Why we Homeschool...
Socialization of course! Seriously, we just moved to Florida and as you can imagine, we are surrounded by a lot of people who have stories to tell. Yeah, older men and women who have been around a while. So, we get out often and get to hear these stories... History lessons, if you will. Now, I don't know about your child, but my children don't really enjoy sitting in a desk and reading about the Vietnam War. However, if our neighbors are willing to share some interesting stories (sometimes graphic ones), they are all ears... And my goodness, they get to hear about history from someone who actually experienced it. It doesn't stop there! While most children are in school, my daughter is rollerblading down the street listening to conversations that other people are having. She picks up that a neighbor's beloved cat had to be put down. So she asks, "What does put down mean?" Ouch! Learning about death is hard, but it opens the door for learning about empathy. So my nine year old daughter heads inside and mixes up a batch of cookies. You know, the kind of cookies that requires you to find a recipe, to measure ingredients, use fractions, and tools that you probably won't find in a classroom. She fashions up a gift bag, and even creates a handwritten sympathy card, and brings it to her. Did I mention that she wrote her card in cursive? While the issue of socialization is one of the biggest arguments for those who don't think homeschooling is a good idea... I beg to differ. I see it as an opportunity for my children to learn "socialization" from other people, other than children their own age. Aside from socialization, the Bible also instructs parents to: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
That sounds easy enough, right?
Until you realize how much pressure that really puts on you. James 3: 1-2 states that, Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
So with that said, why in the world would any Christian parent want to teach their children? The Answer: Because of HOPE. The hope we have in Him, Jesus, who saved us. He is worth teaching our children about, and you had better believe He isn't front and center in a public school education. So, while we are only on this earth a short time....I have HOPE in what I'm doing for my children.
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Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
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