TIME FOR A VISION CHECK

It's that time of year for resolutions, reflections, and revisions.  Regardless of our degree of intentionality, most of us to one degree or another will take stock in our personal family circumstances, evaluating both the "good" and the "bad" elements that need to be addressed for either continuation or correction.   As homeschoolers, we are also tuned in to how things are going at this traditional break from the middle of our school year.  So, how are things for you and your family?  For the Christian family, vision is about specifically working through that question and taking Proverbs 29:18 to the practical level of daily living.  

Creating a vision statement is a significant point of emphasis I cover in the first chapter of The Balanced Homeschooler, encouraging families to revisit it every year to make sure things are still on track for your family.  Note that the vision statement should not mention "homeschooling" but is, instead, a statement that covers what the personal and spiritual goals are for your family as a whole.  Thus, this is the statement that should remain fairly static over the years, though your strategies, like homeschooling, to achieve it will vary from season to season.

So, here are some simple ideas to employ if this is a new concept for you and your family:

• First, parents should write down some ideas, key words, and phrases independently and then come together to synthesize your points into a cohesive, single statement.  
• For younger kids, allow them draw or create a clay figure that illustrates a simple idea about what your family's main goal is in life.  With guided discussion, see if you can incorporate their thoughts into the overall vision.
• For teens, engage them in a family discussion to include their feedback and create a general "buy in" for the family's vision statement.  Note how this experience also helps to model for them what they can eventually do in their own family in the future.
• Once you have settled on your family's final draft, post it in a prominent place in your home, referring to it often and reviewing it annually.

Once you have established a family vision statement, you then have the basis for discussion each year to see how everyone is doing towards that end.  It also helps to establish good habits for your teens to eventually create their own personal vision statement that will carry them into adulthood!
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For more instruction and guidance on this topic, feel free to refer to the steps and samples outlined in the first chapter of The Balanced Homeschooler.  For specifics about mentoring your own teen to create their personal vision statement, check out  The Balanced High Schooler.