O.K...let's find a chair that's not rickety...would you like a cup of tea or some hot chocolate?...

There is hardly a homeschooling parent who doesn't sometimes say,"Am I really doing enough for my kids?"

I think that at the very least, we are certainly giving way more to our kids than a lot of kids get...socially (family strength; personal values; a non peers-only oriented concept of others; support of their personal interests and talents; etc.) and academically (one on one attention; flexibility; the ability to go at their rate of comprehension - not just the slowest or fastest in the class; the time to concentrate on their own relationship with the subject and how it will be useful to them later; etc.)

When I look at a lot of the kids I encounter(Not all, mind you) - the rudeness, the lack of respect for themselves and others, the early sexual activity, the rampant drug availability, the total lack of adult supervision, I know that my kids are already much better off in many ways than many kids. They have guidance from someone. And when the clerk in a store cannot count the change back to me after a purchase, or the girl who is trying to sell me a pair of shoes cannot use complete sentences, I worry a little less about how my kids compare.

We work hard. We may not be perfect, but we are doing a very good job. As someone pointed out, many people notice how different, how very "good" "different" our kids are and tell us all the time. They can't all be wrong, can they?

If you feel like your child may need more challenge, talk with them about what they want to do. Find ways to help them do it. You will get through, and they will shine.



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