Often I hear kids born later in a family lament about how there are so few pictures of them compared to their siblings. It's true. It's tough being #4 in a family of 4. Often when I think of my youngest I think, "Who raised him?" I'm sure I was involved but it seemed like he just grew up and learned stuff while we were all busy doing life.
Recently we decided to ask the school to push him up a grade in math. The kid just loves the stuff! I remember how his eyes lit up when he learned how to do borrowing subtraction. It was like I had given him a great gift. He has just killed all his math elements since starting school last year and we wanted to make sure he was being challenged. The kid loves a challenge.
So they gave him a little test and agreed that he was ready for making the jump. Each day now, he has honor's classes with the 6th grade kids on the first floor, but gets to be a big 7th grade honor student for one period a day on the second floor. He thinks it's pretty cool and so do we.
But here is the part I love the most. When his teacher agreed to move him up, she said she would miss him in class because he is so sweet. How often do you here that about a middle school boy these days? That is the part of the story I love the most.
I also love that he hugs me everyday before and after school. I love that he asks me everyday if I have a note in his lunch. (Even though I was incredibly faithful with that all year last year.) I love that he is kind.
Don't forget the goal Mom. Our society screams in our ears the need to train our kid's talents. I don't disagree that we should be faithful and help our children excel in what they are gifted to do, but it's not the highest goal. Don't let the world derail you from the things that matter most and that is your children's character. The world is full of talented people being exploited by people without character. Just turn on the tv at night. But what the world needs is people with integrity, honesty, compassion and love; in short character.
Remember today that if you love and enjoy your kids, you've accomplished 85% of your goal already in homeschooling. The rest is just dates and definitions. I love to learn and I know that has infected my kids, but I am much more thankful that as I've learned to love they have caught that too.
