We are about to finish up our third year homeschooling our children! I can't believe how fast it's gone. I still feel like I am trying to figure out much about this enormous responsibility. I feel that home educating has taught me as much, if not more, than I've taught my sweet children! One aspect of our time together that has been very precious to me is pursuing our faith in our savior and Lord Jesus. Of all the experiences that have taught me about God, I can say that teaching my children about Him has settled my heart into a place of peace like none other. I feel that I truly have grown as a person through our studies together and that many great conversations have been birthed from making Bible study and faith discussions a big part of our day.
You do not have to homeschool to add this beautiful experience into your lives. Church can provide a great help to parents, but I encourage you to find a time to devote to pursuing your faith together at home. You honestly don't have to understand or know much of anything about the Word of God. This is an adventure you all can take together. You are good enough, right where you are, to teach and conversate with your children about the Christian faith.
Because we are at home, we spend about 20-30 minutes after breakfast on our bible curriculum and reading from children's bibles. I basically read aloud to them and then we may talk about what I read. I do not script it out, if questions or comments arise, we discuss them after I have finished reading. If they don't have questions, that's okay too. I also allow them to color or draw as I read if they want to, because little minds often retain more information when they are allowed to do other quiet activities while being read to. I just ask them to be quiet while I am reading and to ask questions or make comments when I'm done. They do not have to repeat what I told them, this can create pressure and make the experience less enjoyable. I encourage a relaxed approach, not traditional school style where they have to sit still and be drilled, this will just frustrate everyone. I may know a thing or two about doing this a little wrong. But now, I feel we have developed a peaceful place and routine that has become our favorite part of our learning routine.
If your children go to a public or private school, this may be a great routine to start after dinner. We used to do this after dinner, but for us, our afternoon schedules didn't provide a consistent time and it was put last instead of first, often not happening at all. I think it's wonderful when Dads can do a dinner devotion. We enjoyed it when it worked, but Jason's afternoon work schedule is never routine, so I had to adjust our day so the kids were seeing us put Him first instead of fitting it in when it was convenient. Every family will look different, maybe a longer weekend session would work best for yours. In a world where it's really easy to fill every last minute with something, I really encourage you to search your schedule and carve out some time to implement this into your family's journey. Everyone will benefit!
Not sure where to start? There are numerous choices, it's actually overwhelming when you start trying to find the right one. I encourage you not to let that stop you from picking something! It's good enough to just start with something, maybe it's just reading the Word, maybe you have something already collecting dust on your bookshelf, that will work. You will find out quickly if you need to change the pace. I found that something geared towards my children's ages has worked best. Right now, my kids are 10, 7, and 5. Here is what we use:
- Apologia's "Who is God?" This is the first book in the "What We Believe" series. We have really enjoyed it and it has made teaching the basics of a Christian worldview to my children very simple. I usually read one segment at a time, not the whole lesson, because my littles attention span is still fairly short! I bought the main book and the coloring book. They offer a student journal, junior student journal, and audio CD as well. I have considered the student journal, but I think we may do those as they get older.
Oh how I love this! It is perfect for any age, but if you have really young children, this is just the best. I often read this on my own! The illustrations are simply beautiful. I usually read one chapter right after we finish "Who is God." We started at the beginning and are still working our way through the Old Testament stories.
Last but definitely not least! This has been a very recent addition to our Bible time. It was recommended by a trusted homeschool mentor, and I am so glad I now know about this gem! I'm also reading this on my own time and it is hard to put down! If you struggle with reading the Word, like I do, consider this one strongly. We are starting with the New Testament in this one because I still have little ears listening and some of the Old Testament stories may be harder for them to understand.
Whatever you choose, I hope it blesses and strengthens your faith as much as it has mine. In a world where it's really convenient to put the Word last, may we see that putting Him first will bring peace, hope, and unity within our precious families.
