Alright Kids, Start Growing! Encouragement for the Homeschool Mom When You Just Want to Know It’s Working
In Frog and Toad Together, there’s a charming and insightful story called “The Garden.” Toad decides he wants a garden just like Frog’s, so Frog gives him some seeds to plant. Eager for quick results, Toad buries the seeds and immediately starts watching for them to grow. When nothing happens, he yells at the seeds, demanding that they start growing. He sings to them, reads poetry, and even stays up all night keeping watch. But no matter how much effort he puts into it, the seeds sprout only when they are ready.
As homeschooling parents, we often find ourselves in Toad’s position. We plant seeds of knowledge, character, and curiosity in our children, but we don’t always see immediate results. Sometimes, we want to rush the process. We stress over when our child will start reading fluently, memorize math facts, or show interest in a particular subject. We worry that we aren’t doing enough or that our children are behind. And in our worry, we try to force growth, piling on extra lessons, drilling facts, or making comparisons to other children.
But learning, like growing a garden, doesn’t work that way.
Growth Happens in Its Own Time
Frog reassures Toad that his seeds will grow, but they need time, warmth, and patience. The same is true for our children. Some children read at four; others wait until eight. Some pick up math quickly, while others need more time and hands-on practice. Pushing too hard can create anxiety and frustration instead of fostering a love of learning.
Charlotte Mason encourages us to lay a feast of education for our children for them to choose from. She tells us that we are building a wide room, stone by stone, in which they can set their feet in. It’s not about cramming knowledge into a child’s mind but nurturing a rich environment where learning naturally flourishes. Just as a gardener provides sunlight, water, and good soil but cannot force a seed to sprout, we create the conditions for growth but must trust the process.
The Beauty of Slow, Steady Growth
What if Toad had trusted that the seeds were doing their work beneath the soil? What if, instead of fretting, he had gone about his day, enjoying the world around him, knowing that growth was happening unseen?
Homeschooling requires that same trust. Our efforts, reading aloud, discussing ideas, exploring nature, and providing rich experiences, are never wasted, even if we don’t see immediate results. Often, a child’s understanding deepens long after a lesson is over. The seeds we plant today may not bloom until weeks, months, or even years later.
As my daughter enters middle school this year, I find myself reflecting on the years we’ve already poured into education. I can see those seeds growing.
So, I want to encourage you, take heart. Your child is growing. Keep reading, keep exploring, keep loving the process. And the next time you feel tempted to rush learning, remember Toad’s garden. The seeds will sprout, not because we yell at them, but because we have faithfully planted and tended them with patience and care.
