Gena, one of the publishers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, asks "What is homeschooling?" I could go on and on about the student-to-teacher ratios and allowing a child to individualize their education and proceed at their own pace, but that would be rudimentary and not really address the blessings of educating our children at home. Right off the bat, I see three basic blessings for every homeschooling family found in what homeschooling is.

First, homeschooling is a lifestyle choice. Homeschooling moms and dads typically abandon or drastically scale back the two-income model that has become the standard lifestyle of the American family so that one or both parents can concentrate more on educating their child at home. Those unwilling to make that sacrifice will never know the joys--and the troubles--of home education. It is a sacrifice that favors the wellbeing of the child over financial prospects.

Second, homeschooling is a unique expression of love from a parent. Homeschooling moms and dads see their children as worth that extra time and energy. While parents face similar challenges to their employed peers, they seldom experience the glory of a gold wristwatch or a retirement party. This is fine with them, because the bond they share with their children is richer and deeper because of homeschooling.

Finally, homeschooling is an expression of faith. Homeschooling moms and dads take seriously the command to "train up their children in the way that they should go." To them, education extends beyond a moral and social concerns. It is a wholistic approach that believes it is impossible to separate education about the creation from education about the Creator. Homeschooling is a means of expanding their childrens' world with a perspective that is unique to that family and far superior to the McEducation in class-based schooling.

Homeschooling is a foundational lifestyle change that allows parents to express their love and faith to their children in a unique, tangible, and enduring way. Its message and values are transcendant. Its future is bright. It is God's tool for raising up a generation of leaders committed to Him.

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