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SPRING 2021
HOMESCHOOL IOWA 19
C
o m p a r is o n is t h e d e a t h o f C o n te n t-
m e n t ” – N e v e r w a s a s t a te m e n t
m o re t ru e t h a n fo r h o m e s c h o o l
m o m s . W e te n d to s u ff e r w it h t h e c h ro n ic
d is e a s e o f “c o m p a ra t iv is m ”. W e lo o k in t h e
m ir ro r a n d s e e a w o m a n w h o s e jo b
is n e v e r d o n e . . . la u n d r y , m e a ls ,
le s s o n s , c h a u ff e u r in g , v a c u u m in g ,
d e -c lu t te r in g , b u d g e t s . W e lo o k
d o w n t h e s t re e t a n d a s s u m e t h a t
life a t o u r h o m e s c h o o lin g n e ig h -
b o r ’s h o u s e is m u c h m o re o rd e r ly ,
t h e m e a ls a re h e a lt h ie r, te s t s c o re s
a re h ig h e r, n o o n e b ic k e rs , p a re n t s
n e v e r d is a g re e lo u d ly , d e v o t io n s
h a p p e n e v e r y m o r n in g ... R e a lit y
c h e c k , la d ie s ! H a v e a lo n g c o n v e r-
s a t io n w it h t h a t m o m . C h a n c e s a re
t h a t y o u ’ll fi n d t h a t s h e fe e ls t h e s a m e w a y
y o u d o . S o , w h e re d o w e g o fro m h e re ?
R e m e m b e r y o u r g o a l
F o r b o t h t h e n e w a n d v e te ra n h o m e -
s c h o o le r it is im p e ra t iv e t h a t w e d e v e lo p
a n d k e e p o u r e y e s o n t h e fo u n d a t io n a l re a -
s o n s t h a t w e h a v e c h o s e n to h o m e s c h o o l.
S o o fte n w e g e t c a u g h t u p in t h e d a y -to -d a y
m in u t ia e t h a t w e lo s e s ig h t o f o u r re a l g o a ls !
I e n c o u ra g e y o u to a c t u a lly s it d o w n b e fo re
y o u m a k e y o u r c u r r ic u lu m c h o ic e s a n d w r ite
d o w n t h e 1 0 m o s t im p o r t a n t g o a ls t h a t y o u
h a v e fo r y o u r fa m ily . Is it fa m ily re la t io n -
s h ip s ? F a it h ? C h a ra c te r? C re a t in g life -lo n g
le a r n e rs ? D e v e lo p in g e ff e c t iv e c o m m u n ic a -
to rs ? P le a s e n o te t h a t y o u p ro b a b ly w o n ’t
h a v e t h in g s lik e p e r fe c t S A T s c o re s , 1 4 ,0 0 0
w o r k b o o k p a g e s , 8 h o u rs a d a y o f b o o k
w o r k , d ia g ra m m in g s e n te n c e s , o r lo o k -
in g ju s t lik e t h e fa m ily d o w n t h e s t re e t . . .
o n y o u r to p 1 0 lis t. A s y o u p re p a re fo r a n d
w o r k y o u r w a y t h ro u g h t h e c o m in g s c h o o l
y e a rs , re v is it t h is lis t to h e lp y o u d e te r m in e if
y o u a re o n a p a t h t h a t w ill a c c o m p lis h t h e s e
g o a ls . It m a y v e r y w e ll h e lp y o u m a k e a w is e
c u r r ic u lu m c h o ic e , e n c o u ra g e y o u
t h ro u g h a to u g h s e a s o n , o r h e lp y o u
w o r k w it h a c h ild w h o le a r n s in t h e ir
v e r y o w n c re a t iv e w a y . R e m e m b e r,
h o m e s c h o o lin g is N O T s c h o o lin g
a t h o m e b u t c a n b e s o m u c h r ic h e r,
d e e p e r, a n d m o re e ff e c t iv e a s w e
k e e p o u r e y e s o n t h e re a l g o a ls . C re -
a te a n a t m o s p h e re w h e re y o u a n d
y o u r c h ild re n c a n u lt im a te ly e c h o
P a u l in s a y in g “I h a v e fo u g h t t h e
g o o d fi g h t, I h a v e fi n is h e d t h e ra c e , I
h a v e k e p t t h e fa it h .” 2 T im 4 :7 .
Ye s , a ll o f u s h a v e ro o m to g ro w , a n d w e
c a n le a r n fro m t h o s e a ro u n d u s . T h a t ’s a life -
lo n g p ro c e s s t h a t w e s h o u ld b e m o d e lin g
to o u r c h ild re n . H o w e v e r, in t h e m e a n t im e
re m e m b e r t h a t G o d c h o s e e x a c t ly t h e r ig h t
m o t h e r fo r y o u r c h ild re n . H e h a d a c h o ic e ,
y o u k n o w , a n d H e c h o s e y o u !
Your
Unique
Homeschool
BY NANCY BJORKMAN | HEPPNER’S LEGACY HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES | 2021 CONFERENCE SPEAKER
b
...sit down before you make your
curriculum choices and write down
the 10 most important goals that
you have for your family.
b
“