Brotherly love

One of the things about homeschooling that appeals most to me is the knowledge that my boys will not only be brothers, but classmates. While I pray that Ezra and Joey will be life-long friends, I also know that homeschooling provides a better hope for that than standard grade divisions. In a world where the people you interact with are not always your age, do standard grade divisions really make sense? But, I digress; back to brotherly love...

Any parents with children can work toward fostering nurturing and caring relationships between their children. Modeling good relationships with your friends is a good place to start. Joey has started writing notes to his friends and making sure they know he loves them, because his parents do, too. Hand-writing notes is not the issue. Just taking time to send an e-mail, make a phone call, or share a loving word and hug with your spouse or friends is enough to encourage acts of kindness.

Creating a peaceful environment that promotes positive emotional and cognitive support and an absence of negative or overtly violent insignia is a another important aspect of enabling your children to be life-long friends. This may mean re-examining the movies or shows you watch when your toddlers are around, avoiding AO-rated video games when young children are around, and trumping cooperative play over competition. Of course, you could be extremely counter-cultural and end television subscriptions, period, or make family pacts (like no rated-R movies seen in the house until the kids are a certain age) that help nurture a positive environment in the house. Think outside the box and have fun with it - the point is not so much end exposure, but rather limit until children can cognitively differentiate between good and bad, as well as participate in healthy discussions about violent versus non-violent behavior.

The act of living together, no matter who you are, will lead to challenges and frustrations. By role playing and developing good communication skills in your youngsters, you can help foster positive relationships in them when they are older. During play, if your toddlers squabble, you've just been handed a positive teaching moment. Instead of getting frustrated about the situation, be thankful that you have a chance to stop, talk about the situation, and then work together to find a solution for turning a negative situation into a positive one. What a blessing!

Being a homeschooling parent is exhausting! It's a 24-7 job that is completely under-appreciated in our society. But, it presents a unique opportunity to enrich family life and the lives of your children in so many ways. Take a moment to share some of your challenges and solutions in the comments section - or perhaps you have an inspiration, testimony, or encouraging quote to share. Ultimately, keep things in perspective. Your children are individuals. They need a nurturing and supportive environment through the good and the bad, the ugly and beautiful. Smile, hug your children, and make sure you tell them you love them every day! Then, you'll see them pass it on.