Comments on: Another look at Winning

By: Juli Cole

Juli Cole — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:53:35 +0000

I have finally some time to catch up on my emails and was so grateful to read your article. It is always good to hear from someone real and realistic, a solid voice of reason to chase away all the hype and doubts that linger despite my best intentions. We have had a break and now are beginning a new term of homeschooling, and at the beginning of each term, I feel these same doubts of my ability to teach my boys what they need to be learning and fears that I or they are not doing a good enough job. I give them exams at the end of each term. One part is so that they stay in practice in sitting an exam, and secondly it is for me to gauge what they are retaining. And always, I keep hoping for the “superchild” I see in them to come through and completely blow the exams away, thus proving not only they can do it but to prove to all their teachers and previous headmistress who told me I can’t teach them when I withdrew them from their last school, that I can. And they perform just how they are – no miracle children, just my own boys with their very own set of weaknesses and strengths. The one who is good at math does better on the math exam, and the other does better in the reading/writing section. And I am still just who I am, a mother doing the best with the talents and skills God gave me to help my boys be happy and to learn to do the best with what God has given them.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents with all of us and helping us to feel better encouraged from your experiences – the conquests as well as the failures. God bless you in this new year – Juli Cole

By: Thulsi

Thulsi — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:50:57 +0000

Hi David,

This particular article was most certainly a timely reminder at least for me. I had completed a third of the homeschooling curriculum when Dec decended upon us all thus giving my children a break. Having both sides of the family over for the Christmas holidays, which included 6 school teachers, the ever present question of where my 6 year old son was going to school next year raised many an eyebrow and sidelong looks of wonder. The idea that I was homeschooling my children was debated hotly with of course the merits of schooling reigning supreme. But as the days went by, they were tickled with the questions my children posed, their vocabulary, their lingering knowledge of the more interesting science facts and finally half heartedly acknowledged that homeschooling can’t be a bad thing after all In fact 2 of them even wanted to know all about homeschooling and wondered aloud if they should give it a try. Praises be to God Almighty who gave me the courage to want to try.

Blessings for a wondrous New Year to all!
Thulsi

By: Azlea

Azlea — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:43:46 +0000

what a lovely entry!! thanks for sharing. I think, parents in general are perpetually plagued with doubts and fears. For homeschooling parents who take on their children’s education as their responsibility it’s worse! Esp since we can’t rely on things like report cards or anything like that. Which is why it’s important to remind ourselves of what you wrote here.

Thanks once again and keep the entries coming. I’ve especially enjoyed your ‘Just For Laughs’ entries. They’re really amusing.