This is a guest post contributed by Leah Hudson. You can learn more about Leah in her bio at the bottom of her post.

I spend a lot of time thinking about how best to educate my children. Hours and hours are dedicated to simply planning the year ahead. Another immeasurable chunk of time is consumed actually carrying out those plans—reading, writing, discussing, reviewing. It is a lot.

I was recently flipping through my commonplace journal and ran across this quote a few weeks back. Beware, it's long (you might want to grab a cup of coffee):

“Human learning is of good use to prepare for the study of better things, as a coarser dye prepares the cloth for a richer and deeper dye. But the fault is when the study of Christ is neglected. The knowledge of Christ ought to have the pre-eminence. It was surely not without a mystery that God allowed all Solomon's writing about birds and plants to be lost, but what he wrote about spiritual wisdom to be miraculously preserved, as if God would teach us that to know Christ (the true Wisdom) is the crowning knowledge (Prov. 8:12).

One leaf of this tree of life will give us more comfort on a death-bed than the whole idea and platform of human science. What is it to know all the motions of the orbs and influences of the stars, and in the meantime to be ignorant of Christ, the bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)? What is it to understand the nature of minerals or precious stones, and not to know Christ the true Cornerstone (Isa. 28:16)? It is undervaluing, yes despising Christ, when with the lodestone we draw iron and straw to us, but neglect Him who has tried gold to bestow on us (Rev. 3:18).”
— Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture

Reconsidering the Purpose of Homeschooling

All of this had me re-considering my plans.

Am I preparing my kids to study better things?
As I carefully craft my school year, am I also considering how I can shift the focus from the creations of the world to the Creator of the world?
While I am laying out timelines of history, am I sufficiently telling His story?
As I begin to lay out the grammar of verbs before them, am I laying open the Verbum (the Word) before them, too?

And then the practical part of me asks, How do I do that? How do I prepare my children for Higher Learning?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have some simple ideas. These are things that take almost no time to implement but infuse our days with wonder in our Heavenly Father. They point our hearts in His direction throughout the day, fulfilling the mission statement of our educational pursuits:

“And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
— Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Simple Worship

Since my kids were preschool age, we’ve talked about God as Creator and Sustainer—the object of our worship. We had a couple of board books that gave us such a simple way to identify God as Creator and give Him thanks in toddler words.

Even now, with little toddlers still running through the house, we’ve never gotten out of the habit of noticing a beautiful sunset and saying, “Good job, God!”

Is it silly to tell God “good job”? Absolutely not. I believe that taking time to exalt God throughout the day for what He has done—whether in toddler words or psalmist’s poetry—is a practice adults should embrace more often. There’s something about teaching our children to praise Him that calls us back to it ourselves.

As our kids grow older, we introduce them to the Psalms, where simple praise becomes more eloquent, but the heart of it remains the same.

Simple Bible Study

Another practice we try to maintain is simple Bible study.

In the early years, that looked like reading Bible storybooks (Read Aloud Bible Stories and our beloved vintage Egermeier’s Bible Story Book). As they’ve grown, we’ve begun using the inductive study method for kids—a simple but rich approach that has become a family favorite. My kids beg for Bible study time around our chalkboard table.

We don’t over-complicate it. We focus on storytelling and key words. And the beauty of those times gathered around the Word is almost inexpressible. It’s humbling and exhilarating to share the living Word of God with my children.

Simple Catechism

I didn’t grow up with a catechism, but I discovered it a few years ago and fell in love with its simple, classical way of teaching theology to kids.

We’re not always the best at introducing new catechism questions regularly, but we walk through what we know often. I even made up simple, nursery-tune inspired songs to help them learn the early questions.

I’ve taught each of my kids catechism from their earliest years, and it has been a delight. (If you’re new to it, I have some simple catechism cards on my blog, along with tips for getting started.)

Simple Dialogue

These simple practices—worship, Bible study, and catechism—lead to questions. So many wonderful questions.

Some are deeply thoughtful. Some are sweetly childlike. I’ll never forget the conversation my oldest two had about whether God really dies every Easter. Or the day my eldest walked into the room and asked, “Mom, am I a Christian yet?”

The reward of these practices is an open dialogue where questions are welcome and cherished. I want my kids to know they can ask me anything—whether they’re little now or teenagers later.

Simple Prayers

The last practice is simple prayer.

I try to pray aloud in front of my kids often, not with polished or rehearsed words, but with an open heart. I want them to see that prayer is simply talking to God. Whether I’m thanking Him for a meal or asking for help with a hard moment, I want them to see me praying without pretense.

What I Want My Kids to Remember

I tend to be nostalgic. I can remember almost every time I went to church as a child—few though they were. I remember VBS in Mississippi, singing old hymns acapella, and praying around the supper table. He was calling me, even then.

As I raise my children, I want something deeper for them. I want them to remember a home where Christ’s love was spoken of daily, where verses and hymns marked the seasons of their childhood.

I want them to grow up in a culture of simple, sacred practices that point to a simple, beautiful faith.

Simple Faith, Deep Roots

In the simplest terms, I want them to esteem Christ.

To know Him as the true Cornerstone.
The bright Morning Star.
The Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Praise God for the simple gifts He gives for the encouragement of our souls—and our children’s souls. May He magnify Himself through these little moments.

Hi, I am Leah, the wife, homemaker, and homeschooling mom behind Simple.Home.Blessings. I like to think of myself as a problem-solver and joy-seeker. Instead of getting bogged down in the problems of life, I try to find a solution and then glory in it. I would like to share one of all-time favorite solutions with you - head over to my site to get a FREE set of our Gathering placemats! Find me on Instagram as well!