Learning Through Life

One of the things I love most about homeschooling is that learning doesn't have to stop when we close the

books.  In our home, school isn't confined to a desk.  It happens in the garden, at the barn, in the truck, at the grocery store, at work, on the road, beside the river and in the middle of all those ordinary moments that make up our days.

Sometimes I think the greatest lessons are the ones we never planned.

Learning From God's Creation

Nature is one of our favorite classrooms.  We can spend an afternoon noticing wildflowers, watching birds, identifying trees, or observing the changes in the seasons.  The garden gives us lessons in science, patience, responsibility, and God's provision.  The horses teach us about anatomy, nutrition, weather, animal behavior, and stewardship.

But they teach something even more important, too.  They teach us that caring for another living creature is a responsibility that doesn't disappear simply because we're tired.  Sometimes the lesson is biology, sometimes the lesson is character, both matter.

Learning Through Responsibility

When my children help care for the animals, they're learning more than how to fill a feed bucket.  They're learning to notice when something isn't right.  They're learning to follow through and that living things depend on us.  They're learning that work isn't always convenient.

And they're learning the satisfaction that comes from doing something well.  Those are lessons I want them to carry into adulthood.

Learning in the Truck

Some of our best conversations happen while we're driving.  We talk about where we're going, how long it will take to get there, why we're taking one road instead of another.  We look at the landscape around us, talk about towns we pass through and places we've visited.

Sometimes there's math involved, sometimes geography, history orometimes we're simply talking about life.  And that's okay, not every learning moment needs to have a worksheet attached to it.

Learning at the Grocery Store

Even something as ordinary as grocery shopping can become a lesson.  We compare prices, read labels, think about what we actually need, talk about nutrition, calculate quantities, make decisions, practice patience and interact respectfully with other people.

Children need to know how to function in the real world and the real world is full of opportunities to practice.

My Children Come to Work With Me

One of the things I'm especially thankful for is that my children get to come to work with me.

They see what it means to show up, they see that work takes effort.  They see me interact with customers and other business owners.  They watch problems get solved and see that not every day goes perfectly.

They get to see the behind-the-scenes work that people don't always notice.  And they get to experience the satisfaction of creating something and seeing it become useful to someone else.

I don't think those experiences are separate from their education, I think they're some of the most important parts of it.  They're learning what adulthood looks like.

Learning How to Be a Part of a Community

Life also gives us opportunities to learn how to interact with people.  We learn to say hello, how to listen, to speak up and ask questions.  To thank someone and to help when we can.  To work alongside others and understanding that we're part of something bigger than ourselves.

Those lessons can't always be taught from a textbook, they have to be lived.

Learning to Solve Problems

Real life doesn't come with an answer key.  Sometimes something breaks, plans change, we get lost, the weather doesn't cooperate, an animal needs extra care or a recipe doesn't turn out, something takes longer than expected.

Instead of immediately stepping in to fix everything, I want my children to have opportunities to think.  What could we try?  What went wrong?  What do we need?  How can we solve this?

Learning to think through a problem is far more valuable than memorizing the answer to one.

We Don't Need to Separate School From Life

I think that's one of the greatest gifts homeschooling has given our family.  We don't have to divide our day into two separate worlds:  School.  And then...  Real life.

Real life is our school.  The garden is science, the grocery store is math and practical life, the road is geography.  The kitchen is chemistry, math, and nutrition and the barn is biology and responsibility.  Our work is business, communication, problem-solving, and character.

A conversation can become history, a question can become a research project, a curiosity can turn into an entire afternoon of learning.

And sometimes a simple moment becomes a lesson we'll remember for years.

Raising Adults, Not Just Students

Ultimately, that's what we're working toward, I don't want to raise children who are simply good at school.  I want to raise adults who know how to live, adults who can work hard, think for themselves, care for others, solve problems, manage responsibilities, communicate well, notice God's creation, serve their communities and walk confidently into whatever calling God has prepared for them.

Of course, academics matter, reading, writing, math and history all matter.  But they're tools for building a life—not the entirety of one.

The Education That Happens Along the Way

When I look back at our homeschool days someday, I know I won't remember every worksheet, I won't remember every spelling word or math problem.  

But I hope I'll remember the little things, the conversations in the truck, the muddy boots by the door, the garden harvest, the animals we cared for, the errands we ran together, the workdays, the questions that came out of nowhere, the unexpected rabbit trails, especially the laughter and the ordinary days spent learning how to live.

Because that's what I want homeschooling to give my children.  Not simply an education, A life, and I'm thankful we get to learn it together.

Around Our Table This Week

Ask your children: "What did you learn today that wasn't from a book?"

You might be surprised by their answers.  Maybe they learned how to read a map, maybe they noticed a bird they've never seen before, maybe they learned how much work goes into running a business, maybe they figured out how to fix something, or maybe they learned that someone else needed a helping hand.

Those lessons count, in fact, some of them may matter more than we realize.

A Little Reminder for the Homeschool Mama

You don't have to manufacture learning all day long.  Look around, it's already happening.  Your children are watching you, they're asking questions, helping, observing, trying, failing and trying again.

They're living and while they're living, they're learning.  Learning through life is still learning and sometimes, it's the education that stays with them the longest.

Until next time, may your coffee stay warm and your children stay little just a little longer.

-Maggie