OUR BLOG
Posted 3 April 2022
Home-schooling: Fruitless or Fruitful?
By Hsulynn Oh
Before the year started, I felt God prepare my heart to set aside time for Harper to really focus on her education. I knew that having her enrolled in Kingdomcity School would be a huge part of it; but because of her young age, I also knew that she would need more assistance from whoever would be helping her with school. Her level of independence is not yet of a teenager, as she’s still learning how to read and write, and that takes a lot of physical guidance!
The most challenging part of home-schooling thus far has definitely been getting Harper to focus on doing her schoolwork. There suddenly seems to be so many things around the home that interest her! Yet all that struggle came to an end when my husband, Sam, and I decided to dedicate a space in our home for her studies and create boundaries when it was study time. We’ve also learnt that by outlining the workload she had for the day, she knew what to expect.
Routine is KEY. Patience was something I had to pick up along the way too – as it turns out, teaching a 5-year-old how to read and write is a lot harder than I thought!
Whether in terms of family dynamics and schedules, and even time spent with Harper, home-schooling has undoubtedly taught us how to better communicate with each other – becoming slightly more patient with and learning to carefully listen to one another. As a family, learning to have more structure in our days and prioritising rest and time together has never been a more important lesson to learn!
Despite the challenges, the struggles, and the daily ups and downs though, one of my favourite things about this entire home-schooling experience has been the opportunity to see Harper’s progress and actually being able to learn alongside her. Let’s be honest, grown-ups need a refresher in geography and grammar too! I love that I get the chance to discuss topics and lessons that Harper has been learning in school, because for once, I actually know what’s being taught to my child! As a parent, I especially love seeing my girl’s love and interest for prayer and God’s Word grow since being part of Kingdomcity School! It’s truly amazing how much her education is based upon Scripture and references to what God says!
Not too long ago, Harper was learning about the Solar System, and in that very lesson, they encouraged the students to pray and thank God for everything He put in the sky! In the sweetest manner, Harper then turns to me and asks if we could go on to our balcony that night to look at the sky and pray! And that’s exactly what we did. I will never forget that moment I heard the most beautiful and matured prayer that came out of my child’s mouth, from the pureness of her heart. She even prayed for the astronauts in space to encounter God that night
Ever since then, I’ve noticed that Harper doesn’t hesitate to pray anymore! She’s started praying in the mornings on her own before she starts her day; and because of how much prayer has become part of her daily life recently, she’s become so much more aware of the choices she makes when it comes to her emotions! A big accomplishment for any child really! She now knows how to identify God’s voice from the enemy’s voice, especially on days when she feels a sense of rebellion, or even on days she feels rejected by friends.
All in all, home-schooling will come with its challenges, but the fruit you see produced in your child’s life and even in your family life, is worth it!
