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Summer 2021
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The Boldness of Trust
It requires boldness to trust God in the face of adversity. If we’re honest, we always have something we’re trusting Him for, whether that be an aspect of our health or a family member’s, the future, finances, relationships, wisdom for decisions that need to be made, etc. We can choose to trust in His goodness and guidance, even when life seems like a minefield of unknowns. We don’t know when things will happen. We hope for certain results and then must let go and wait with an expectation of His faithfulness. That’s trust. When a new situation arises, we get to upgrade our trust to a new level. When the pressure builds and provision or a solution seems like a distant reality, our trust can either shrink to make room for doubt or enlarge and deepen in order to push doubt away.

Two Powerful Tools to Nurture Trust

Worship and thanksgiving are two of the most powerful tools we have to fight for our trust. When we allow our hearts to engage in worship, we see our problems and circumstances in the light of His greatness. It brings everything down to its proper size. In gratitude, we remember His faithfulness from past events and all that He has already done for us. This gives us a perspective filled with possibility and a sense of “I wonder how He’ll provide this time,” instead of wondering if He will.

How can we pass on our boldness to the next generation when it comes to trusting God?

Allow them to join in.
I think a key in passing on bold trust is allowing our children to join us in prayer over difficult circumstances we may be facing, or asking them what we can join them in prayer for. We can always bring a situation down to an age-appropriate level, but protecting our children from difficulties altogether keeps them from being able to see God’s faithfulness, too. There were times growing up that we prayed as a family for things like a job opening, funds to fix a broken appliance, a more reliable vehicle, or favor over a certain goal. We knew we were reaching out to a Heavenly Father who cared about our needs and desires. We didn’t always get the answer we were hoping for, and usually not in the timing we expected, but we could always look back and recognize God’s hand.

yellow and orange flowers in a grassfield
Share past experiences.
What can you share with your children about times you trusted God? Our testimonies can penetrate the hearts of our children faster than just about anything else, because they can see the truth of our words in our passion. The stories my mom and dad told me about the times God stepped into their circumstances have always stayed with me and helped shape my view of God.

Point to others.
The Bible is filled with stories of God’s trustworthiness. It’s also full of examples of regular people walking in trust and overcoming fear and doubt. It wasn’t that they didn’t battle the same things we do (it wasn’t even that they didn’t make mistakes or fail at times!), it is that their faith prevailed in the end. To download a five-part Scripture study from Rachael Carmen’s featured article, be sure to check out Passing on Boldness: A Biblical Approach. Biographies are another great avenue to illustrate and inspire bold trust. Think of the things your kids find most interesting. There are undoubtedly pioneers and leaders in those arenas who have incredibly inspiring stories. We have selected a few for you in the Great Books column.

Homeschooling provides opportunity after opportunity for trust “upgrades” in us as parents and, in turn, our kiddos. The perspective shift to see them that way will enable us to pursue God’s heart of faithfulness with joy and expectation instead of fear and worry. You know He’s always up to something on your behalf!

“Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.”

