“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” —Beatrix Potter

When children discover their gifts, they can thrive in life, serve God and others, maximize their talents, find confidence, tap into their calling, and change the world by doing what they love best.

It is likely that you already realize the value of your children’s God-created identities. Now you want to help them find and respond to God’s calling in their lives. But how do you help them discover their gifts and talents?

I’ve been reading The Element by Sir Ken Robinson, in which he relates this story of gift discovery: In the mid 1930s, a little girl named Gillian Lynne was having problems in school — everything from late homework to fidgeting and disturbing others. Her concerned mother took her to a specialist to uncover her “learning disability.” Gillian sat on her hands while the expert talked with her mom about all her problem behaviors. Finally, the specialist told Gillian to wait a moment while he spoke to her mother in another room.

As they left, he turned on the radio so Gillian could listen to some music. And when he and Gillian’s mother were outside, he told her to watch what happened through the cracked door. The moment they left, Gillian was on her feet dancing to the music.

The doctor turned to Gillian’s mother and explained, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian is not sick. She’s a dancer.” Gillian went on to become a prima ballerina and world-famous choreographer, most noted for her work in Cats and Phantom of the Opera (the world’s longest-running Broadway musical). She has brought joy to countless people and is now a multi-millionaire. To think that many specialists today may have simply put her on medication and told her to calm down!

We must value the richness of our creative make-up and tap into the way we are created to think and live. Sadly, our uniqueness is often “educated out of us” in the contemporary classroom school structure. This does not have to be the reality for kids who enjoy the freedom homeschooling offers.

Homeschooling parents have a unique opportunity to foster their children’s gifts and talents. As a homeschool parent . . .

• You are there with your kids to experience life with them. Quality time — the chance to know them intimately and allow them to be known — makes such a difference. And I don’t mean just sitting in front of the T.V. Listen to your children and interact with them.

• You have flexibility in your schedule; you don’t have to follow a cookie-cutter school day. Homeschooling opens the opportunity for your children to discover their passions and pursue them instead of hurrying on to the “next thing” the class is supposed to study.

• You have the chance to let them explore those gifts and interests with people outside their age peer group. Your children can learn to knit from an elderly neighbor, and learn about the Great Depression in the process. They could perform a drama at an inner-city daycare and learn about social issues as they actively address them. They can jump inside a cockpit at a nearby airport or interview a nurse at the hospital to find out more about her work. When your children explore new tasks and interests this way, they not only benefit from the skill itself, but learn to interact with people who are different from them.

Practical ways to discover your children’s gifts and help them thrive.

• Expose your children to a variety of subjects and note what they enjoy. I always encouraged my kids to try lots of different things and watched carefully so I could help them identify strengths. My son Luke lettered in about 21 different activities, from speech and debate to academics to swimming — not because he was trying to fill his life with busyness, but because he discovered talent and joy in those areas.

• When you see a strength surface, provide an outlet for it. Does your son doodle all over his math papers? Consider buying him a sketch pad. Think you have a history buff? Do a historical scavenger hunt at your library or local historical center. When my daughter, Jonelle, demonstrated a talent for art and design, we signed her up for every art class available. She quickly honed that gift and won amazing college scholarships through her work.

• Your children won’t waste anything they learn. Even if a particular activity doesn’t turn out to be a strength, you never know what they might learn from the experience! Luke studied Spanish in high school. Although he doesn’t consider himself a language person, he gave it a try and came away with some capability. Later, he found himself to be the only one in his department at his college internship in Southern California who could dub training videos from English to Spanish. After that, he told me he would never again ask, “Where will I ever use this?”

•  Praise your children for jobs well done. Acknowledge their gifts without allowing them to fear making mistakes or trying things so challenging that they may fail. My kids know I am behind them in whatever they try, not because of the endeavors themselves, but because I believe in them as individuals. Their hard work truly makes me proud!

•  Don’t compare your kids to other children or siblings — or even yourself. Give them confidence to become who God made them to be. I intentionally discourage competition within the family. Even when all my kids played in the band, I encouraged them to each play different instruments so they could make their own path with less comparison or rivalry.

• Encourage creativity in thinking about issues from various angles, not just a dogmatic, “This is the way it is” approach.
True Success

The best preparation for fulfillment and success in work and life starts by tapping into the very calling God has on each child’s life. He’s wired each child for a unique purpose. Work is a joy and privilege when you tap into your design!

I encourage you to help your children become well-rounded individuals who honor God and His truth rather than producing “successful” people as the world often defines success. Instead of concentrating on producing children who know the answers for a test, focus on allowing your children to grow into who they are in Christ.

I am thankful I have enjoyed more than a “front row seat” on my children’s lives. Because of the privilege of homeschooling, I have served as an active player, confidante and friend. You, too, can revel in this gift. What other teacher could ever possibly have more insight into your children’s unique gifts and abilities than you do? S.H.

Founder and president of Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. (www.sonlight.com), Sarita Holzmann aims to help families love to learn together and equips students to effectively and passionately pursue whatever God calls them to do.