Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Homeschooling mothers exhibit an unusual degree of commitment and self-sacrifice, but even with their goals fixed firmly in their minds, they may occasionally feel discouraged. I'm joined this week by my wife Elizabeth, who homeschooled our children for 14 years. From your experience, how would you encourage our listeners?

Elizabeth Smith:
Well, I did get discouraged, and one of the things that made me discouraged was that there were things I wanted to do that I had to pass up because I was tied to my commitment to homeschooling. So what I finally decided to do was create a "to do later list" in my mind. And so when something came along that I wanted to do—some volunteer work, a women's Bible study during the week at church—I would simply say that "I'm putting that on my to do later list, and when the homeschooling years are over I'm going to go back and pick up on the opportunities that I didn't pick up on during those years." Now that time is here, and I'm finding it's a wonderful time and these are great years too, because the things that I had looked forward to for so long I'm now able to take advantage of. It's become a real blessing.

Mike:
Well, thanks, Elizabeth! Those are great tips. And please join us tomorrow when we address that interesting subject, high school homeschooling.