Let me just say that I believe all children have a God-planned career path. The problem is most of us homeschool parents freak out because His plan isn't revealed soon enough, clear enough, in the way we'd like, or on the specific path that we would have chosen. 

Sometimes we well-meaning parents want more, want it early, and want it BIG! We feel like it's our job to push our kids down the right path or to help them find the path. 

Really, our job is to enjoy our children while God leads them to the path, cheer them on as they walk it, and give them the tools they need to travel the path God has laid before them. 

Here's the deal mom and dad: God has a path for each of your kids and it's a good path. So quit freaking out because it doesn't look like the one you'd choose or because God hasn't made the path clear yet. Truth is, your high schooler is going to be all right . . . and so are you. 

Be real,

Todd

Dear Friends,

I am wondering if that question already makes you feel guilty? I mean, what if you have a high schooler and he DOESN'T have a career path in mind? Or, what if your high schooler's desire is to excel in skateboarding (and you are embarrassed to tell anyone)? This can be a loaded question . . . so I am really glad we are dealing with it today.

Can I tell you straight off that every homeschool mom I have ever met (including me) looks around at other families and wonders why those other families are successful and she (we) are not? Sirens and car alarms need to go off when we start down this trail of doubting what is happening with our kids and our homeschooling, because it is a lose/lose proposition.

So, let's take a stroll down another trail, shall we? Let's consider what some of the possibilities are for your high schoolers:

They may know exactly what they want to do. That is normal for SOME kids.

They may have several, mutually exclusive, ideas about what they want to do. That is normal for SOME kids.

They may still be enjoying growing up, without the pressure of having to decide yet what they want to do. That is normal for SOME kids.

They may want to do something, like become an astronaut or an NBA player, that is out of reach for most (though, they might be the one who actually does it--somebody has to!). That is normal for SOME kids.

They may want to go to college and figure out their major once they get there. That is normal for SOME kids.

They may want to broaden the lawn-mowing (or cake decorating, or tutoring, or . . .) business they started a few years ago into a landscape (bakery, learning center, or . . .) business. That is normal for SOME kids.

Do you notice the repeating refrain here? Of course you do. And, your heart has known this all along, dear friends. The fear that overwhelms us is not telling us the truth. The comparison that defeats us is not telling us the truth, either.

Apart from something traumatic happening in their lives, each of our children is right on target for his unique journey, for his unique life. And even if trauma is there, help is available. I know from personal experience that young people can pick up the threads of their journey and continue to walk out the adventure of life.

I should mention, too, that our kids can--and will--make mistakes as they walk through their lives. That should seem very familiar, as each of US has made mistakes, too!

Help them process their next steps, wherever they are in this stage of development. You are their greatest cheerleader, their biggest fan club.

Remember, stay relational!

Diana

The Verbal Math Lesson is one of those books I wish I'd had earlier in the homeschooling process. As its name implies, it is a verbal program. Level One is addressed to ages 4-7, and Level Two is addressed to ages 7-8. In Level One the first lesson is titled "Working with Nothing" (the concept of zero). The last lesson (31 in all) is "Subtracting double-digit numbers ending in 0". The range between is implied and is pretty thorough. In Level Two, instruction begins with "Operations with numbers ending in 0" and wraps up with "Multiplication and division by 9." Level Two also does a good job of covering--in 29 lessons--the material between, including addition and subtraction of double-digit numbers. The website indicates that Level 1 can be used with elementary students and Level 2 with Middle School students. It seems that the material is therefore less targeted to grade-level or age than to skill sets.

The authors rightly state in their introduction, "Verbal math, also called mental math, is a practical and time-honored method of solving mathematical problems. Math done with worksheets often slows children down. Shortcuts and computational tricks learned by doing math mentally allow children to bypass much of the tediousness they experience with written math." (. . .)

(To read the rest of the review, click HERE.)