Aug. 17, 2008 - Deciding Factor
Before having children of my own, I had earned a Master's degree in Secondary Education and had actually taught for 3 years. I was an English teacher at a small high school in a neighboring county. I really thought that because I had a Master's degree that I was somehow a master teacher, and that I was a better teacher than most of my colleagues. And more than that, I believed that homeschooling parents were actually abusing their children by not allowing them to get a public school education. So, on a scale of 1-10, with10 being the best type of education, I would have ranked homeschooling as a 1.
After having my first child and enrolling him into public school. I became less enamoured with the education that he was was getting. I had become a stay-at-home mom with the birth of my oldest son, and I decided that I could do a much better job educating my own children than the elementary school that my son was attending. My husband and I made the decision to homeschool. So I set about choosing a curriculum to use. I became convinced that homeschooling was always the best option for every family, and I thought that anyone who claimed that she (or he) could never homeschool her own children was just selfish and lazy.
Well, here I am 8 years later. This school year I have 2 of my children attending public school and I am homeschooling the other 2. My 7th grade homeschooler is taking a science class at a private Christian school, so I guess that means he is not exclusively homeschooled. My opinions on education have softened since being confronted with real-life issues. Today, I firmly believe that God's will should be the deciding factor in whether or not to homeschool. Reality is that every child is different and lives change over time. Parents are called to oversee their children's training and education and to love and to discipline them. I don't think that anyone besides God can dictate the decisions we make on behalf of our children. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (NKJV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. " Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Comments
Aug. 17, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Stacie
I totally agree - the decision to homeschool or not to homeschool is completely between the family and God. It is different for everyone. As long as the parent is doing what God wants them to do, and what is best for the child. (of course, what God wants is always what is best.
My son went to public school for K and 1st grade. Then he got so terribly bored that he began to hate school, and showed little interest in life. (And he's always been a happy, alert, fun-loving kid).
We've been homeschooling for 2 years now, and he is thriving. He just told me the other day that on a scale from one to ten, and ten being the best, he likes his life a 10. So even though homeschooling is hard for me, I know it is God's will for our family, and exactly what Levi needs.
