The Argument for Homeschooling...
I should totally be doing something productive, but I am blog-surfing instead. I came across this from http://www.odonnellweb.com/?p=3314#comments which credits the source of this quote:
"Do you know what I find, as a college teacher? That the best writers, the best thinkers, the most broadly educated among my students are the ones who were home-schooled.
Think about that. And then think about this: Most of those home-schooled kids get their schooling in a few hours a day. By noon, most of them are done. Then they have time to live together with their families. To read or play on their own. To have a childhood.
Meanwhile, the educational establishment makes ironclad, unbreakable rules about how many days and hours our children must be put under the control of the “experts,” who march them through the halls in lines, refuse to let them use the toilet without being punished for it, and inflict group punishments like “silent lunch” for the crime of sitting near other kids who were daring to talk to each other. (I’m describing one of the “better” middle schools in our district.)"
Sometimes I get tired of having to justify what I know is the best choice for my family. I have said a million times, it isn't for everyone-but I am glad we homeschool.
To those of you who don't homeschool, I don't think I am better than you or that my kids are smarter. I do believe you will have a lot of CRAP to deprogram from your child and I bet you already know that if they are past 1st grade. My child is not guaranteed any sort of success in life because of our decision. I will make stupid mistakes and my children will undoubtedly have obstacles to overcome. I will always have to provide the social interactions that you get vicariously.
There is a long list of pros and cons on both sides of the coin. It wasn't hard to give up my $6/hour Floor covering salesperson/secretary to be a stay-at-home mom. If I had a full-fledged career that I worked my butt off to get, it might not have been such a no-brainer. Those are shoes I did not ever wear. I want to say I would have done the same thing, but really, who knows?
5 comments:
I LOVE you Janice--but I WAS a college prof before we had kids and found so many alarming things from private Christian schools/homeschoolers--that's a HUGE reason we sent ours to public school.
I am thankful you enjoy homeschooling and I wish you only the best in it--but I am sooooo thankful we sent our kids to school! The post you have copied here is not even close to our experience!!! Not close!!!!
I love you--I just get all upset when someone (not you, the article you post)--really runs down public schools!
"I do believe you will have a lot of CRAP to deprogram from your child and I bet you already know that if they are past 1st grade."
I can't get this statement out of my mind. I thank you for the support you've been to me in our schooling choices--and I pray that you have felt my love and support for your choices.
This statement bothers me. A bunch.
Here's why. I think it might be a major misunderstanding between homeschoolers and public schoolers.
I don't consider those times as deprogramming crap. I consider those rich teaching times. Whatever the grade level--K to 12--a parent can teach a child to grab their Bible and see what God's response to the crap is. And then we can see what God wants us as His followers to do in response. Then, we pray hard that God will use the child (and sometimes the parent) to be used as light and salt in this situation. All I can say is God is faithful--and our kids learned that through the stuff some people call crap. It was our utmost prayer they would be able to function as salt and light in this world--and we wanted them to have God's reference on those issues while they were still with us and could be influenced by us.
I understand most homeschoolers won't agree with that--but that was just one of the reasons we sent our kids to school.
I still love you and respect your choices! Always. You are a GREAT mom!
Blessings!
Great post, Janice!
I have to say that--while we are to be salt and light to the world--I believe God wants us to prepare our children for that battle BEFORE we send them out into the world.
The influences that teach these children need to be ours alone, what God has set for us to show our children. Many hours a day spent under peer or other's tutelage...that's alot to swim against in my opinion.
Adults are to be salt and light, waging the battle whilst we train our children for that time coming in their lives...when they're ready.
And that is the cornerstone of why we homeschool. :)
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Danab--I totally respect you--and totally disagree with you. God never put an age limit on being salt and light. If I missed that scripture, please tell me!!!
Blessings!
Of course there's not an age limit on salt and light, from birth we Christians teach our children to be like Jesus in every situation.
I believe it's our responsibility as parents to protect our children from many things in this world, from being saturated with certain things-- and I'm sure you feel the same way. There are things you protect your children from every day. We just differ on what and where we see those things to be. :)
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