– Psalm 23:6 NASB
Ashley Wiggers
Publisher & Co-Executive Editor
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Whether you are a year round homeschooler or follow a more traditional schedule, summer is the perfect time to make learning fun! Our Seasonal Activity Guide is a FREE download made exclusively for our print subscribers that accompanies each issue of the magazine. Full of printable pages, activities to highlight the season, art lessons, and more—you’ll no longer have to scour the internet for inspiration to make the season come alive. Simply download the guide and receive plenty of easy-to-use, fresh ideas.
To receive the Summer Guide, subscribe today and get 25% off the subscription price when you use the code “SUM21”!
The Summer 2021 Activity Guide brought to you by Homeschooling Today
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…Thank you!
Summer 2021 Table of Contents header with dotted border
For the Working Mom: Instilling Boldness in Your Kids article mockup
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It takes a bold mom to raise bold children!
The amazing things your kids learn by watching you.
Second-generation homeschooling with Ben Wilson.
Columns header with dotted border
Building Blocks of Boldness
Shaping Boldness in the Early Years
Helping Our Children Develop Boldness
Bold Science: A Discovery Approach
Book suggestions and activites.
Teens Changing Lives with Technology
Teaching through Your Child’s Passion
Experimenting with Boldness
Fostering Responsibility and Ownership… in Education
Learning Resources for Bold Students
Art
A Manly Kind of Dad
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Since 1934. Kirkland, Washington.
an education built for eternity.
While most universities overlook your spiritual life, Christ is foundational at NU.
At Northwest University, we offer a Christ-centered University experience that will build upon the values you’ve instilled as a parent. We combine academic rigor and spiritual vitality. Our student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1, which means students are taught by professors who know their names and their needs. At NU, our unique educational experience prepares your students for this life. And the next.
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To find out more, go to northwestu.edu or call our Admissions office at 425-889-5231.
Northwest University logo
Since 1934. Kirkland, Washington.
an education built for eternity.
While most universities overlook your spiritual life, Christ is foundational at NU.
At Northwest University, we offer a Christ-centered University experience that will build upon the values you’ve instilled as a parent. We combine academic rigor and spiritual vitality. Our student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1, which means students are taught by professors who know their names and their needs. At NU, our unique educational experience prepares your students for this life. And the next.
70 Majors and Programs Highest Accreditation Possible
Neighbor to World-Class Companies
Internships and Career Preparation Generous Financial Aid
To find out more, go to northwestu.edu or call our Admissions office at 425-889-5231.
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O

ver twenty-five years ago Homeschooling Today magazine was founded by homeschooling parents with a vision to encourage and assist homeschooling families. Today, that vision continues with homeschool graduates, Alex and Ashley Wiggers, at the helm.

We are staunch supporters of homeschooling because we’ve seen the value of what this choice has to offer. In our homes, it was enjoyable, filled with learning that lasted, and built on the foundation of relationship. We are now continuing this legacy of freedom in learning with our own children. Parents, we believe in the power of influence you have as you walk with God, to provide everything your children need to fulfill their destinies. We believe that homeschoolers are uniquely fitted to become world changers. Because they’re used to doing things differently. Having been shown the true value of learning and what they’re capable of, these children will look at the world with eyes to help, lead, problem solve, and display a depth of character that reflects the convictions of their faith.

This is what our children are called to do. But it won’t happen if we walk in fear. Our mission is to come alongside you with encouragement and practical help, to remind you that we’re in this together and to help you see past the present trials into the reality of your true calling, equipping your children to be the remarkable people God created. Whether you are homeschooling for a season of life or the years to come, this movement can be a catalyst for courage. It will be through our ability to shed fear and embrace courage that will enable our children to do the same!

Join us as we cast aside mediocrity and say we will enjoy this time with our families, we will let go of fear and take hold of courage.
We choose to homeschool boldly!
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What does it mean to be a manly dad?
An excerpt from Durenda’s new book, The 4 Hour School Day
Replacing the guilt by recognizing what you are teaching your kids.
Homeschooling today cover Spring 2021
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spring 2021: developing boldness
Why does boldness matter? Without it, we can lose our conviction and even our direction. But don’t worry, it isn’t something we have to work up. Boldness will grow naturally as we embrace the truth of our calling and God’s faithfulness to lead us.
summer 2021: passing on boldness
We want to inspire boldness in our children. Once we have embraced it ourselves, we can show our children the way. They need to be bold in this day and age. Let us walk you through practical steps to intentionally raising bold kids.
fall 2021:
teaching with boldness

What does it mean to teach with boldness? It means we choose to do what’s best for ourselves and our families without fear or comparison. Our children have educational needs specific to them. Let’s be bold enough to meet them!
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I

(Kay) have some handwritten recipes my mom passed down to me. She always wrote them in cursive on recipe cards she kept in a photo album. When I see them, it’s like I experience the food again, but there’s more than simply the food. Seeing her cursive handwriting reminds me of how she signed her checks beginning with Mrs. followed by my dad’s name. It takes me back to running errands with her and always getting popcorn at the local Gibson’s store. One memory follows another. She thought she was passing on a recipe, but what she really gave me was my childhood memories—the little, seemingly insignificant moments of life together.

