HomeschoolMagazine.com Page HL23 provide. He doesn’t al- ways give you everything you want, and his timing is not always what you’d prefer, but He will never leave you completely out in the cold. It is always easier to achieve a relaxed life- style of learning if you start out from the begin- ning with this mindset. However, even if your children have been in school, or your own ho- meschooling efforts have become bogged down in school-like drudgery, it is still possible to make some changes that will re-kindle your children’s enthusiasm for learning. Establishing a lifestyle of learning implies that everyone in the family is actively pursuing goals, enjoying the acquisition of skills and knowledge, and sharing their discov- eries with the others in the family. You need to re-discover a child-like curiosity about the world around you. You need to wake up every morning, singing, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” You need to see past the dirty diapers and the piles of laundry, and recognize what re- ally matters in life. You need to loosen up your tendency to be a control freak, and realize that, ultimately, you aren’t in control of anything any- way. While that may be a scary thought at first, understanding that God loves you and your fami- ly, and that He is the one who is really in control, will help you learn to trust His judgment. Keep in mind that “re- laxed homeschooling” is a mindset, not necessarily a complete lack of text- books. You may decide to keep a few texts or workbooks, but just use them in a less controlled manner. It may sudden- ly dawn on you that the world will not end if you don’t finish that second grade book by the end of the year, and that your children will not be per- manently harmed if you skip around a little bit in the book, or give up on that hard math question that no one can get. On the other hand, may- be you or your kids are really burned out on the materials you have been using. It is perfectly per- missible to put them away and try something else! In this section, I’d like to give you some practical suggestions if you are in the process of making some changes in your ho- meschooling efforts. First of all, I think you need to be scrupulously honest with the kids, and with your spouse. Don’t just stop using textbooks and leave them hanging, wondering what Mom’s doing, and if you have any ulterior purpose. Tell them that you feel the need for some changes. Read them a chapter of this book, if you’d like, or have them listen to one of my tapes. Talk to the kids about what they have been enjoying about learning, and ask them if there is anything that they would like to change. Ask them for their sug- gestions, and try to im- plement them, if possible. Talk to your husband and share some of your frustrations with him. If the desire for school-like structure is coming from him, talk to him about why it has not been work- ing for you. Sit down to- gether and set some goals for the kids, and discuss where you are right now on the path towards those goals. If you are planning on getting away from a textbook-driven style of instruction, be prepared to discuss what you are going to replace it with. * * * * * * * * * * * * * If your kids seem un- motivated, what I would do is the following: 1. Share with them your thoughts on the matter. Don’t just put away the textbooks and leave them to wonder what “Mom’s latest trick” is. 2. Put aside all the struc- tured work for awhile. 3. Keep disciplinary parameters in place. Tell them, “You can’t watch television, talk on the phone or do computer games during the time that I want to see some- thing productive going on.” For us, that was al- ways the morning hours. Then sit back and let boredom be a motivator. When they say, “Well, what CAN I do?” Tell them, “Think of some- thing, or I’ll think of something for you.” 4. Continue taking the kids to the library, even if they show some resis- tance. Take out some in- teresting books and read to them on a regular basis, unless they are older and are reading sufficiently on their own. Don’t force them to do book reports or prove they have com- prehended anything. Just focus on the reading itself for awhile. 5. Start educating your- self and finding things that you can be enthusi- astic about. Don’t force their involvement, but do share your excitement about whatever it is you are doing or learning. 6. If your children show any spark of interest in anything at all, be sure to follow up, even if the interest doesn’t strike you as “academic” enough for your taste. In other words, if they suddenly want to learn guitar, or buy some new Legos, or dig a big hole in the back- yard, encourage them to do it. 7. Give them enough time. Too often, parents try a more relaxed ap- proach, but give up just before boredom would have driven the kids to a renewed enthusiasm for learning. 8. Spend lots of time on your knees, especially if you are dealing with a child who may be under spiritual attack himself. 9. Also, use this time to make some tentative plans for fun, educational projects once you think the child has had enough down-time to be a willing participant again. M.H. The Relaxed Homeschool Mindset – Christian Perspective continued from page HL20 www.grammarf ip.com A Better Way To Teach – and Learn – Grammar Completely Online, Records Are Kept, Easy To Use & Fun