The real work has only just begun. Homeschool prep is time-consuming. It can also be fun, but the real work lies ahead. Before you begin, you need to take time to prepare yourself for your homeschool year.
I believe that a homeschool mom’s attitude and purpose are key to having a successful homeschool year. We don’t know what will come our way throughout the year, so we must take time to prepare ourselves for the unknown.
Preparing for the Homeschool Year – Step Four: Purpose
- What do you mean by ‘purpose’?
Purposing in our hearts and minds to have a successful homeschool year is important before we kick off a new school year.
We must lay aside the things we didn’t accomplish last year, the concerns we have for this upcoming year and anything else that could/will negatively affect our attitude or actions.
- Why is ‘purposing’ so important?
As homeschool moms, both our actions and our attitudes greatly affect our children’s attitudes and their work.
This does not mean that if our actions and attitudes are even remotely near perfection, our kids will not struggle throughout the year. Learning is a struggle at times; it’s meant to grow and stretch us, thus it will be difficult sometimes.
- How exactly do I begin ‘purposing’ for the homeschool year?
This is a step in the homeschool prep process where I take time to go back to the very beginning, to step one. Prayer.
Praying before and throughout your homeschool years is essential. This homeschooling journey is not all rainbows and unicorns. There will be challenging days. Days when you want to throw in the towel. Days when you…just can’t.
If you’re not spending time on your knees seeking strength and direction from the One who knows what lies ahead, those days will do their very best to take you down.
- You’re prayed up. Now what?
The second part of purposing is knowing what your goals are for the upcoming homeschool year. Homeschooling isn’t just about school or textbooks.
Having our children at home allows us the opportunity to teach and train them for the life ahead of them. We need to ensure we’re not just concerned with our children’s education, but also with their spirit, attitude and actions.
Who our children will become is more than what they learn in school; it’s how they are raised and what attributes we focus on throughout their childhood.
- What type of goals do you mean?
I’m not talking about the planning goals you worked on in step two; I’m referring to personal goals you have for yourself and your children.
Yes, you read that correctly. You need to have goals for yourself as well as your kids for the upcoming homeschool year.
To help you begin setting goals for your homeschool year, you’ll find a few goal examples below as well as a free set of printable goal worksheets.
- What characteristic would you like to help mold in your child?
- In what ways does your child need to grow personally this year?
- How can you be a better teacher?
- Which child needs some extra attention?
I encourage you not to skip this step in the homeschool prep process. Purposing may not seem a significant process, but it is one of the most important steps in preparing for the homeschool year that lies ahead.
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