Hey Mama Monday: Schooling on the Go, Mama

Hey Mama,

There was a season not so long ago that I had three teens who each had an outside class, a job, and a ministry—and didn’t drive. Talk about on the go! I was doing more going than schooling in those days! There were also times we were on the go due to doctor visits or helping others in ministry opportunities. I felt guilty about all that time not “schooling” so I came up with a couple of guilt-savers.

To-Go Packs:

Since it’s hard enough to find everyone’s shoes when it’s time to go, I decided we were not going to chance losing school books by trying to load them in and out of the car every day. Instead, we kept all of the children’s regular schoolwork at home in their individual school crates, and we made each child what we called “to-go packs” that had picture books, science books, stickers, coloring books, and academic workbooks just for these packs. Most of the books and workbooks were ones I already had on my bookshelves. They were the extras that we didn’t have time for during regular school days. The workbooks for the packs were multi-subject in order to continue the learning, like SAT Prep, McGraw Hill, or grade-appropriate workbooks from the local dollar store. We kept these nylon drawstring packs in the car so we wouldn’t have to look for them each day.

Audio Books:

Longer trips called for more to do. We listened to great audio books like Under Drake’s Flag, The Chronicles of Narnia, Pilgrim’s Progress, Hinds’ Feet on High Places, The Cat of Bubastes, Chuck Black’s Kingdom Series, and anything by Jim Hodges! Also, check your local library for free rental of audio books.

Go, go, go! That’s a lot of what you do when you homeschool. There are those wonderful, cozy days at home, but then there are those days when you have to get out and go. You can dread those days and feel guilty about what you are not getting done, whether it’s due to hardship or travel, or you can prepare some learning in advance.

It’s just a season, Mom. It will soon be over, and you’ll be driving those little darlings away to a college or away to a job or away to a wedding or . . . wherever God leads them. We raise them to let them go, and part of that process is taking them places before they can take themselves.

In all your going, remember this: Jesus said to go, too! Go out into all the world and preach the gospel! Our world needs it now as much as ever. May we do our part.

~Deborah

Deborah Wuehler is the Senior Editor and Director of Production here at The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. She would say she is a very ordinary homeschool mom–with one exception: she has an extraordinary God Who provides all she needs for life and homeschooling. She has eight children aged 11 to 29. Deborah’s mission is this: to point other homeschoolers to the Lord in all they do, think, and feel—and to confirm that they, too, can find everything they need for life, godliness, and homeschooling in their knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3-4).