Wow, it is the last day of the series! I hope you have enjoyed taking a brief look at how our "Eclectic Homeschool" works. I think the most important aspect I could ever stress is that every child is different, so every child's education should be different. I do not believe that any "school in a box" will work. The math program that works for "Child A," for example, may not work for "Child B." It doesn't make something wrong with "Child B;" it just means that he or she may learn differently. And that is ok. It is more than ok. It is normal. And to pretend that those innate differences do not exist is not only foolish, but is sacrificing our children's education. It is critical for a parent/teacher to know how each of their children learns, whether they be visual, auditory, tactile learners or a combination of one or more of them. Is it easy to design a unique and individual educational plan for 4 children? No, far from it. But, I do not believe I would be doing my children any justice if I didn't.
The last aspect of our eclectic homeschool that I would like to share this week is giving service. I believe this should be a very important part of any child's character development and Christian worldview. It is a very important part of our homeschool and our lives. Christ taught us that He didn't come to this world to be served, but to serve. What an important life lesson for all of us, whether in our homes or in our communities.
As my children grow older, I am sure that our service opportunities will grow even more, but at this point, we have really focused on being active and helpful members of our church community. My older two boys volunteer as office runners and assistants with our education program, where I am a teacher. My older son has helped with funerals and weddings and our daughter and her youth group have done numerous acts of service, ranging from setting up for special programs, visitng the homebound and helping with baptisms. My husband and I are on the planning committee for our family retreat. All four children help with the fundraisers that offset the costs. We setup for our flea markets (which is no small task) and work at the registration tables each year at the retreat.
There are so many ways to give service and encourage a servant's heart in our children. It can be through your church community or in your neighborhood. There are no shortage of food pantries that need help or donations. Homeless or women's shelters are always looking for toiletries or small household items. Even the act of gathering up unwanted or no longer used toys and books for a local preschool encourages the act of giving in young people. Children at our church have made cards and placemats for residents in nursing homes and have sent letters to servicemen and women who are far away from home fighting for our freedom. This is a wonderful and inexpensive way to brighten someone's day. It doesn't have to be costly to be meaningful or even life-changing. And this applies daily in our home, as well. Giving service, just like going to church, shouldn't be something that is scheduled for one day a week and then we can feel like "we have done our part." We must live it. It must be a part of everything we do, all day, everyday. I encourage my children to be of service and service minded everyday.
Encouraging our children to pray for those less fortunate or for those who lives are in harm's way and for each other is probably the greatest gift that we can ever offer and it doesn't cost a penny. And what a beautiful example we are setting for our children and hopefully paving the way for a lifetime of being of service to and thinking of others.
I hope that this series has been helpful and encourging to you. I have enjoyed writing it and reading all of the other posts that have been shared this week. It has been a privilege to take part.
To see Day 1: What is an Eclectic Homeschool click here.
To see Day 2: Lapbooking in an Eclectic Homeschool chick here.
To see Day 3: Field trips in an Eclectic Homeschool click here.
To see Day 4: The importance of Physical Fitness in an Eclectic Homeschool click here.
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