Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Shared activities are a great place to start on the road to getting to know your children better. But if you really want to dig deeper, set aside time to sit down with your children and discover what their interests are—both academic and otherwise.

The first step is to just listen to what your children have to say. Then, brainstorm practical ways for them to pursue the things they’re passionate about. If your daughter enjoyed physics this last year, she could enroll in a community college course or a homeschool co-op to pursue that interest further. If your son hates classical guitar but loves singing, why not let him take voice lessons instead?

If you have high schoolers, it’s especially important to start zeroing in on their strengths so that they can discover if they love a subject or a vocation as much as they think they will. If your son is considering medicine as a potential career, see if he can volunteer at a local hospital so he’ll get a taste of what medicine is really like. Even if your daughter’s enthusiasm lies in an unlikely direction, such as studying cloud formations, find ways to help her develop this hobby. Who knows? One day she could be a meteorologist!

And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.