Appreciating that God Made our Children Different from Us

One of the difficult things about homeschooling, or parenting in general, is accepting that our children are different from us, sometimes radically so. The educational plan that we may have dreamed of when we first started homeschooling, or the life dreams that we may have held for our children, may simply be a bad fit for our children.

Often, that is because we start with what we either enjoyed, or wish that we could have done, rather than looking at the gifts and strengths and weaknesses God gave our children.

This week, I've been reading High School of Your Dreams from Catholic Heritage Curricula. My kids aren't in high school yet, but I'm thinking ahead, trying to figure out what homeschooling high school might look like so that I am not having a stress attack when my son is in eighth grade and so that I will have an answer for people who question, "How on earth do you plan to homeschool high school?"

This quote from the book struck me:

Each individual is a precious and unrepeatable miracle, not because of what he does, but because of who he is: a child of God. Those who use their God-given gifts to the best of their ability, in whatever capacity, give glory to God not according to man's measure, but according to God's.

I've already started praying with my children each night that they grow up to be the people God wants them to be, that they have the vocation and career that they should. God knows better than I do what is best for my children. They are His children first.