to show he doesn’t need more practice. You may need to remind him to not be sloppy because if he hastily makes mistakes you may interpret that as him not understanding the material. Both our girls are notorious for blasting through work they know well and ultimately they make careless mistakes because they didn’t take the time to heed the instructions well. It didn’t take long for them to figure out if they wanted to do less of the work they needed to do better on the work and to take their time accurately reflecting what they knew. Also, if you’re aware your child knows the material in the next two, five or twenty lesson plans then skip them! It may not be uncommon for you to go through multiple grade levels in a year’s time. It also may not be uncommon for you to move that quickly for a while and then your child slows down. It’s about finding their level and keeping up with their natural learning pace. And with all things in life, it’s not concretely the same at all times. There will be ups and downs in their abilities, vigor and quickness.

The next tip the psychologist offered seemed culturally counterintuitive, which is don’t worry about what they should know at this age but allow them to be immersed in what they want to know. Yes, that sounds like unschooling. And while it can be taken to that level, it doesn’t have to be. We’ve operated in a strange place for years between structure and unschooling. While I try to keep them on task with expected reading, writing and mathematics, there have been times when we take time off from all school books and plunge into their interests whether that is geology, music, biology, literature or art. Several years ago our children were interested in geology. One kept an elaborate rock collection complete with identification books to help her classify her specimens, and the other was (at the time) an aspiring volcanologist who wanted to learn how to identify different volcano formations, recreate them with experiments, and check out all possible books on geology from the library. So we spent most of our “school” studying geology, doing experiments, traveling to rock and mineral shows so they could interview real geologists, and even created a rock display for our local library to borrow for a month. This is just one example of immersion learning. Because with gifted kids their interest often borders on obsession. They crave lots of detailed information that regularly leads to time-consuming rabbit trails. Amazingly, by time we get back to their regular bookwork they’re so refreshed it’s not difficult to make up what was missed or they somehow learned those skills through their interest-led immersion process. Which leads me to my next point. 

Resist the urge to push too hard. With gifted children it’s challenging to fight back the compulsion to drive them forward. It’s also difficult being realistic with what to expect of them, for while they may be capable of talking world politics, history or current events at a mature level, they’re still children who have meltdowns, can’t remember where they put things, and keep messy rooms. This inconsistency can lead to unrealistic expectations that they should operate on high levels in all areas of life. If your second grader can name the countries of the world, or memorize every scene from her favorite book or movie, or perform pre-algebraic equations but cannot tie her shoes and cries like she is still four, that’s a great example of asynchrony. And the danger with asynchrony is it’s tempting to chastise them for being lazy in the things they seem “behind” in. This was the crux with our oldest daughter that ultimately led us to seek an evaluation. In second grade I accused her routinely of being lazy with penmanship and spelling skills as those skills were quite abysmal. She would insist she was trying her hardest, would then break down into tears or flee the room. Imagine my shame when we discovered she has severe dysgraphia, which, simply put, is a writing disorder. It turned out she actually was trying her best. It just wasn’t on the same level as her other abilities or even her peers. Be gentle with your bright child and exercise wisdom to know when to push and when to let them be.

The last issue I want to mention is the emotional side of gifted children. Parents of gifted and/or learning disabled children spend more time and energy than most on coaching their children how to manage emotions in healthy manners. Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski identified five different areas in which most gifted children demonstrate “overexcitabilities (OEs).” Overexcitabilities is a fancy way of saying gifted individuals feel more, think more, move more, react more, etc. than neurotypical individuals. These five areas are psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual, and emotional. I’m focusing on the emotional area because it’s the one that can make a family look and feel out of control, especially to others. Gifted children can have passionate and powerful reactions to what seems to others as nonissues. Our five-year-old could win a Broadway award for his melodrama. Recently he fell off his bike and bloodied his knee. While most children would shed tears and ask for a Band-Aid, he took it many steps further. He cried until he felt like puking, but not from the pain. He was so intensely upset that there is pain and suffering in the world and bellowed for over 10 minutes about how his hurt knee is a direct result of Adam and Eve’s fault and their issuance of sin into the world, how some kids are starving to death in other countries, and how life is pointless to live if your body is always going to get hurt. His emotions ran so deep and so long that while I cleaned up his wound I was also doing my best to emotionally coach him through his overwhelming feelings. This is an extremely common response in our children. Last year Lane vomited at church which invoked Bitty to cry for over an hour because she was embarrassed for her sister. Bitty was also so upset for her sister being ill and missing out on time with her friends that consequently Bitty became sick as well from stressing over Lane’s well-being! 