What will you pass on to your children? In the moments you experience together each day as you homeschool? We believe homeschooling gives you a unique opportunity to pass on boldness. In those little day-by-day, often routine and sometimes mundane moments, in the big things and the small things that make up the homeschool life.

In his column, The Family Man, Todd takes an honest look at what it means to pass on boldness by being a manly man… just not in the way the world defines it. You’ll also hear what that looked like from his son Ben’s perspective in Ashley’s column Success Stories to Embolden You. We hope you are encouraged by them both. We have some practical help as well including how you can use science to teach your kids about boldness in Learning Naturally and Make it Fun! And in our Mom to Mom column, Jane and Carrie share how boldness often comes in a quieter package than most think. Brian challenges teens to be bold in how they use social media—for good—as he shares the story about a teen who did just that. That’s just a taste of what you’ll find in this issue. We pray it helps you to leave your children with a legacy of boldness.

Ashley & Kay
Co-Executive Editors
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with

Jane Lambert & Carrie Bozeman

Building Blocks of Boldness
Carrie Writes:

I

wouldn’t call my mom particularly adventurous or fearless in general, and she is not a loud, boisterous person. She enjoys routine and her home. She is quiet and steady. These are, by the way, wonderful qualities for a mother to possess! For those of you familiar with Lord of the Rings… she’s a bit of a hobbit.

In The Hobbit, Bilbo, when presented with the uncertainty of the journey before him said, “I don’t want any adventures, thank you…!” He referred to adventures as, “…disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” That is not to say that my mom never leaves home; she has traveled the entire U.S. and been to Europe twice and enjoyed it.

In my opinion, quiet and steady are wonderful components of boldness. My mom is courageous and a risk taker when she believes it to be something God is calling her to and something that is best for her family. Homeschooling is the perfect example! She began homeschooling in 1981, and if that isn’t boldness I’m not sure what is. She believed homeschooling was what God was calling her to do and that it would be good for her family. She took risks walking forward, trusting God to direct and guide her.

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“If we fail to invest the time to help our children develop the skills to be confident, bold, and brave in the early years, they will struggle to stand up for what they believe in as they grow into adults.”
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O ur family has always loved American Idol… the great music, rooting for your favorite singer, and young people triumphing over adversity to step onto the stage and boldly put themselves into the spotlight. As a mom of kids who come from hard places, one contestant really stuck out to me this year. While a young girl played the piano and sang about brokenness and abandonment, tears streamed down my face. When the talented songwriter finished her performance, the judge on the competition show also wiped tears from her eyes and said, “Keep being brave.” I nodded in agreement and thought about the courage it took for this young lady to be on national TV and share how her mother had walked away from their family and the destruction and heartache it left behind. I wanted to jump through the television and give this girl the biggest hug and tell her that she just showed the world that she can do hard things and how that took incredible boldness. The moment stuck with me for days and led me to ponder the question, “How do we raise children who are brave and bold in this messy world?”
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Growing Relationships
Through Parenting & Education
Helping Our Children Develop Boldness
by Connie Albers
Agoal of most parents is to teach their children how to be bold. We imagine them standing up for the truth, not letting fear stop them from taking action, and protecting their siblings or friends from bullies. I, too, wanted that for my children. That’s a worthy goal to desire for our children, but the question begs, “How?” How do we help our children develop this kind of boldness?

First, we must understand some of the characteristics our children must learn if we want them to live boldly. In general, people who are bold are typically unafraid, have discernment, and exhibit confidence. While these are common traits, the degree to which a child manifests each one will vary. The way we accomplish developing boldness will vary from one child to another, but it is necessary to instill each of these character qualities in them throughout their childhood.

Connie Albers
Connie Albers
Parenting Beyond the Rules by Connie Albers cover
“Hopeful, practical ideas you can use this week to have the relationship with your child you’ve always wanted.”
KARA POWELL, PhD, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and coauthor of Growing Young
Available wherever books are sold
Passing On Boldness
A Biblical Approach
by Rachael Carman
In

the Spring Issue, we discussed what it means to be bold. Now let’s zero in on what it means to be a bold mom. Some of the characteristics of bold motherhood might catch you off guard. Bold moms guard and protect their children. They nurture and feed them. They seek what’s best for their children, even if it costs them their lives. Most often we think of mama bears when we think of bold motherhood. The saying goes that it’s best not to get between a mama bear and her cubs. That is a no-man’s land, a danger zone if ever there was one. A mama bear is devoted to her cub, and insofar as it depends on her, she’ll lay down her life to defend her cub.

