Spunky Homeschool

A Change of Heart

Jun. 7, 2006 at 9:40 AM

Encouraged by his wife's prayer and persistance, this one time anti-homeschooling pastor decides to take the plunge.

Well, Noah finished school last week at the public elementary here in Milton. It's a good school, with good teachers, and good aids, but we are planning to home-school next year. I've had a few conversations about homeschooling vs. public vs. Christian vs. whatever, and it blows my mind how people love to debate this topic.

Although, if I'm honest, I've come a long way...I use to be pretty anti-homeschool, myself. (snip)

The bottom line: Jenna is very godly wife and an incredible woman, she has been praying about this for quite a while and my heart softened to it over the last year-or-so.

I have quite a few moms who read my blog and would love to homeschool, but their husbands are not quite on board yet. Keep praying. God will make a way. Thankfully, my husband and I were together on this issue before we were married. It is curious to me that most of the time the mother is the first to decide to homeschool. I wonder why that is? Who was the first in your family's decision to homeschool?

He's right about the debate on this topic. The Southern Baptists are gearing up for their convention where the topic will be front center as they debate a resolution calling for an exit strategy from the public schools. (Here's the pro and the con position in their debate.)

And if you missed my exchange with Dr. Tony Beam here are the links in order.

Christians Are Needed in the Public Schools (Dr. Beam)
Another Pastor Speaks Against Homeschooling (My response.)
Dr. Beams Responds
How Should Christians Educate Their Children? (My response.)

and a few other links of interest
What's the Harm?
Why do we Educate? (My thoughts on an "equal education")

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5 Comments and Trackbacks

posted by shaunms on Jun. 7, 2006 at 10:38 AM

I would be really interested in reading more about husbands, wives, and homeschooling. I hope you get more comments and maybe summarize them for us?! ;) Maybe because of a stereotype I expected my husband to say "forget it" when I first started talking about homeschooling, but he was positive from the get go. (Not positive enough to bring it up himself . . . .) I have been to a couple of homeschooler group meetings where there was a dad present trying to educate himself and build an argument for his wife that they could do it -- in those cases it seemed more like the wife was intimidated by the idea rather than being opposed to it. Dads who are opposed seem to object philosophically or in fear that their kids would be weirdos.

posted by spunkyhomeschool on Jun. 7, 2006 at 2:34 PM

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. There are some more comments over at my other blog. (In general it's more active in comments.) It looks the same.

Here's the link

www.spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com

posted by tbird on Jun. 7, 2006 at 3:52 PM

I merely informed DH that we would be home educating DD in the same way I informed him I would be using cloth nappies on her and so on. He expected me to be a SAHM so it wasn't as if it was a decision that would affect us financially (well, okay, it has a little.... so many books, so little time....) and he pretty much leaves all aspects of her upbringing and the household stuff to me.

He has become genuinely supportive about it though and will argue the case with anyone since he started watching the differences between our DD and other local children develop.

posted by CommunicationFUNdamentals on Jun. 7, 2006 at 4:36 PM

Well we must be the oddballs then. lol When we moved into a rental home about 6 years ago, the owners were homeschoolers. We had our dd in private Christain school since Kindergarted and had never considered homeschooling. My dh asked me to check it out and I spent about a month doing just that. When I found all the benefits of homeschooling, I reported back to my dh that I wanted to go ahead with it. He said...and I quote..."I just told you to check it out! I never said we were goign to do it!" lol Well after I explained my findings, he agreed and has been supportive ever since.

JoJo

posted by creativehsmom on Jun. 7, 2006 at 7:30 PM

Hmmmm, good question. If I remember correctly, the Lord placed homeschooling on my heart at that time. Hubby and I talked it over and he immediately saw it as a blessing so it was all systems go from the start. I am aware of one father in our church who suggested hsing to his wife. He seemed very interested in our homeschooling lifestyle but sadly his *wife* wants nothing to do with it! Go figure........ :o)

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