Chart and Compass, Part 2

Time for a shocking confession.  After home schooling for 10 years, I made a sudden discovery:  I don't care about academics.  Worse yet,  I never really did.

It's not that I care nothing about them, just that they are a far distant second to forming the Zoomlian's faith and character.

I came to the realization that, at any age, it's pretty easy to learn more stuff - I'm 42 and I do it all the time.

On the other hand, as an adult, it's really hard to learn to put other people first, to put God first, to love when it costs you something, to forgive when it hurts, if you didn't learn that as a child. 

There's an irony at work here. "Seek first the kingdom of  God, and all these things will be added unto you."

The academics were added unto us.

Honestly, it doesn't seem fair: not worrying about academics  gave me a 15 year old who does Pre-Calculus, and a 14 year old who is shopping for literary agents, a 12 year old who loves high school Chemistry, and a 10 year old who loves the Orestia.

It doesn't seem fair that they all seem to be at or above the level of their hard working contemporaries, when all we did was have fun.  It's all grace.

It turns out that all kids are curious.  They all like to learn.  Given half a chance, they learn no matter what you do.

Brains are hard wired to remember and use only what they consider important or interesting.

Everything your child needs to know is important and interesting (and tests don't count as important in this sense).  Sometimes, however it's a challenge for you to see what's interesting about it.  Trying to get some one to learn something you find neither important nor interesting is usually an exercise in frustration.

When a kid is interested in a subject, they absorb and retain information very rapidly, leaving time to expand and flower as an individual.

You don't get less academic achievement when it's not the primary focus, you get more.