 |
| (Photo was grabbed from Facebook Page of Karibok ang Tuktok. Gemini was used to blur the faces of the crowd.) |
Beyond the physical and online books that we provide for our kids, they watch our every step, every day. They look for sincerity and authenticity as we model character to them—something that happens organically at home since we’re always with them.
As parents, we become the curriculum for teaching character building. And this is what will stick with them for life. Since none of us is perfect, always allow room for mistakes and erasures. These, too, are an integral part of their learning.
Once they’re older and wiser, by God’s grace, they will get to appreciate the entire journey, with lots of sweet and precious memories to look back on. So, hold lightly. Have the grace to laugh at your own mistakes. I’d like to paraphrase Proverbs 31:25, which assures us that a woman clothed with strength and dignity can LAUGH without fear of the future.
Basically, the Bible is giving us permission to loosen up and not sweat the small stuff. Looking back over 18 years of homeschooling, that shift in perspective is exactly what brought us a joy like no other.
While we are created for relationships and thrive in healthy connections, it is also crucial to maintain and celebrate our uniqueness as a family as we engage with other fellow homeschoolers.
Being a part of an active and vibrant homeschool community in the Philippines, we observed that no two homeschool families are exactly alike. So, as we walk alongside each other, learn from each other, and care for one another, it is important that we remain authentic as a homeschool unit—especially for a family like ours that has the opportunity to live abroad as expats.
I found this to be crucial in helping my kids embrace their identities as true-blooded Filipinos. This has spared them from identity confusion, a very common dilemma experienced by young people who migrate to a different country. Because of their awareness and appreciation for our ethnicity, they can confidently communicate and interact with people of all ages and nationalities.
Whether we are navigating our life abroad or just navigating math at the kitchen table, it helps to remember the big picture. Psalm 127:4 compares our children to arrows in the hands of a warrior. As parents, we are privileged to be called by the Lord to raise His arrows and launch them toward where He is leading. Ultimately, their trajectory is determined by the Lord Himself, and it is our prayer that they will hit the mark set before them. We are simply stewards of the Lord’s next generation of mighty warriors, called to guide them every step of the way.
“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.”
Psalm 127:4
