As parents, one of our jobs is to teach our kiddos to finish what they start. I know, I know, doesn’t it just drive you nuts when they don’t follow through! If you’re a “starter,” it’s hard to follow through with your projects and jobs too. Hmm, are you thinking the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? It can be really hard to teach your children to “finish” something when you are not a finisher.

Think about how much easier our lives would be if we made just one commitment in our lives: Finish What We Start!
How about this? Make a new commitment that any “new thing” you start will be completely finished… either by declaring an end to it, doing it yourself to completion or assigning the job to someone else.

So how do you completely clean up projects, ideas, etc from your past that still nag you. Be patient with yourself, but “persistent.” Persistence to me means to be continuously determined. That’s what I want to be, how about you?

Make a list of projects or ideas that you need to finish. You can usually identify these projects by how they make you feel when you think about them… do you feel guilty, embarrassed, angry or sad when you think about them? Deal with each one by choosing to end it, following through to completion or outsource the job to someone else.

Doesn’t it feel good to be a Finisher! You can do it. Go for it!

In my last post we talked about some of the important discoveries
I made during our 20+ years of homeschooling.

Remember school buildings and specialized equipment do not
educate or teach. Neither do extra curricular activities. Some of those
things would be nice to have, but they certainly are not necessary for your child to be well educated.

Next we talked about your home, your community and the world truly
becomes your classroom. You can expand your child’s horizons far beyond the walls of a classroom.

Third, your child has the opportunity to truly get to know his mom and dad, siblings and grandparents. Your children will be well grounded in who they are and where they’re going, and you will have the opportunity to impart your God-given faith and values to your children.

I also learned that my job was to “work myself out of my job.” My job was not to teach my children all the facts and figures known to man.

My job was two-fold. One, to do my best to stay out of God’s way of guiding and directing my children. Two, my job was to teach them “how” to learn and empower them to be life long self-directed (following God’s leadership) learners.

In the homeschooling environment, constant interaction with others is the norm. Constant communication and discussion is crucial in developing critical thinking and leadership skills.Real life education occurs on a daily basis.

God will coordinate opportunites for our children that we could never imagine.The presence of the living God involved in the daily walk of your homeschool-Who could ask for a better Superintendent of Education than that.

So the answer to the question, “What should your classroom look like,”
Henry Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe and a pastor during the 1800s said, “The mother’s heart is the child’s classroom.”

Now that gives us something to think about.

Being a good leader starts in your mind. Scripture teaches that as a man thinketh, so is he.

What we think about plays a big part in what we do or don’t accomplish.

This is such an important concept to teach our kids (and ourselves).

The Man Who Thinks He Can

by Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t, it’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.

For out in the world we find success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.

You’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go to the strongest or fastest man;

But sooner or later the man who wins,

Is the one who thinks he can.