Ok, so we’re Christian unschoolers, living and learning, following our children’s lead and then we go to church.  We all walk to the building happily awaiting what Word God has given our Pastor for us today.  Then instead of going in the sanctuary to be seated, we turn the corridor and Jaiela turns to me with a look of terror and in the whiniest voice ever asks “Am I going to children’s church!?” I look at her just as alarmed “What’s wrong, don’t you want to go?”  I mean this is church right?  This is different.  It’s the Godly thing to do - or is it?  Do we leave our philosophy of following the child’s lead outside the church doors or do we listen to our child even here?  They’ll be bored and probably go to sleep in service with us so they’re better off with children - Or are they?  I have watched and felt that same cringing feeling I’ve felt when witnessing children being forced to attend children’s church as with the ones sent to school.  It’s the same scene- and why wouldn’t it be?  The parent walks up and signs the child in and the child begins to whimper and cry or flat out scream and the parent, unmoved, forces the child to go on, telling the teacher/leader to ignore the child.  I was guilty of the same not too long ago.  Afterward I’d ask my daughter how it was, thinking that surely she’d have some great story that would redeem the whole not wanting to go in the first place scene, making me know I did the right thing after all by sending her.  But the story was not so. It never was.  Her stories varied from times where she’d say “it was boring, all we did was puzzles”, to how badly she felt because everyone else colored neatly, in between the lines and finished coloring quickly whereas she took her time and didn’t ever before care about coloring in the lines.  Then she told me that no one would talk to her or play with her and the last time it was that someone poked out there tongue at her and called her cousin (who was visiting with us) a bad name.  She said she never wanted to go in there again, especially not alone.  I felt horrible.  The whole thing sounded a lot like school and I didn’t force her there against her will so why should this be any different?  Most people say a kid needs to get used to that sort of thing cause it’s what happens in the real world but I never listened to that in terms of sending her to school but why not this? Is it because it was geared towards God?  Don’t we unschool, talking together about things of God every day?  Don’t we spend time worshipping and praising Him, actively incorporating His principles in our daily walk?  Why should this be any different?  Are these not the same children in the schools and the same parents leading Children’s Church who have the mindset of the traditional educational system in mind when leading these classes?  If I am against subjecting my child to this in one building, why should it be different in another?  Do I sacrifice her will in the name of  “well this is about Jesus?” Now, I’ve come to the point where, if Jaiela wants to go to Children’s Church then she will go.  So far, she’s not had the inclination to join them and now, finally, I’m ok with that.

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