Hospitality and Homeschooling
It is not always easy to welcome someone into your home, especially at a moment’s notice. After all, there are science experiments to do, math concepts to learn and math problems to solve, history lessons to read, and essays to write. Plus, there is laundry to do, dishes to be washed, and the table needs to be cleaned, too.
As homeschoolers, though, we enjoy the gift of having a flexible schedule so that when company comes to visit, we can open our homes to the many blessings that are both given and received. 1 Peter 4:9 says, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” Below, I share some of the many benefits that showing hospitality can have in our homeschools.
Meal planning and preparation – The opportunity to have family, friends, neighbors, and guests over for meals can provide a time for your children to learn about planning a menu for the coming week or month as well as preparing dishes ahead of time by doubling a recipe or putting extras in the freezer for later. Meal planning and preparation can lead to other lessons such as buying in bulk, using math when baking or cooking, and reading and following instructions in a recipe. While baking or cooking with your children, it can also be a time of sharing favorite family recipes and remembering special family times of sharing meals together over the years.
Conversations – Having others visit and spend time in our homes can give children a place to learn to talk with people of all ages. Another way to practice talking and speaking with others is to explain instructions before playing a game that is new to others or sharing about your neighborhood and area where you live.
Learning – Perhaps one of the greatest blessings of opening our homes to others and showing hospitality is that of learning from other people. We can learn about their times and experiences of traveling in other countries around the world, how they homeschool, and about family backgrounds, family members, and more. Maybe some guests speak another language that your children are learning which could be a great time of listening to and practicing the spoken word.
Friendships – A welcome blessing of hospitality is that it can lead to developing new friendships with people who share a meal with you in your home. You might stay in touch over the years through e-mail or phone calls or maybe become pen pals, thus giving your children a chance to practice composing and writing handwritten letters. Good friendships are a gift and blessing from the Lord.
Welcoming people into your home can provide many ways of learning and blessing for your family as you homeschool. When you are able to be flexible with your homeschool schedule so that you can enjoy the company of others in your home over a meal even if that means moving the math or history lesson to later on, you will experience and receive many opportunities to learn and bless.
Barbori enjoys writing and is blessed to be part of The Old Schoolhouse team. She is the author of Home at the Office: Working Remotely as a Way of Life. You can check out her writing, books, and blog at BarboriGarnet.com.
