We homeschool our children. In this post I want to try and explain why we have chosen this route. I know that this can be a controversial subject for some people.
There are all kinds of stereotypes that get thrown around on both sides of the conversation. If we were honest, none of these can be accurate or fair to an entire group of people.
This is not a post to try and convince you that you should homeschool your children.
This is just me trying to explain why we’ve made this decision for our kids.
We homeschool because. . .
1. We are responsible for training our children
We believe that God has commanded us to train our children. The best way for that to happen is for us to spend significant amounts of time with them. Homeschooling allows us to do that.
2. We believe that character training is the most important training they can get
We believe that training our children in godly character is more important than anything else. Homeschooling allows us to make this our primary focus.
3. We want them to grow up with a Christian worldview
We want our children to see this God-drenched world for what it is, God-drenched. Homeschooling allows us to help them develop a worldview that sees God at the center of the past, present and future.
4. We want them to be best friends with their siblings
Homeschooling brings our family together rather than separating us.
5. We want them to love learning
Homeschooling gives us the freedom to pursue our children’s natural curiosity. We can tailor the learning to their unique personalities.
6. We want to place them in an environment that will lead them down the narrow road
We are responsible for discipling our children. A part of that discipleship is placing them in an environment that helps to move them closer to God rather than in one that pulls them away.
I will probably do a series of follow-up posts discussing some of the most common objections that people bring up to us.
So what potential issues do you see with homeschooling?
It was the best thing we as parents ever did for our kids.I wish I did it sooner.Cassie is doing very well in her first year of college mostly because we spent so much time with her the last couple years.
Exactly our reasons. Homeschooling is not for everybody but we have never regretted our decision to homeschool. I think that our kids are socially and educationally more prepared than they would have been otherwise(and others outside of the homeschool world have confirmed it). It shows in their integrity, work ethic and ability to work well with others. They go beyond what is required, think outside the box and continue to be self taught, even after college. They are now 27 and 25 years of age. Our son takes pride in people’s comments like “I didn’t know you were homeschooled”. People see you don’t have to ‘look’ a certain way on the outside to have great character on the inside.
Hi Jeff,
We do not homeschool. We have friends who do.
I appreciate your openness on this subject. I’ll probably get some kick-back from this posting.
I couldn’t agree more with #2 on your list. Coming alongside our children as they deal with difficult situations, difficult adults, difficult peers and helping them sort emotions, morals, compassion, pain, rejection has been very rewarding. Applying Biblical principles in the situations that each of our children find themselves is an incredible training opportunity.
I find a common attitude, when homeschooling is discussed, (be it intentional or unintentional) is that of superiority and/or competitiveness. In our circles, those that homeschool compare their parenting with others. I’ve heard (through comments, attitudes or directly) on multiple occasions that homeschooling parents love their children more than public schooling parents.
Jeff, I don’t think you intended it, but by reading your list a public school parent may assume that their child(ren) will not receive good character training, believe in a secular worldview, dislike their siblings, hate learning and be lead down the wrong path. Jeff, I know you and I don’t believe that is your intention, so no offense is taken. This is just an example of a common disconnect between public and homeschooling attitudes.
I would say that each of those six items listed can be accomplished within a household that chooses public school. This is our goal.
I read a Facebook post this afternoon and it may apply to our discussion. It may communicate with more accuracy my frustration with the religious attitude.
”If you don’t become a reconciler of the lost, you will become an evaluator of the saved. There is something inherent on our new nature that wants to see people get right with God, and if we don’t direct it at the lost, we will direct it to the saved. Then, instead of pursuing sinners, we will spend our time policing the saints. All of us have been called to be fishers of men, but when those who are called to fish, don’t fish, they fight.
When energy that was meant to be used outside the church is used inside the church the result is explosive. Instead of casting nets, we cast stones. Instead of becoming reachers of the lost, we become critics of the saved. Instead of extending helping hands, we point accusing fingers. Instead of helping the hurting, we hurt the helpers, and sadly the lost go unreached, the poor go unfed, the confused go unconsoled.
But when those who are called to fish, fish, they flourish, souls are reached, lives are changed, and the world is impacted.” -author unknown
Hey Shawn, Thanks for taking the time to read the post and comment. And thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt and not taking offense.
I hope that you don’t consider this Kick-back but rather a good conversation between Christ-followers that both love their children and want them to love God and love people.
Let me start by saying that I really hesitated in publishing this post. I have never been one to push homeschooling on anyone. I was afraid that there would be misunderstanding and frustration. My stated aim in the post was to answer a question that we get frequently, “Why do you homeschool?” I wasn’t trying to convince anyone that what we are doing is superior to any other way.
I will not deny that there are homeschoolers that act as if homeschoolers are better than public schooled kids. But I guess I would ask “Are there Christian public school parents that act as if those who homeschool are inferior or somehow less Kingdom-minded?” The answer to that is obviously “yes.” Both groups have Christians that are arrogant about their position. But just because it’s true of some doesn’t mean it’s true of all. These are some of the stereotypes that I mentioned are so dangerous and can’t possibly be true of an entire group of people or fair for that matter.
I did not intend to offend public school parents. I purposely didn’t mention public school in my post because why we homeschool really has nothing to do with public schools. In the reasons that I stated I didn’t say that homeschooling was the only way those goals could be accomplished, simply that we feel that homeschooling gives US the best chance to accomplish them.
We’ve tried to look at it like this: what if no system of schooling existed, with those 6 reasons as our stated goals for our kids, what would be the best way for us to accomplish them?
I’m missing the connection between our discussion and the Facebook post. I don’t want to assume anything that isn’t intended. Help me make the connection
I appreciate you Shawn and hope that we can continue the conversation.
Hi Jeff,
I’ve not been avoiding you intentionally. We just moved and there is a lot happening in my kids and services areas of life.
“Why do you homeschool?”
After I posted my previous post, I was thinking, “If homeschool parents and public school parents are both Christian, would it be so bad for both to answer the above question, ‘God told us to.’”
Moving in various Christian circles, I often see men and women attempting to justify their decisions, as if we report to our fellow man on the decisions we make, to win their approval. I have found, in my own life, that much of that justifying comes from ‘fear of man’, desiring to have the approval of others, to be liked.
I suppose the Facebook post has to do with “both groups have Christians that are arrogant about their position”. Instead of living in direct obedience to Christ through the Holy Spirit, we often spend time casting stones at other Christians.
Your Brother,
Shawn