Life is a roller-coaster for every family. And for families with gifted or 2e children, that roller coaster often looks a lot different from the ride others are on. Our normal is not the norm. And maybe yours isn’t either. The good news is you are not alone on this journey. 

For more information on gifted children check out the following resources:

https://www.nagc.org/

https://www.davidsongifted.org/

https://www.verywellfamily.com/is-my-child-gifted-1449131

https://www.verywellfamily.com/characteristics-of-gifted-children-1449114

https://www.education.com/magazine/article/Ed_Twice_Exceptional/

*The names of those involved in this article have been changed to protect privacy.

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Kayla is above all else devoted to following Christ and reflecting His truths from the Bible in all areas of her life. The biggest area in which her life has been called to glorify and worship God is the journey of raising and educating three 2e children (the fourth is yet to be determined)! In her rare spare time Kayla loves to bird watch, read and discuss theology, study learning disabilities and attend relevant workshops, play with the family’s show Holland Lops, and garden. 

This month’s topic comes as a special request from some of our readers and it just so happens to coincide with the theme of this year’s Faith Builders Academy: having fierce confidence in God at all times! 

In case you don’t know, Faith Builders Academy (FBA) is the name of the children’s program that is available for children ages 6-12 during our annual homeschool convention. It is put on by a handful of volunteers who are passionate about God and helping the homeschool community. They put on an original play for the children that demonstrates walking with God and building faith. This year’s expo is happening on May 15th-16th at Century II here in Wichita. Registration is now open – you don’t want to miss it! 

The FBA team was kind enough to share their lesson plans with me and I believe a few of the lessons are not only going to bless the children immensely, but are also great reminders for homeschool parents. As homeschool parents, we deal with a surprising amount of doubt. Are we doing the right things? Are we doing enough things? Do the children even understand the things? Those thoughts can be overwhelming and oftentimes spiral into even more negative thoughts. But here is the good news: you are not alone in your doubts. Not only are countless other homeschool parents right there along with you, but you have God in your corner too. You do not have to feed into the thoughts of the enemy anymore! 

For our first lesson in confidence, we look at Moses. Moses was lucky enough to witness an amazing act directly from God – the burning bush! This amazing act actually turned out to be a divine assignment for Moses. Moses answered this assignment with, “who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” The Lord assured him, “I will be with you.” Moses continued, “they will not believe me or listen to my voice.” Here the Lord gave him another sign, one to show the people as proof – a staff that turned into a snake! But even still, Moses doubted himself and gave another excuse, “oh my Lord, I am not eloquent… please send someone else.” 

Do you ever feel like Moses? Do you feel like you are the wrong person for the job? Like you are not the teacher your children need? Or the mom your family needs? Does God’s assignment for you ever feel flat out insane? If you answered yes to any of those questions, please remember Philippians 1:6. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” If the Lord gave you an assignment, even if it makes no sense to you or you aren’t sure how you will accomplish it, He will carry it onto completion if you simply trust in Him.

For our next lesson in confidence, let’s look at Joshua. With Moses about to pass away, Joshua was handpicked by God to take over for Moses and finish leading the people of Israel into the promised land. To say he had his work cut out for him was putting it lightly. But Joshua proudly accepted his command and was triumphant in his assignment. When the Lord commissioned him he said, “be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.” Remember that wherever God leads you, He will be with you. 

Lastly, let’s look at David. David was the youngest of eight sons and as such had daily jobs like delivering food and tending to the sheep. His father Saul and his three oldest brothers were soldiers. One day while delivering food to camp, he surprised them all by volunteering to fight the biggest, baddest soldier the Philistines had to offer. The other soldiers must have been thinking, “who in the world does David think he is? Walking into camp all confident, like he has some secret weapon we don’t have?” Well, David knew exactly who he was and what defenses he had available to him. He said to Goliath just before defeating him, “you come to me with a sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord!” 

