3 John 1:4 says “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”. This is the premise of this site and the purpose behind our choice to homeschool. In today’s world it is imperative that a child be equipped with the wisdom to discern truth from lie, fact from fiction. In our home, the ultimate Truth is Jesus and His Word. This is the only standard to which we hold.
This is a decision we as a family have entered into after much prayer, forethought and research.
As with everything in life, there are pros and cons and I do realize that homeschooling is not an option for every family. I do feel that it is where God is leading us as a family though and below are a few reasons why.
As a product of the public school system, I do have some good memories, but unfortunately, there are many bad memories that outweigh those good ones. I know that this happens to many children. I've witnessed it both as a student and as a teacher. Between the bullying, taunting, and labeling that occurs, it is no wonder that many of us leave the system with low self esteem, and a sense of unworthiness. Some of us even feel scared to ask questions, because teachers reprimanded us or made us feel stupid for “thinking outside of the box”…(which they are supposed to encourage, by the way.)
I am not here to bash anyone for their choice in not homeschooling and so, would appreciate the same courtesy in our choice to homeschool. I will however, state the TRUTH as I experienced it not only as a student, but as a teacher. I became a public school teacher so that I could be the one that made a difference in the school and in the classroom, only to have the agendas of the state and government shoved down my throat. I was told that I would have to teach evolution in my science classes and false religions in my ancient culture class, but not to breathe a word of Creationism or Christianity. I refused to do so. This is not to mention the practice of “teaching to the test”... which occurs in all schools everywhere in America. The government does not care if our children actually learn. They want us to pass tests with good scores. Therefore, instead of teaching a child how to learn and to strive for excellence, we are told to teach to the bottom half of the class and dumb down the lessons. And this is in what is considered one of THE top middle schools in our state.
We do not want our son to go through this. We want him to strive for excellence and reach for the stars. We believe that God has called us as parents to “train up our child in the way he should go”, according to Proverbs 22:6. How can we as parents do that when our child is away from us for multiple hours of the day and in a classroom with a teacher that may or may not hold our faith and values? I do realize that a child must be exposed to the world and that we can not shelter Brett forever, but I also know that it is my job as his parent to guide him and teach him and grow him in his faith and 5 seems very young to just throw him out there and see what sticks, so to speak.
Forgive me if this sounds prejudiced towards those who publicly educate…it is not intended to be. It is simply my thoughts on why we are choosing this path based on our experiences and research. I am a proud daughter of a public educator who makes a difference every time she steps through her classroom door. She is amazing and loves her students with a love that is beyond belief. She is, sometimes, the only smiling face and the only hug some of the students she teaches has all day long. If I am half the teacher to Brett that she is to her class each day, then I will have succeeded.
I am thrilled to be sharing this journey with you…come back often and see what’s happening!
