The Most Important Element in Homeschooling

I was in some kind of crisis mode, I can’t remember what it was. My oldest son who was 10 (or maybe even 11) came racing through the room and I said to him, “Is it 12:00 yet?”  He was more than willing to find out the time for me but his next question brought me to a place of complete despair. “What does 12:00 look like?” I remembering thinking, “What am I doing? At least in school he would have been forced to learn to tell time…” (and let me just say, Oh but Wow, if you knew me now...)

Well, what I was doing was everything I was capable of doing—and that happened to be a lot. I was having babies and keeping their limbs attached and their ever-hungry mouths fed. I was reading books (in copious amounts) to them and to myself. I was gathering like-minded families and creating a tribe. This list does not include all the things you already know that I was doing as I ran this enterprise we call a family like a well-oiled machine (ha!)

The fact of the matter is that my son had learning disabilities and an analog clock face would remain a mystery for him that would not untangle itself for many, many years. But the lesson of the clock was a defining moment.

Of Time, Timing, and Time-ology 

Learning how to tell time is only a tiny fraction (hey! A math joke!) of what you teach your children. Unlike many other things, it’s going to be learned through life happening to them. Believe me, it’s the least of your worries…

What you do need to worry about is their growth as individuals, the strength of your family, and priming them for success in life.

The most important element of homeschooling is, without a doubt, time. This has so many applications it’s almost dizzying.

The Top 10 Reasons Your Children Need Time

1. Time to develop at her own pace—honestly, you stressing out is not helping her
2. Time to be bored—lots of it…a whole lot
3. Time to be outside—building forts and riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline
4. Time to be creative—art supplies and Legos and musical instruments (oh my!)
5. Time in a library—this will help convert your kids to become life-long learners
6. Time to read aloud—expand your family culture with friends from every genre
7. Time to play together—siblings developing a relationship with each other is vital
8. Time to care for younger children—building and developing empathy (borrow some--children that is, not empathy--if need be)
9. Time to experience adult life with you—demonstrating a purposeful, prosperous life is the lesson
10. Time to ask you questions—yes, you need to answer them or show them how to find the answer

Getting a Grip on Time 

That day of my deep despair proved to be both a big, fat waste of time AND a turning point in how I viewed my role as a homeschooling parent. I went from overwhelmed with guilt to overwhelmed with gratitude to spend their fleeting childhoods with them.