For the win! Homeschooling from the Inside Out June 19, 2020 By Bekki 7 Comments This content may contain affiliate links.He came running up to me. “Mom!!!” The gleam in his eyes elbowed my heart to focus. I had to walk faster than normal to keep up with him as he skipped stairs. He could hardly contain his excitement. Our talented brickmaster just solved the problem of the century with a handful of Legos. “How does a 16-year old get a foot pedal for his drum when he doesn’t want to spend his hard earned money?” Build it with Legos! Maybe it’s not the problem of the century to your neighbor, but this was a big issue for my son. He created a few prototypes, tested it out, rebuilt and tested it again. Finally, he was satisfied with how it functioned and he was ready to make it look cool. I asked him to join me LIVE on Facebook to show the kids. He was more than willing to share his invention with my little corner of the internet, inspiring kids of all ages to build. His newest little fan just went on a shopping spree to buy herself some Legos and she couldn’t wait to share pictures with him. As I was looking over this video this morning, it dawned on me that his illustration is the perfect way to describe my new book Homeschooling from the Inside Out. Isaac begins the video by showing kids his beautiful foot pedal. He worked hard to create this pedal so he could beat his drum as he is playing his guitar. Then, he pulled out a few very, very simple pieces to explain how the mechanism actually works. The beauty of his little invention is deep under the red and black bricks. It has a rock-solid system of working parts inside. In Homeschooling from the Inside Out, I describe what I call the holy trinity of homeschooling: Heart, Attitude, and Character. When we strip homeschooling down to these three inner cores, we see the absolute essence of our kids. All their moving brain cells and emotions are held there in the center. If we focus too much on the beautiful exterior we can lose sight of our kids. Math lessons, writing assignments, and history plans are a wonderful part of homeschooling, but if we let those things come before training and encouraging the inner child we miss the mark. Just like Isaac’s Lego creation. If the mechanical pieces were assembled correctly the whole pedal would fall apart when he begins to tap his foot. It doesn’t matter how “pretty it is”. If it doesn’t let him beat the drum it’s not worth anything. In the same way, having kids that are academically thriving but emotionally whithering is one of the saddest situations in homeschool. Do we really want to raise kids who can add, write, and read who lack character, grit, determination, and joy? Instead of being concerned about curriculum, standardized tests, and science fair projects, maybe we can look at homeschooling from a different perspective. That’s exactly why I wrote Homeschooling from the Inside Out. What if by the time you finish teaching your kids… They are kind. They are confident. They look people in the eye when spoken to. They befriend the new kids. They put down their phone when others are in the room. They are strong and hard working. They know how to cook, chop wood and change the oil on a car. They are compassionate and caring. What if They LOVE to read and devour the written word. They never text and drive They hunt down information when their interests are piqued. They can balance their checkbook and manage a budget. They can break down a project into a workable timeline. They can manage a calendar. They can create powerpoint presentations and present their ideas to a group. What if They know how to receive instruction. They can add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. They can measure accurately using various tools. They can take a disappointment in stride. They lose with dignity and win with humility… Oh, there’s so much I want to share with you about Inside Out Homeschooling. Teaching our kids from the inside out is the adventure of a lifetime. “Founder of A Better Way to Homeschool, Rebekah knows first hand how focusing on character can make all the difference in the world when raising children. All five of her sons and countless reader’s children have been positively impacted by her Inside Out training. Rebekah details practical strategies to make parents more confident homeschoolers. Homeschooling form the Inside Out not only has the power to change a family—it has the power to change the world.” Print this free homeschool mom reminder. This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it! Here is a sneak preview… Download Your Free Printable Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas! Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal. Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder. MORE FROM BEKKI So, God made YOU a homeschool mom Choosing a chore system that works for your family Inside Out Homeschooling A Better Way to Homeschool Enroll in the sneak peek class here.