But sometimes in the human realm, we swing on the pendulum and find ourselves overprotective and completely unengaged on one end, or unfeeling and uncaring at the other end of the pendulum. Unlike the mama bear, we’re inconsistent. And all too often we let the culture dictate what we should protect and defend, instead of taking our orders from our heavenly Father. As homeschool moms we know what it’s like to be accused of being overly protective. We’re told that our kids need to be out in the “real” world, not just in our homes all the time. And yet, the Bible tells us that keeping our kids in our protective and loving care is exactly where they need to be. The real world, devoid of truth, without God, isn’t a place for the young and vulnerable.

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Learning
Naturally
by Kay Chance
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Learning
Naturally
by Kay Chance
Bold Science: A Discovery Approach
Bold•ness
/ˈbōldnəs/
willingness to take risks and act innovatively; confidence or courage

P

assing on boldness means we will encourage our children to see education differently than we may have growing up. It requires us to step into their world and model what it looks like to have a mindset that takes risks and acts innovatively. To walk in confidence and courage through their lives, our children need to begin by doing so in their education.

Science: the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

Science is one of those subjects that seems made for this very purpose, especially when you teach it naturally. Science begins with observation and requires students to experiment—sometimes with success and sometimes with failure. Understanding it at a deeper level depends on students’ ability to notice connections, ask new questions, and come up with innovative ideas.

Title of article
Preschool:
The Bold Inventor & His Vibrant Colors
Based on The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow
Book cover
E

dwin Binney invented tools other people needed. He was ingenious, working alongside his cousin, C. Harold Smith. Both men were gifted, but in different ways. Edwin was curious, and Harold enjoyed sales. Together, they became Binney & Smith. Author Natascha Biebow tells their story in The Crayon Man (Houghton Mifflin, 2019).

Edwin’s curiosity and experimentation led him to invent the first dustless chalk for which he won a medal at the St. Louis World’s Fair, the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. He was inspired by his wife Alice, a school teacher, who encouraged his efforts to invent safe, affordable crayons since chalk smudged and pigments could be toxic. Edwin thought and thought, created, and tried again until he—in 1903—invented the first box of eight, colored, wax crayons. Since that time, Crayola has produced various size box selections and rainbows of colors.

Elementary:
Boldness Takes Flight
Based on Fly High, John Glenn by Kathleen Krull
Cover of Book
J

ohn Glenn, one of America’s bravest and boldest explorers, is remembered most for his inaugural orbit of the Earth. He broke the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere, launching America into space exploration. Fly High, John Glenn: The Story of an American Hero by Kathleen Krull (HarperCollins, 2020) weaves brilliant illustrations and text—more advanced than some picture books—to invite readers to travel along on Glenn’s space adventures as well as on his endeavors after he retired from the space program.

Born in Ohio in 1921, John became intrigued by flight as a young boy. His parents thought flying was dangerous, but John was not discouraged. Determined, he earned his pilot’s license. In 1942, John entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program so he could fly for our country. He flew combat missions in World War II as well as the Korean War and later became a test pilot. His service in the U.S. Senate began in 1974. Amazingly in 1998, at the age of seventy-seven, John became a member of the Discovery Space Shuttle crew, becoming the oldest person to fly in space. A bold, courageous American, John Glenn died December 8, 2016.

