6 Steps on How to Become a Sheep Dog Homeschooler

Recently, David and I had the pleasure of speaking to Lt. Colonel Grossman, who is a former Army Ranger. In the Army, he became a paratrooper. Now he speaks on psychological topics and has authored several books, including one with Glenn Beck. 

He has also written many articles, which have been featured in scientific journals. He speaks on resilience, strength mentality, and overall, how to succeed in life. The Lt. Colonel has also had experience in teaching and was a professor at West Point for a time. 

This interview was extremely insightful and moving. Personally, I took a lot away from this one, and I’d encourage you to watch the full video on YouTube or Spotify (keep an eye out for it!). 

The Colonel supplied various suggestions on how to build a successful life as a homeschooling family. He touched on a few key topics that can truly help a family build better habits, both physically and mentally. Keep reading for more information…

• Teach your child how to protect themselves. 
• Discuss with your family if you are a sheep dog or a sheep.
• Educate your family on our great nation.
• Calm your nervous system.
• Work on communication skills. 
• Live your life in preparation. 

Deep Dive…

First off, I want to start with a personal story. I know a family that has instilled similar traits within their family unit. The children are strong, resilient, motivated, and hardworking. Also, they genuinely care about others. They truly have a sheep dog mentality! Therefore, I know this mindset works, and it’s something that I want to work on myself. 

Continuing, teach your children how to protect themselves. Whether it be through martial arts, strength training, boxing, or gun safety, teach your children how to handle a weapon (body, knife, or gun). This produces confidence and inner strength. 

Now, sit down at the kitchen table and form a discussion. Are you a sheep dog family? Are you a sheep family? Discuss ways to strengthen your skills as a family and progress into the future. 

Next, educate your family on our great nation. Read about history together. I’d recommend the Story of the World series by Susan Wise Bauer. You can also try books like the “Who Was…” series or try living history books. Feel free to check out our Book List or my Instagram account for recommendations. 

In addition, calm your nervous system. Grossman suggested several tools on how to accomplish this feat. Drink water (water calms your nervous system). Remind yourself that it’s normal to be nervous in difficult or scary situations. Breathe in and out (see his breathing example in our interview). 

If you have a bodily accident after experiencing something traumatic, like a car accident, remind yourself that it’s okay and completely normal. According to Grossman, our bodies are doing the right thing by causing a physical reaction to the stressor. 

To build confidence and inner strength, learn to communicate and present well. Grossman suggests utilizing your local community. You can also join a club or teach a skill to other homeschoolers via a presentation. Personally, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of homeschoolers on how to speak well (the irony, ha-ha), and it does build confidence! 

Finally, focus on the big picture. From a Christian perspective, the Colonel expressed that we should focus on the grand scheme of life. This life will end, and we will see Christ face-to-face someday. If we believe in Him, we can hold fast to this hope! He explained that this life fades away and Eternity continues…

Conclusion

In conclusion, Lt. Colonel Grossman suggested many good ways to shift our mindset. Whether we use the sheep dog mentality or focus on Heaven, these shifts can help us. Our mindset can help us conquer a hard homeschooling day or battle a hardship together as a family. His mindset suggestions can help us endure this world and build strong children. 

Truly, our children need to be strong. We need to raise strong, resilient homeschoolers. These characteristics will serve them well in life. As homeschool parents, the goal calls us to build a sturdy foundation at home, so our children can enter the world as sheep dogs, not sheep.

Click the link to learn more!

- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)