Okay, how about a look at what success in home schooling really IS? The first axiom is:
The commitment is to your child, in obedience to the Lord.
Forget excuses about having tried; it is about your child and God. It is a sober-minded decision to do the right thing with the children He has given you. No matter what, you will blaze past trying, to continuing, which is the best way to prevent becoming a quitter.
Just as you would not think of quitting on the commitment with your spouse, do not do so regarding your children.
Another very obvious help to success in home school is this:
Be at home.
Yes, there are exceptions, such as my friend who managed the very first semester of her home school in hospital waiting rooms because of a tragic accident in her family. Still, that is not the goal, as my friend would assure you.
We do not want to plan to home school on the run. When we home school, we must change our lifestyle so we can be at home.
So many parents self-prescribe home school like a capsule for the remedy of problems in their children. Rather, it is you, Mom–your scent, your voice, the feel of your skin, something no other woman on earth can provide–you are the medicine that your child needs. (Did you know that hugged children are healthier, grow more, and learn faster than abandoned ones?)
The most important motto that I would suggest is:
Listen to God and follow what you know.
The world of home school advice is overflowing with counsel that is very good, but most of it is for someone else. You must mature to the place of knowing, instead of wondering or doubting.
How can we stand if we do not know what to do or even what we are doing? No matter if your whole support group is doing differently from you—or if they are doing the same—you must do what you know is perfect for you and your children, because you received it from the hand of God. There is a lot that I cannot tell you, but He can. Learn to hear Him.
The main subject and the main goal in all home schools should be Godliness. Many of us realize that. The trouble is that most folks do not realize this truth:
When we model Godliness, then we teach it.
The reverse, sadly, also is true. You must model Godliness even when you are teaching something as seemingly neutral as math. If you fret or yell to teach math, you are mostly teaching impatience, not math. Oh, they may also learn the math that you are presenting (just about anyone can) and with many reviews will probably retain a lot of it.
They will learn the impatience that we are modeling, though, in just one easy lesson and they will remember it a long time.
Modeling Godliness is the main ingredient in the successful home school. Without it, there is little benefit from teaching the rest.
So, I would hang a few mottoes on my walls, after all, I suppose. You can use them, too, if you want:
- Commit, for your children’s sakes.
- Be at home.
- Listen to God.
- Model Godliness.
Determine to obey Him and He will give you success in teaching your children.
Then you can quit trying to homeschool.
Home's Cool! 
What words of widsom, Katharine! I wish I had heard this when I was teaching my children at home (although this applies to all parents, homeschooling or not). My motto when teaching was, “Character is more important than academics.” Books can be real later, facts can be learned at any time, or looked up easily, but good character takes years to carefully develop.
Oh, I wish I’d had them starting out, too, Ruth! The only one I had was: Education is preparation for life. And I constantly told myself: It’s YOUR school; you can do whatever you want. I did that because I literally was scared, especially at first, to skip a page in any book. Nevermind, though, because the most important things were happening, here: They were nestled in our home and learning how to be right-side-up. I could write a book entitled “Do NOT Do What I Did!” 😉
Me, too!
It can (but shouldn’t) be hard being the only family in a support group that’s doing education ‘differently’. Maybe that’s partly why our support group, years ago, didn’t develop until I’d learned to follow His directions.
‘Modeling Godliness’…..The parents learn more than the children. 🙂 I’m thankful He leads us!
Thanks for spreading the truth to a new generation of homeschoolers.
Oh, support groups! That’s another animal, entirely! I’ve not found a way to make them behave! We’re all such mavericks! 😆
And, yes, the parents learn when they teach. I loved that. Just loved it.
And thank YOU for your kind comments!