What I wish I had known then...

This past Tuesday, I went to the first homeschool meeting that I have been to in several years.
The topic for discussion was "things I wish I knew when I started homeschooling". Here are some of the things mentioned:

That we should play with the kids occasionally.

Homeschool shouldn't look like institutional school.

Parent each child, individually...don't leave it up to the older siblings to parent the younger, and don't parent all of your children exactly alike.

(One of the Dads present) Dad needs to be involved, and as boys (especially) grow , they need to answer to Dad.

Make Dad the authority, and Dad needs to back Mom up completely.

Pray for them more!

Work on early maturity...it's not the same as worldiness.

Understand how hard life IS.

You are going to spend most of your time on character issues.

Give them the right things to read.

If you have a need - God will provide - be content with what He has provided.

Respect each other.

It's character, not academics that will stick with them.

Give them purpose, so that it will be easier for them to push ahead when things get tough.

Mine was that I wish I had known that even though we as a family chose to not have high academic goals (we weren't interested in making them fit for the Ivey League) that I had been more dilligent to do actual seat work more often. The other thing that goes along with that one, really is that I wish I had worked hard to develop my own study habits.

We had good discussion on each of these. Do you have any to add?

We plan to talk about life-changing books next time.

Update on me:
I have a surgery date for August 7th. Please pray that we will be able to stick to the plan we have for doing a laproscopic out-patient surgery to remove ovarian cysts and that nothing further will be needed.

For those of you who have been praying for me this week because of my regular headaches, this one was especially terrible, and long-lived, but is definitely gone now, Praise God! Thanks for your prayers.