Why We Homeschool...

(Well, you all did it!!!  After my last post, your comments and e-mails brought on a burning desire to share with you our heart on homeschooling...so here ya go!)

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Proverbs 1:8

It doesn't make sense for us to homeschool--it just doesn't.  Primarily because my husband is the administrator at our small Christian School here in our town.  But there are other reasons too--most of our friends send their kids there, the teachers are amazing and very good friends of mine, it's less than a mile from our home, we would get a significant discount...etc.

Yet we choose to homeschool...why?

Well, I plan to *attempt* to answer that in this post...

First of all, let me just say that we did not come by this decision lightly.  We have toiled over this decision...honestly toiled.  At one point this year, we were all set to send our oldest son to CCA (our Christian school) come Fall.  But there was an unsettling feeling we couldn't kick.

We believe there are wrong reasons to homeschool, just as their are wrong reasons to choose private schooling...and we needed to find out where our hearts were...

My husband dedicated an entire day to fasting and prayer in regards to this decision.  The end result was the Lord telling him...

"raise them for my glory"

To which my husband asked, "So what does that mean, CCA or homeschool?"

and the Lord answered "YOU raise them for my glory"

Afterall, it's our job to raise them, right?  It's not the job of paid staff (no matter how wonderful they may be)

...Because I am the Lord's choice for my children.  I am their steward. 

"A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." 
Luke 6:40

When it comes down to it, I don't feel a peace about passing my responsibility off to another.  Sure, it's tempting at times...a whole day to myself, not fretting over whether or not they are learning all they "should" learn, knowing they are learning how to be polictically correct in their social skills (oh wait, that's actually something I DO NOT care about!)...but

~the opportunity I have to homeschool is not worth the sacrifice 

of sending their hearts off to another.

I do not feel like I can diligently (as scripture says) carry out some Biblical commands regarding my children without homeschooling them(for example Deuteronomy 6:5-7).

So, in essence, we homeschool because someday my husband and I will be accountable for the lives of our children.  How we trained them, raised them, led them, discipled them, taught them...I don't want to stand before the Lord and say, "we sent them somewhere else for most of that".

Because we know that more happens, in a 7.5 hour school day, than just education by the books.  They are sponges to their environments.  It's our job as parents (and stewards) to decide what is acceptable in that environment...

They are temples, they were bought at a price...so even though they may turn out to be "good kids" no matter what school we choose, we still need to keep a careful watch on what they hear, see, do.  That isn't being "controlling", that is our JOB, our role that the Lord has entrusted us with.

"My education was interrupted only by my schooling"
-Winston Churchill

If we were to send them to school, we would be entrusting 16,000 hours of their young, impressionable life to someone else.  In their youth, they would spend more awake time at school, around acquaintances than with their family.  In that time, they will be shaped and molded by not just teachers, but even-more-so by their peers.  

Sure, if they go to school, I can complain that so-and-so should not sit by my son...or ask that the teacher not talk to my son about this or that, or even throw a fit when another student describes something in detail to my son that will change the course of his life forever...

Or I could just homeschool them and know what they are hearing, seeing, doing.

My husband and I know first hand that a Christian school is not always a safe place for children...even for the littlest, purest of hearts.

I want to be clear though, that we don't homeschool out of fear.  That's not our drive at all.  We homeschool out of conviction and freedom.  Not fear, not legalism (I'll write about that one soon!).

Yes, I know there are other avenues in which they can be exposed to some dreaded things...not to mention bad attitudes and poor examples.  It may just be inevitable, but in the arena of school (the biggest arena for these influences), this is one less (huge) situation I have to throw them into not knowing what they will be exposed to.

Plus, it's simply just my joy and pleasure to teach my kids from our home.  Yes, there are stressful days.  No, I don't always feel capable.  But thankfully, the Lord is my strength and His mercies are new every morning!

What's more, is that I want my kids to know that I love being with them...that we were entrusted by God to be their stewards and we delight in that duty and don't take it lightly.

So there you have it!  That's why WE homeschool.  Maybe it's not right for everybody...in fact, it might not always be right for us...but right now it's what the Lord wills, so we happily follow the sweet, shepherds voice!

Oh, and did I mention I was homeschooled?!

"If you're so worried about socialization just do the following:
In the morning before school, pull your kids hair and make fun of their socks.

At lunch time, steal their milk money and tell them you don't want to sit by them (you have a friend you like better who you're saving that seat for).

After school, offer them drugs and call them a "momma's boy"...

and voila...your kid has been properly socialized for the day!"

~A quote from a "been there done that" MOMYS

So I haven't covered everything on why we homeschool and our thoughts/feelings on the entire subject (and someday I might add more of my other thoughts) but for now, I'll just add this last thing...

Why don't I think you're wrong for not homeschooling?  Well, first, I'm not going to stand accountable for your decisions, so I just don't go there.  But also, it's not for everyone.  There are families that because of unavoidable circumstances can not homeschool.  For others, they simply don't feel convicted to homeschool and the Lord has led their family in a different direction...thankfully, we're not called to be "cookie cutter Christians"!