| So you've been homeschooling faithfully all year. | | | | complete in your homeschool program, then you |
| It's been an okay year, but you're tired. The | | | | need to complete it. It's that simple! |
| weather has changed and it's getting more and | | | | Secondly, remember that it may not be just for |
| more difficult to get up, open up the lesson | | | | you that you are walking in perseverance, but it is |
| planner or math notebook and put on the smiling | | | | for your children. They need to see this played |
| face. You hear yourself saying, "I just don't think I | | | | out. Students of all types, but particularly |
| can make it until summer. What difference does it | | | | homeschoolers who operate with so many more |
| make if I just stop now?" | | | | freedoms in the first place, need to learn |
| Well it makes a lot of difference! There are three | | | | perseverance for all of the same reasons that |
| important reasons for holding on through this | | | | you do. For instance, perhaps it is their future |
| challenging month, when many teachers, | | | | marriage or career that depends on learning to |
| homeschool moms, and even students are asking | | | | persevere through the difficult, boring, or |
| this same question. What you do know will teach | | | | mundane daily tasks. For their future, they need |
| more than you know and how you handle this | | | | to persevere as much as you do. |
| "temptation" and mood shift will be a precursor to | | | | Thirdly, as a homeschooler, what you do about |
| how your children view education in general. | | | | "school" when it gets boring or dull, or the |
| First of all, the obvious lesson is in practicing | | | | weather changes, will tell your children what you |
| perseverance. Some projects do not come easily. | | | | believe about education. This will let them know |
| Some jobs or careers take much more work | | | | what you value. Do you regard education as a |
| than play. Some vacations take months to save | | | | primary goal of worthy effort? Or, do you view |
| for, etc. Perseverance is frequently overrun by | | | | education as something to do until something |
| immediate gratification in our society, and | | | | better comes along? How you value what you do, |
| unfortunately that has long-range consequences. | | | | will not only affect how they view the importance |
| Marriages suffer because of failure to focus on | | | | of their homeschool, but it will affect the level of |
| persevering actions, careers fall apart, and who | | | | effort that they give to their work at school |
| knows how many health issues or medical costs | | | | every day for the rest of their lives. If, for |
| have been incurred because those with health | | | | instance, they witness your example and |
| concerns did not persevere through treatment or | | | | determine that school is "optional," then the |
| medication. What about scientists who are close | | | | likelihood that they will push themselves to really |
| to the cure for some disease, but give up from | | | | understand that algebraic formula is not high! |
| fatigue? While these examples might seem | | | | So, push on, set the bar high, and don't give up |
| extreme, the reality of it is that perseverance | | | | on your homeschool year now. Too much is at |
| makes the difference in everything, and if you | | | | stake for the future of your children! |
| set out with goals, objectives, and curricula to | | | | |