Time for another Your Turn question!
Why do you homeschool?
If your children have been to school, why did you take them out and homeschool? Do you homeschool for social, moral, academic, athletic, family, health, financial, spiritual or other reasons?
Great question. I hope you get lots of feedback as it will encourage others to homeschool.
I’ll be back to view the comments.
I chose to homeschool because I want my children to grow up with their hearts in close fellowship with the Lord, to grow strong in the Word of God, to treasure family and church, to cultivate godly character in their lives, and to discover God’s calling for their lives at a young age.
Public school offers exactly the opposite. It is anti-God at every turn, it undermines family and parental authority, it promotes sexuality, homosexuality and promiscuity, it does not foster character development in keeping with God’s Word, and dumbs them down from their true potential. The curriculum supports this agenda and the programs support this agenda. Not only that, but the peer influence is just as harmful with little kids bringing weapons, drugs and pornography to school. I could never purposefully expose my children to this harmful environment. I would not be a responsible Christian parent if I did.
I did not choose Christian school for a couple of reasons. First let me say that I grew up in Christian school and I’m very grateful for my education. But I also know what kind of peer influences slip into the Christian school. It’s just not worth it to me! There is the expense, and for me the long commute. But it still comes down to me being able to give my kids the EXACT education I want them to have. I am not anti-Christian school, but I do feel that homeschooling is still the very best choice for my family.
So my choice to homeschool would be for social reasons, moral reasons, family reasons and spiritual reasons. I suppose academic reasons, too, since many of us know how public schools are dumbing down America. Sports have not weighed in my decision at all. If a parent wants their child to be involved in sports there are other avenues for that than the school system.
Vicky’s last blog post..Too Funny
Hi Vicky,
Thanks for your comment! Hey, maybe you should write your response to your blog as well. 😛
I do believe that when we are young, we get our morals, and beliefs. And for the most part, that carries us on throughout our lives.
and Yes Vicky, you make some good points and you are right that there is alot of bad things that occur in public schools, and actually all the same at even Catholic schools, and christian schools.
I am only 21… I have attended a Catholic school before, and mostly public schools all of my life. Are there bad things that occur in public schools? Yes most certainly. Did I ever partake in them? Certainly not, I was raised better than that.
In the end Vicky, although you think you are doing the right thing, by protecting your children, it can wind up hurting them. When they get out there in the real world, they are going to be exposed to exactly what you are talking about. Which is why, when I do have children, I will allow them to go public school.
I hope my comments are appropriate, and I respect your decision Vicky, to home school your kids, I can understand why you would do it.
Why do I homeschool?
Good question, the reason for homeschooling has probably evolved over the past 9 years that we having been learning at home.
When we started it was to build a stronger family and stronger Christian kids, we had had our older 2 in a Christian school and could see how much time was wasted everyday. I could see how much more efficent learning could be in the home compared to a classroom setting. One of dc didn’t fit the normal academic mold, so we decided to take the plunge and bring them home.
Why did we continue?
We felt that learning at home was better for the children, they could focus on their strengths while giving them time to mature before working on their areas of weaknesses. Family became the focus point, not friends. We’ve been able to travel and do things that suit our family without the time and buget issues that we would have had if the dc were in school.
There is an underlying assumption out there in Christian Homeschooling Land that if you homeschool your kids then you’ll be able to protect them from the big old nasty world that exists beyond your front door, that we would somehow have perfect kids who would never sin or rebel….NOT, no way, we’ve had issues with our kids that we probably would have had regardless of whether they were schooled in a public or Christian school.
We’ve certainly had our rose-coloured glasses taken off….I think all parents have these on when their dc are under the age of 10-12….and that’a good thing too, imo. I mean that it’s a good thing to have had them taken off 😉
We’ve had to rely on His grace and it’s only His grace that has got us to this point…not homeschooling.
Lisa
Oh yeah, spot on Lisa! I’m with you there. I actually believe that my children ARE in the real world by learning-at-home. And I went to school as a child. 😐
Rather than learn ‘survival of the fittest’ in a dog-eat-dog world, they are learning how to interact with real people, in real situations, in real time.
I think that homeschooling can be, in some situations, a little over protective but on the whole, I think it is the wisest and best decision for the whole family. I mean, God created the family unit- He must think it’s a pretty good deal eh? 😉 The Torah is full of words and teachings how the father and the parents are to teach their children- I don’t see the pack mentality, that is school, being ordained by God in the same way that family is. (And for those others reading, I do have one child who attends school)
Ultimately, the bottom line isn’t how we were raised, or even how I think I should parent…but what does God say (if anything) on the matter. Does the word of God offer any advice or counsel on how to parent? Oh yeah! It sure does. 😎
I love how Robin Sampson has already asked these very questions…you can see her articles here: http://heartofwisdom.com/teaching.html
Hey, keep those comments coming! They’re all very interesting.
Love the new look of your blog Susan, great work.
I need you to come here and do mine up for me!
Hi Lisa,
Ah, you caught me! I just changed over to my new theme for 2008 but haven’t yet posted about it, or the theme switcher. Thanks for your comment on it though…I just felt like a change. 😎
Susan’s last blog post..SSSS
For us, it has ben a family thing – I think we homechool fo the sake of the family and for each individual to folow their iterests and their own pace, to share values and faith.
We started after I read Teach Your Own by John Holt and waqs inspired by children loving learning and lifel.
Leonie’s last blog post..Reaching a Weight Goal.
I homeschool for many of the reasons above.
I have come to realise that though that I did have an idealised train of thought ie: that keeping my children home would protect them from many of the things that happen at school. The truth be told and with experience this is not so 8).