Middle School:
Boldness Buys Freedom
Based on Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
Book cover of Amos Fortune, Free Man
A

mos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (1950; reprinted, Puffin Books, 1989) is a middle-grade biography set in the early 1700s. It is the recipient of the 1951 Newbery Medal. This classic piece opens along the Gold Coast of Africa. Based on a true story researched by the author, a fifteen-year-old African prince is captured by slave traders and sold to a Quaker family, the Copelands, who renamed the boy Amos. The Copelands teach Amos the Quaker faith and help him learn the weaving trade. Amos refuses to view himself as a slave and proposes how he could buy his freedom. Caleb dies before Amos is released, and Amos is consequently sold to Ichabod Richardson. He, too, treats Amos well and teaches him the tanning trade. Eventually, Amos finally buys his freedom, falls in love with Lily, a slave, and buys her freedom. When Lily dies, Amos marries Violet, a slave, and buys her freedom as well as her daughter’s. Despite many long years as a slave, Amos remains resolute, steadfast, and bold in his sense of self-worth and determination for freedom. In fact, his desire for freedom spills over to others. Amos lived as a free man until his death on November 17, 1801.

High School:
Bold Missionary: Jim Elliot
Based on Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Book cover
E

lisabeth Elliot, missionary and author of Through the Gates of Splendor (1957; reprinted, Tyndale Momentum, 1981) uses personal letters, journals, and photographs to document a poignant account of the five courageous men, one being her beloved, Jim Elliot. Jim graduated from Wheaton College, majoring in Greek, and felt led to communicate and work with the Auca tribe in a remote jungle of Ecuador. The mission was considered extremely dangerous, as the tribe was known for its violence and mistrust of outsiders. No one prior to Jim considered trying to communicate with the Aucas, let alone bring the gospel and the love of Christ to their tribe. For this endeavor, he gathered four men, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian. Knowing the tribe’s reputation and that their work may bring them face to face with sacrificing their lives for the potential salvation of some, the men were not deterred. Ultimately, their work did indeed lead to their deaths. Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint, Nate’s sister, continued the work of the men killed on January 8, 1956. In the 1996 twenty-fifth anniversary edition, Elisabeth Elliot updated the prologue.

mother on the phone while holding her baby
For the Working Mom: Instilling Boldness in Your Kids
with Jennifer Holt
Our

kids are always watching us. They are learning how to live and act based on our daily behaviors, which can be a sobering reminder of all our shortcomings at times. But the good news of being a work-at-home, homeschooling mom lies in the fact that you and I are able to teach our kids how to work “as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

Did you get that last part, or are you still thinking about all of the ways that you fail as a mom daily?

If you are mentally listing out all of your shortcomings, you aren’t alone.

As a work-at-home, homeschooling mom, I’ve felt the sting of mom guilt. For years, the constant struggle between needing to work and needing to spend time with my husband and kids threatened to crush me. There were definitely seasons that I needed to reprioritize because I had allowed work to bleed into family life, and I always held the guilt close to my heart.

Success Stories to Embolden You typography
by Ashley Wiggers

The following are a few of the highlights from an interview between myself and second-generation homeschooler, Ben Wilson. Ben is the adult son of our columnist, Todd Wilson. He works alongside his dad as the co-host for their podcast The Smiling Homeschooler. He even lives with his family (wife, daughter, son, and baby on the way!) in a house next to his parents’ house. Ben is the oldest of the Wilson’s eight children and like his dad, he is passionate about homeschooling, being a dad and husband, and encouraging others. I hope you enjoy this snippet of our conversation.

Watch or listen to the whole interview here:
www.hs.today/bonus-content
Ben and his family smiling outside

The following are a few of the highlights from an interview between myself and second-generation homeschooler, Ben Wilson. Ben is the adult son of our columnist, Todd Wilson. He works alongside his dad as the co-host for their podcast The Smiling Homeschooler. He even lives with his family (wife, daughter, son, and baby on the way!) in a house next to his parents’ house. Ben is the oldest of the Wilson’s eight children and like his dad, he is passionate about homeschooling, being a dad and husband, and encouraging others. I hope you enjoy this snippet of our conversation.

Watch or listen to the whole interview here:
www.hs.today/bonus-content
Young Girl on Phone
Tech Savvy Parent
Brian Housman author
Brave enough to stop clicking text
E

veryday my inbox is populated with an increasing number of articles and news stories of teenagers getting themselves in trouble with technology. Whether it’s the middle school girl sending sexually inappropriate pictures of herself to others or the group of high schoolers that bullied a classmate into taking their life, it’s enough to make any parent want to take away every screen in their teenagers’ lives. But as with any issue in teen culture, the bad news always screams louder than the good. It’s easy to lose perspective when we don’t hear of the teenagers that are making a difference.

