"We are taking it back."
Little by little we are taking it back. As time passes and more of us come into homeschooling we are slowly, but very certainly, taking it back to the way God intended it to be. As more and more of those people like myself decide that homeschooling is NOT as ridiculous of an idea as it may seem and more and more people realize that they are capable of teaching their children we are taking it back. I think the two biggest issues for parents that hear about homeschooling are: socialization and feeling capable.
I can say this about the socialization (and that was a huge concern to me)... Do I really want my kid to have and increased chance of early sexual activity? Do I really think that my kids are not going to be tempted to do the other things that their peers are doing if that is what they see all around them everyday and it is seen as normal? Do I really want to let someone I do not know be their teachers and not even know what that persons beliefs are?... and that teacher WILL be a great influence in their lives! Do I really want to leave that to chance? Do you want to let your kids dodge bullies all day? Do you want one of their peers telling them about the "birds and the bees"? Do you want your child to hear the harsh words and foul language from others and think that it must be acceptable if MY PARENTS are sending me here for the majority of my time? Do you really think that your child having a whole new set of teachers and friends each year is going to teach them how to form lasting relationships? Or could it be that we are training our children to NOT know how to form relationships and therefore, not know how to socialize? What about training them to talk to people that are not their age? How is your eight year old going to have a chance to get to know her newborn sister, if she misses out on spending most of the day with her?
And I can say this about feeling capable: It really is true that "God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called." I remember thinking that there is no way I have the ability to teach my children what they need to know, but I have found that I do know how to teach them when I just TRY. I know how to form letters and spell phonetically.... I can do addition and subtraction, mulitiplication and division, tell time, and much more advanced math, too. I am capable of learning what I do not know. God gave me a mind that is capable of learning teaching techniques. Much of it I know already, but have just never used it or even realized that I could use it. It is there... it is just being left unused. And one of the biggest things I have come to realize is that once you teach your child to read you have given them the ability to learn anything they want to learn (or you want them to learn). They can learn most things with you simply being alongside to guide them. When we stop allowing ourselves to believe what the world is telling us and that we really can do this job (and do it better) we will find our own self-confidence growing. I know that I am deeply lacking in the area of self-confidence lately, but I can see that I am going to be confident in myself one day... because God is confident in me. He alone has made me capable of this job that He designed me for. We do need to take it back to His design... not the world's design.
Isn't it amazing that people worry about socialization. I mean, we're not sitting at home 24/7. Our kids WILL get out and talk with people. Grocery stores, library, doctors and church. It always amazes me when people worry about tht. But what REALLY gets me, are those teachers who think they can do a better job of teaching than I can. I have two in my family and I go through the same thing everytime we see them. I know where my child needs more work, and I can give the extra attention. AND, it doesn't take me 8 hours to do it. :) When my son was in private school is was a 1:10 ratio, and even then, there were a few "left behind".
ReplyDeleteI also think every mom struggles with confidence. I still do and this is my third year. I wonder if Sassy would be better in school to learn to read, then I'll take her out. But, what I don't realize is, WHAT will she be reading in there. I know what she reads here. ANd I'm starting to realize that she'll get it when she gets it. It will take longer than her brother, cuz he was i school and it was pushed on him.
We are all capable. We know our children better than anyone else and we care more about their education than anyone else. Sorry for the long comment. :)
We have to believe that the Scriptures are sufficient to answer for every problem that we have in this life. For me the socialization argument is rebutted throughout the Proverbs such as in 13:20: He that walketh with wise [men] shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. And also in places like Psalm 1- Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
ReplyDeleteThe socialization argument from homeschooling skeptics never held any water with me anyway, as I have always been terrified to a fault of "what people will think of me." I'm certain that is the result of peer groups as a youth. Socialization isn't all it's cracked up to be. :D
I was unsure of myself when first starting to homeschool, thankfully at the time there were at least 2 other homeschool Mothers around that I could talk with and looked up to for help and advice. One of the things I struggled with when the time came, was can I teach my daughter to read? It was a lot easier than I thought and she can read above her level now. I don't want you to think I did that all on my own, I did have my Husband there for support and my Parents. Some of the things that I have come up on during our years of homeschooling are just me not feeling able to teach/do them. In reality, I'm the one that is most able and can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your follow up. :0)