Childhood Is Not a Race

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

Children today face many pressures: testing, comparing, and pressure to be the best. Never before have children been so anxious, so unhappy, and so stressed out. But when do children get to slow down and enjoy their childhood? This blog post and video examine how we can take our children off the high-speed, high-pressure track and let them enjoy a beautiful, peaceful pace of childhood, where they will gain a powerful foundation of identity and purpose. 

Childhood Is Not a Race

Even in high school, a healthy, beautiful childhood is not primarily about college prep. A successful childhood does not revolve around reading early, doing well on standardized tests, or being ahead of others. A successful childhood is not about being a sports star, or winning competitions, or receiving an associate’s degree by age 18, or taking AP classes and being so busy that there isn’t time for the most important things. 

There is a strong social pressure in our society to push children to be the best, and to win, and to prepare earlier and earlier for careers and college. 

But they’re children. 

I think society has largely lost sight of what childhood is and what really matters most in our lives.

  • Two school-aged kids running on a track | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A teenage girl looking at an open book on the table with her hands on her head | The Good and the Beautiful

Take the Forest Trail

For my family, homeschooling was like leaving a high-pressure, busy, crowded racetrack and instead taking our journey on a peaceful forest trail. Childhood should be a beautiful time where children are not highly pressured and constantly measured and tested against other children.

  • A family of four running through the forest with their backpacks on | The Good and the Beautiful

  • Family Matters Most

    Homeschooling has allowed me to walk right alongside my children and give them time to play, to explore, to be in nature. It has given us time and space to be immersed in beautiful books and art and poetry, and to learn at the right speeds and levels for my children. Most importantly, getting out of the race has allowed us to focus on the things that matter most: our family, our faith, academics that match the paces of our children, and meaningful learning that is connected to God and moral character.

Is my family too busy?

Too many children today are stressed out and overfocused on their future careers and college instead of enjoying their present childhood. They have so much pressure to excel and compete in things that are not the most important things in life. If we are not vigilant and careful, things such as winning scholarships, winning sports competitions, taking AP classes, and pursuing concurrent college classes can become the central focus of a child’s life and become the measure of their worth. And when those things are gone after high school, which they will be gone for almost all kids, they have no foundation of identity and purpose. Making a varsity team, getting a scholarship, getting an associate’s degree before graduation—none of these things are the things that matter most in life. 

All of these can be good things if they are not overemphasized and if they are balanced with what matters most. Is there enough time and space for our children and teenagers to take care of their mental and physical health, to study the Bible and pray, to serve others, to spend time with family, to spend time in nature, to explore, to read good books for enjoyment, to learn hobbies just for fun? 

One of the great blessings of life is choice. We don’t have to stick our kids in the busy, high-pressure race.

  • A school aged girl painting on a canvas | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A school aged child kneeling down and using a magnifying glass to look at a plant in the woods | The Good and the Beautiful

How can my family slow down?

Homeschooling offers daily opportunities for families to slow down.

Homeschooling allows families to: 

  • slow down and value and emphasize things that will last the child’s whole life: creativity; service; family; gaining a solid, meaningful education; becoming a good listener; learning to get along with family; gaining stronger faith; exploring the world; learning home and life skills. 
  • teach children to work hard on their talents and gifts and interests because it fulfills them and can be used to bless others, not so that we can get ahead of others and have the best, high-paying careers as soon as possible after childhood. 
  • take our children off the high-speed pressure track. 
  • ignore the fear of missing out. 
  • have courage to let our children have a more full, balanced childhood. 

We all want our children to grow up to be successful adults. A full, balanced childhood can be more effective in achieving that goal. We don’t have to choose between meaningful childhood versus successful adulthood. Even admission officers and scholarship committees see that participating meaningfully in life builds strong students who have their priorities straight. Homeschooled children can do really well at getting into college and getting scholarships without an overfocus on those things. 

Benefits of slowing down:

  • Building stronger relationships
  • Able to serve others
  • Becoming a good listener
  • Developing skills and hobbies
  • Strengthening faith
  • Learning life skills
  • Exploring the world
Children playing in the woods

There is a beautiful path for childhood out there. The Good and the Beautiful is here to help you find it.

  • How to Start Homeschooling | The Good and The Beautiful

  • Visit our Start Homeschooling page for more encouraging videos and helpful resources that will give you the confidence to know you can homeschool your child.

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