Give Them Opportunities

Children are often looked at as a blank canvas, just waiting for someone to come along and add some color and design and direction.   I guess that's true to a certain extent, but my personal theory is that children have lots of great things already on the inside of them, and our job as parents and homeschoolers is to draw that greatness out.  Giving children opportunities to try new things is a great tool for drawing out greatness.

I'm certainly no expert in child development, but I do have some experience both with being a child many moons ago, and with having raised a few kids.   I've taken my role as a mother and educator very seriously and while I've certainly made mistakes along the way, I  do feel like I've done a relatively good job.

By giving your child/children opportunities to try new things, they get to see what they are good at and what things spark their interests, and what things all but bring them to tears.   My youngest child, who is naturally gifted for ballet hated the competition and nastiness that go hand in hand with dance, but she loves jiu-jitsu and the sense of community she has found. My oldest who always hated making crafts has found that she's a gifted artist and has won several art competitions.

Giving children opportunities does not mean you have to break the bank.  We've lived on a single income the last 16+ years, so I understand budgets and having more month than money at times.   I've spent a great deal of time researching activities, events, classes and ways to make things happen for my kids, so here's a brief list of ideas.

Free activities.  The local library is a great resource for free classes.  Churches also typically offer free vacation Bible school during the summer months.  Likewise, many churches are now offering sports (Upwards for example) and other activities to the community.  Sometimes it's free, sometimes there's a fee, but you can always ask for financial assistance if you truly need it.

Scholarships.  I've found that many summer camps offer scholarships for families with low income.  We're not broke, but living on one income is a stretch and if we qualify for a scholarship, I'm not too proud to accept it.   We've received scholarships for local college programs, history camps and even summer camp.

Barter.  My girls took ballet lessons for 8 years, and I paid for it by bartering my administrative skills/bookkeeping skills in exchange for lessons.  Once they tired of ballet, it turned into a small monthly income that covers the cost of some of their other activities.

Homeschool moms/dads.   I've found that there are always homeschool parents who have skills I don't, and who are willing to share their skill for a small fee, or just to be a mentor.  Both girls took piano lessons for several years for a tiny amount of money this way.  Likewise, see what skill set you have that might benefit others; art, sewing, woodworking etc.

Volunteer.   If you look around your area, you will find lots of volunteer opportunities.  Things like delivering food for Meals on Wheels, visiting nursing homes, shoveling snow for the elderly and walking dogs as the animal shelter can help children learn compassion, and also help draw out those natural care giver's.  Olivia has been volunteering at a farm for just short of a year now, and I truly am floored at how much she enjoys the work, the animals and being outside.

Clubs.  4-H offers a wide variety of clubs for little to no money at all.  Scouting, Trail Life and American Heritage Girls, Bright Lights, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Civil Air Patrol are just a few options that give. 

Recreations League Sports.   While these are typically not free, fees are usually affordable and it gives kids exposure to various sports and coaching styles.   Who knows, you may have the next Tim Tebow in your family.

Product Reviews.   Ok, so this one is more on you the parent, however, I've found that working for product review organizations has allowed us to use homeschool curriculum that would never have been in our budget.  It's exposed us to lots of products we didn't know existed.  Reviewing also gave me a larger knowledge base that I could in turn share with those in my circle of influence when they needed input on trying to find specific products for specific needs.

Let them help you.  While this sounds easy enough, sometimes it's hard to take twice as long to get something done with "help".  However, there's much to be said for working together.   Lindsey is an accomplished cook/baker because I let her help.  Olivia has a great appreciation for quality craftsmanship and the texture of woods because she has helped my husband in his workshop.

Now, I will admonish you to use wisdom.  Don't over schedule your kids.  Don't expect them to excel at every single thing they try...heck don't even expect them to always like the things they try.   Make sure programs are reputable, and that they don't go against your Biblical beliefs (or force beliefs you don't adhere to).     Listen to your gut, if you just have that nagging feeling that somethings not right about an instructor or location, don't dismiss it, you have that intuition for a reason.    When kids are young don't just leave them anywhere with just anyone; stay, observe, volunteer to help.   Regardless of your child's age, ask questions both of leaders and of your kids.    My kids are 16 and 14 and I still attend classes/practices or randomly show up at events to be in the know.

Give them room to grow, and boundaries to protect them during their growth.