Preschool at Home: In the Beginning

We recently started the adventure of “preschool at home.”

While there have been plenty of fun learning opportunities for all, Mom here has probably most appreciated our time together.  While prayerfully discerning this decision for our family, I was comforted by one particular beauty of homeschool: being able to focus on individual child needs–within and outside of the normal curriculum.  Surely every parent wants to cultivate children who love learning–who have an insatiable desire to read and create and think outside the box.  I also hope they exemplify proper etiquette (remember the phrase “works in progress“) and are savvy in the ways of the world.  More than anything, I hope they realize they weren’t made for this world, and that their hearts long to praise and adore the Father.

How in the world does a mother…homeschooler or not… teach all of this?

Start at the beginning.

“In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” Genesis 1:1

I once heard a great pastor say that if we trusted the very first line of the Bible, the rest of the Good Book would come easily.

I can ingrain verses into my children’s sponge-like minds through repetition, just like teaching them their address or the days of the week…but there is a difference in knowing and trusting.

I want my children to have faith that our sins have been removed from us as far as the East is from the West…to know that we are all wonderfully made…to believe that the God of all the Universe knows every hair on our heads…and to be confident that love truly conquers all.

I can tell them of the gloriousness of our Lord, even proclaim His good works from the mountaintops of Appalachia and/or Instagram, but that would be the easy part.  I believe there’s at least a bit of a visual learner in all of us, and therefore it’s important for those learning to trust see God’s hand in creation.

What a huge (and intimidating) responsibility to be charged with passing down the gift of faith to our children!

Start at the beginning…

When life gets too complicated or overwhelming, we must remember to stop and restart at the beginning.  Take a breath and realize that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth was not satisfied until He created man… and even more so He sees that His creation isn’t complete without each one of us.  How valuable each person must be!

My prayer now is for children to see their families and their community loving God and loving people.  May they experience seeing the face of Christ in their neighbors, hearing of His good deeds always, and feeling His gentle guidance all throughout their lives.

We are experiencing the grace in raindrops, the hope in sunshine, the joy in butterflies, the love in learning together… and I know and trust that the God of all creation sees us and is walking with us every step of the way.  After all, He created the Heavens and the Earth… this is just preschool ;).

Please pray for us while we embark on this new adventure!

 

Author: Neena

Neena is a Kentucky wife, mother, and beekeeper. Her first novel, THE BIRD AND THE BEES, is a Christian contemporary romance available now. Visit her at wordslikehoney.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *