I have mentioned before that my dad was a woodworker and general handyman--as well as a high school and college teacher. One thing he taught me early was that you need the right tool for the job. Don't use a screwdriver as a chisel or crowbar, don't use a limb saw to cut finished wood, and so on.Use the right tool for the job.
And, if you have any experience with fixing things you know how true that is. Using the wrong tool sometimes doesn't work at all, and sometimes leads to you making a worse mess to fix than you started with. If you use the wrong screwdriver, for example, you might strip the screw and then you have to drill it out which is a bigger project than you originally planned.
When it comes to homeschool materials I can not believe how many people don't want to spend the money on the tools. I mean, what is more important to a homeschooler than making sure their child gets a good well rounded education? That is why I can 't figure out how come seemingly committed homeschoolers do not set aside much money to buy the right tools for the job.
Much more important than a screwdriver is having a cohesive and logical plan to teach your children what they need to know. Yet, I know folks who jumble together a curriculum under the guise of saying they are good stewards. Some are, but many times they really just don't want to invest in the right tool for the job.
Curriculum is not cheap, but nothing worth doing comes easy or cheap. I know when our children were young I baked and sold bread 2x a week to make the money to buy curriculum. In later years, I started representing Sonlight at state homeschool conventions to earn curriculum money. It was that important!
Getting the right tools in the form of a full curriculum can save many problems later on. You can be assured you child is getting a well rounded education and mom can save hours a week by not having to re-invent the wheel.
Whatever curriculum you use, or whether you get a collection of materials from various suppliers, I urge you to get the right tool for the job. Plan ahead, just as if you were doing a building project.
If you were going to build a dog house, you would get a plan, buy the wood, set aside the time required, have the proper tools and then make the dog house.
We are building children into adults so devise a plan, buy the materials, set aside the time, have all the proper tools, then begin. Do our kids deserve any less?
Let me know if I can help you figure out what tools you need for your homeschool.
Take care,
Jill
Photos: Top: Dad working on a cherry bed frame and Bottom: Kari and Scotty helping build a play house.
