I haven’t posted on here in a while. I seem to be in a major writing funk, and  one of the major reasons for this funk is that I have been stressing a tad bit (actually a great deal) about the twins and the high school years. I have been having trouble figuring out what I want them to do for the next few years, and I was struggling with what exactly my goals for them are.

I have been researching, reading about different high school curriculum,  looking into colleges, reading different plans that parents have put together, looking at AP classes, and looking at the SAT and ACT tests. Basically I have been over researching and over thinking it all.

During all this crazy, the kids and I went to a homeschool park day, and many of the parents there were discussing high school plans. A friend of mine made the comment that (and I remember it perfectly because it resonated with me) “can’t high school just be about high school?” This one comment started the wheels in my brain turning and had me asking the same question to myself over and over again. Can high school be just about high school? Can the four years that make up this stage in education and development be of any value even if your ultimate goal is not to get into the best college? Is there any value in developing healthy young adults?

I have come to the conclusion that yes there is. So what should the goals be for this stage? Or to put it a different way, what should be accomplished in the years from the early teenager to adulthood. Looking at it this way I have been able to come up with a list of the goals I have for the twins for the next four years. These goals will help my son and daughter make the transition to adulthood smoothly and with confidence. The goals will also help prepare them for whatever they want to move on to, whether that be college or something else.

My goals are:

1. To have young adults who have confidence in themselves, confidence in their decision-making processes, and confidence in their abilities.

2. To have young adults who feel they have a purpose in life and have something to give.

3.  To have young adults who know they will always have something to learn.

4. To have young adults who are well-educated in all aspects of health: physical, mental, sexual, and spiritual.

5. To have young adults who feel they can take risks even if it means they will fail. Failing is as important as succeeding in life.

6. To have young adults who are financially smart.

7. To have young adults who have spent time developing a passion and a weakness.

8. To have young adults that have had the time and space to discover who they are.

9. To have young adults who can write with purpose whether it be academically or creatively.

10. To have young adults who love to read.

11. To have young adults who can converse with other adults of all ages in a mature and articulate way.

12. To have young adults who have traveled extensively and experienced life outside their own comfort zone.

These are my goals for now. I am positive that these will change along the way, but I wanted some sort of framework for myself and the twins for this stage in our lives. I feel that it is so important to raise healthy adults who are equipped for adulthood as opposed to stressed-out teens who are worried about their grades and what college they will get into. Not that college isn’t important, it is. But it should not be the only reason for the high school years.

This post is part of the High School Home School Blog Hop.

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