Whatever giant you are facing in your homeschool, remember who you are and what weapons you have to fight with. You are a child of God who was given a divine assignment, you are exactly the fighter your family needs, you have the name of the Lord and all his truth at your disposal to help you whenever you need it. Go forth in confidence and fulfill the Lord’s calling on your life!

By Sarah Allen

Parents who have children with special needs know that they are all uniquely gifted. They have different fixations, mannerisms, and behaviors. The way each child communicates can range from non-verbal to a discussion based on a highly preferred area of interest. Daily living skills that a typically functioning person learns quickly can take months or years to be mastered by someone with various special needs.

In this highly variable and challenging life of homeschooling someone with special needs, it is imperative to have a good support team. This team could include family members as well as specialists. From my own experience, having this support is of utmost importance as I proceed on this journey with one of my children. Throughout the years, I have had the benefit of receiving training through a local organization. They have provided guidance and clarity to something that is often times unexplainable. I hope to help others who also find themselves on this journey. My goal is to provide ideas that will help parents increase their confidence as they homeschool their special needs child.

One of the many training tools I have used is a workbook program created by the RUBI Autism Network. The Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors workbook has been a great way to learn alternate responses to problematic behaviors. While this program is primarily implemented under the supervision of a behavioral therapist, there is a possibility for the workbook to be completed at home as well. For each core session, there are video vignettes with the opportunity to process various ways a parent could handle each situation.

Helping our kids with behavior issues can be challenging. For example, a child gets fixated on the need to complete certain routines before leaving the house in the morning or going to bed at night. The routine ends up taking over an hour to finish along with the other things that need to get done. The child is asked to finish the routine quickly so that the daily plans can continue. After this prompt, a very loud expression of anger and emotion can be heard from the child. This scenario repeats itself several more days. The parents feel they need the help of a professional to give them ideas to redirect the situation. The professional recommends taking ABC data to find the function of the behavior in order to incrementally change the outcome of the situation.

Collecting ABC data is one of the tools to break down the details which can help direct the future decisions in the matter. The “A” in ABC data collection is for antecedent, which is the action before or leading up to the behavior. The “B” is the exhibited behavior at the height of the emotional exchange. The “C” stands for consequence which is the action following the behavior. The function or reason “why” the behavior occurred can usually be assessed and labeled after the data is collected. The four main functions of behavior are social attention, tangibles or activities, escape or avoidance, and sensory stimulation.

From the example, the antecedent is the request by the parent to finish the routine quickly. The behavior is the loud expressions of anger and emotion. The consequence is that the child has to stop what they are doing and follow the parents instructions. The function or reason behind the behavior could be that the child wants to receive sensory stimulation by completing the routine. The child may also be escaping or avoiding the next scheduled daily activity. Now that the details of the behavior have been identified, the plan of action could be implemented. The child’s routine is slowly modified over the next six weeks. The final outcome is the familiys’ ability to function in a calm manner. The child is able to complete daily living activities as well as a shortened morning and evening routine.

There are so many resources available to parents for help on multiple special needs topics. Often times when our child receives a diagnosis, it takes multiple levels of realization and acceptance for us to function and move forward in our own lives. One of the books I am finding very helpful is called Embracing This Special Life: Learning to Flourish as a Mother of a Child with Special Needs by Jenn Soehnlin. Another book that is both challenging and encouraging is called Aching Joy by Jason Hague. If you need help with ideas to make learning fun and engaging for your child, an interest based learning plan could be very helpful. You can learn more about Shawna Wingert’s books, blog and learning support when you go to her website at www.differentbydesignlearning.com.

In conclusion, we are called to rise up and help our kids accomplish what they are destined to become. God has designed them with the unique abilities and giftings. I am right there with you on this journey of teaching our typical and special needs kids. We can reach out, learn from and support each other.

Click to join the TPA Special Learners Homeschool Support Group!

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Sarah Allen is a music loving, harp playing, homeschooling mom to 3 kids, one with special needs. Her desire is to encourage other parents of children with special needs.