There are a great many teenagers out there who are leading among their peers to bring about social change, and their primary megaphone is social media. When Julia Warren from Richmond, VA, was sixteen years old, her heart was burdened by the number of young children in her community who lived in perpetual sadness. She considered ways that she might be able to bring a small ray of light into their lives. After six months of playing around with different ideas, she landed on the one thing she thought every child deserves—a birthday party.

Unhurried
Homeschooling
Teaching through Your Child’s Passion title
by Durenda Wilson
The following is an excerpt from Durenda’s new book, The 4 Hour School Day.
U

ntil Jake was twelve years old, he hated reading. He loved lots of other things, but language arts, in general, was his archnemesis. We regularly took him and his seven siblings to a large bookstore to choose any book they wanted. Darryl and I beamed with satisfaction as the kids proudly held the treasures they got to take home. Each time, Jake was the only one who walked away empty-handed because he said he couldn’t find anything interesting.

Seriously? I couldn’t even count the number of times I’d had to restrict myself from buying books I thought looked interesting, and this kid couldn’t find a single book in the entire store that interested him? I truly couldn’t relate, but I also knew that more than likely, all he needed was time—he would eventually find something. Yet as time wore on, I started to get nervous.

Unhurried
Homeschooling
Teaching through Your Child’s Passion title
by Durenda Wilson
The following is an excerpt from Durenda’s new book, The 4 Hour School Day.
U

ntil Jake was twelve years old, he hated reading. He loved lots of other things, but language arts, in general, was his archnemesis. We regularly took him and his seven siblings to a large bookstore to choose any book they wanted. Darryl and I beamed with satisfaction as the kids proudly held the treasures they got to take home. Each time, Jake was the only one who walked away empty-handed because he said he couldn’t find anything interesting.

Seriously? I couldn’t even count the number of times I’d had to restrict myself from buying books I thought looked interesting, and this kid couldn’t find a single book in the entire store that interested him? I truly couldn’t relate, but I also knew that more than likely, all he needed was time—he would eventually find something. Yet as time wore on, I started to get nervous.

Make it fun! title
by Wendy Hilton
Experimenting with Boldness subtitle
H

ave you ever tried to reach an undefined goal? Probably not! It’s impossible to reach a goal you haven’t set, right? After all, how would you even know what steps to take to reach your goal? How would you know once you had accomplished it? I know it sounds silly to try to reach a goal you haven’t set, yet I think many of us do exactly that during our homeschool years. We never stop to think about what it is we want to accomplish with our children during these years.

One of my goals for my children as they were growing up was helping them develop boldness. The Spring issue of Homeschooling Today was about developing boldness as homeschool parents, but how can we pass on that boldness to our children?

If we want our children to become bold, confident adults, we need to help instill this boldness in them day by day as we go about our lives—including our time homeschooling.

Make it fun! title
by Wendy Hilton
Experimenting with Boldness subtitle
H

ave you ever tried to reach an undefined goal? Probably not! It’s impossible to reach a goal you haven’t set, right? After all, how would you even know what steps to take to reach your goal? How would you know once you had accomplished it? I know it sounds silly to try to reach a goal you haven’t set, yet I think many of us do exactly that during our homeschool years. We never stop to think about what it is we want to accomplish with our children during these years.

One of my goals for my children as they were growing up was helping them develop boldness. The Spring issue of Homeschooling Today was about developing boldness as homeschool parents, but how can we pass on that boldness to our children?

If we want our children to become bold, confident adults, we need to help instill this boldness in them day by day as we go about our lives—including our time homeschooling.

