Homeschooling with Newly Adopted Children

My friend Shawna just posted some really great thoughts about Homeschooling with a New Baby/Babies in the house. I think everything she says can also apply very much to homeschooling during the year that your newly adopted children come home. I hope you will check out what she has to say if you are needing encouragement or inspiration or if you are planning to bring home any children anytime soon and homeschool too!

We have had a great time of learning to be a family this year. Our children have all learned so much and grown in many ways (our life has NOT looked much like what I would have imagined it to look like as far as homeschooling goes. . . and that is O.K.!).

We have been busy learning what it means to be a family; what it means to be a friend. We have been learning Bible stories, how to honor our siblings, how to eat politely at the table, not to pout when we don't get our way, letter sounds, shapes, colors, kinds of animals (who knew there were so many?), how do do household chores, that Mom and Dad love us and we love them; we have learned about libraries, bakeries, grocery stores, pumpkin patches, and the post office.

And, NO, my adopted children have not learned how to read yet. I'm not sure why this the first question many people ask. I assume it is from a lack of understanding that my children had A LOT of other things that they have been taking in, assimilating, learning, sensing, and feeling in the 9 months since we have "carried" them home. Could I have taught them to read by now? I think so. They are smart and we could have spent most of the last 9 months getting them reading, but I am so glad we spent the time getting to know each other, giving them a solid foundation in the Lord, going places they have not ever seen, and working out systems for our home life that have helped us to have a peaceful, God-honoring home. Reading will come soon enough, but these other things will not wait!

Be encouraged if you are homeschooling your newly adopted children this year and things aren't as "academic" as you had planned. Give yourself and your kiddos a break and just work on the basics this year. Grow in the Lord, grow in love for and trust in each other, take them to see many of the things they have never seen, teach them your basic family and household routines, create systems that will allow you to work on the "academics" more next year and just enjoy the new family the Lord has given you!

I'm hoping to make this a multi-part post, so watch for more to come about Homeschooling with Newly Adopted Children.