Complete integrated curriculum. Just add MAth!
Take Your Children typography
On an Adventure with the:
• Follows National Standards
• Inspires a Love of Learning
• Produces Independent Thinkers
• Nurtures Curiosity
• Easy to Teach
Trail Guide to Learning Series logo
Try it out for FREE today! Go to:
Complete integrated curriculum. Just add MAth!
Take Your Children typography
On an Adventure with the:
Trail Guide to Learning Series logo
• Follows National Standards
• Inspires a Love of Learning
• Produces Independent Thinkers
• Nurtures Curiosity
• Easy to Teach
Try it out for FREE today! Go to:
Celebrate High School typography
Fostering Responsibility & Ownership…
in Education
by Cheryl A. Bastian
I

remember my first “new” car, the one I chose and figured out how to purchase. Instantaneously, the wrappers on the floor mattered and I monitored the mileage. Sure, I drove my parents’ car responsibly and did my best to remember to “leave it better than I found it,” but the motivation behind my actions pivoted—powerfully. It was my car. I owned it. I was grateful my parents walked me through the process of responsibly owning an automobile.

Empowering high schoolers to make responsible choices and begin to buy into their education is a bold idea, a process. It is a unique journey for each learner, an intentional path encouraged in practical ways. Mike and I have walked through and fostered educational ownership with four graduates. Though we used some common practices, adjustments were needed to tailor toward learning preferences, interests, and career choices. Adapt the following ideas for your learners as they progress on the natural quest for independence.

Bookshelf & Beyond Title
with Curriculum Consultants:
Deanne Crawford & Gina Burmeier
H

elping our children develop boldness is a dream we all share. As parents, we want the very best for our children. From early on we see our little ones develop their own unique personalities. If we have more than one child, we notice the vast differences between each child (their strengths and weaknesses). It’s amazing even when we raise our children in the same household, they still grow up with completely different characteristics.

When we homeschool, we have the gift of spending time with our children as they are developing. We take on the vast responsibility of not only giving our children the best education possible, but also raising them to have strong character and reasoning skills. It is important to us to instill independent thinking, respect, and boldness, while maintaining humility. One of the best and most important avenues to teach this is through our own example as we live our daily lives. When children see how we assimilate information, handle adversity, challenges, and even success, they learn and emulate our example. They also learn a great deal from our ability to admit our mistakes when we mess up. They are learning when they see us develop solutions to obstacles. Through our examples, we can teach our kids to develop boldness and confidence as they watch us handle day-to-day life events. When we use good reasoning skills, we pass these abilities on to our children as they grow and mature to become young adults in the next generation.

Bookshelf & Beyond Title
with Curriculum Consultants:

Deanne Crawford & Gina Burmeier

H

elping our children develop boldness is a dream we all share. As parents, we want the very best for our children. From early on we see our little ones develop their own unique personalities. If we have more than one child, we notice the vast differences between each child (their strengths and weaknesses). It’s amazing even when we raise our children in the same household, they still grow up with completely different characteristics.

When we homeschool, we have the gift of spending time with our children as they are developing. We take on the vast responsibility of not only giving our children the best education possible, but also raising them to have strong character and reasoning skills. It is important to us to instill independent thinking, respect, and boldness, while maintaining humility. One of the best and most important avenues to teach this is through our own example as we live our daily lives. When children see how we assimilate information, handle adversity, challenges, and even success, they learn and emulate our example. They also learn a great deal from our ability to admit our mistakes when we mess up. They are learning when they see us develop solutions to obstacles. Through our examples, we can teach our kids to develop boldness and confidence as they watch us handle day-to-day life events. When we use good reasoning skills, we pass these abilities on to our children as they grow and mature to become young adults in the next generation.

The Family Man title
with Todd Wilson
A Manly Kind of Dad
S

ometimes when you begin writing an article, it takes on a life of its own and goes in a direction you never intended it to go. So it is with this article. I intended to write about passing on boldness to our children, not by forcing them to swim in mountain streams, bungee jump off bridges, or ride broncos in the rodeo, but by being kind, loving, and serving one another. That’s when the article went off rail because I knew the article wouldn’t sound very manly.

So just for the record… let me say I’m a manly dad. I own a chainsaw and lots of power tools, and I spit. At the same time, I encourage men to be affectionate with their children, take an active part in putting the kids to bed, and make the relationship with their children and wife a priority above everything else.

Because I write and speak about doing just that, occasionally I get an email from an upset guy who thinks I’ve sold out manhood and feminized fatherhood. In fact, many books and speakers would voice a manly “Amen” to that argument.

Summer 2021
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