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Encouragment in Homeschooling
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Goodmorning friends! I hope you all had a wonderful refreshing Mothers Day!
I’m in need of some encouragment today and knew I could count on you all. 😉 I was at my inlaws yesterday and once again got a bunch of homeschooling questions, such as ‘how in the world are your children going to be prepared for college socially?’ ,etc..etc.. We’ve only been homeschooling for 7 years but you’d think I’d stop getting choked up and offended by now. Why does it have to be so hard when faced with cynics and hard questions? Why does it have to bother me so much when I know that others are talking ill of us and our children behind our backs because we homeschool?
Also, my dc have 8 public schooled cousins that basically surrounded them (unknowingly )in conversation and all joked and talked about how awful it must be to have to sit in the same room with their mom all day long. 🙁 When my oldest boy, age 13, told me about this, it about broke my heart – especially on Mothers day.
All this to say, I’m just so glad to come back here and be with you all – knowing that we’re in this together. I’m asking God to be our great encourager today…..
Blessings,
Heather
Heather, I’m sorry to hear that your inlaws & it sounds like others where so questioning of your families desire to homeschool. I know everyone doesn’t agree but to get on you on “your” special day must have been hard.
I don’t have a lot of great advice but I will tell you that you are doing the right thing if that is what you and dh have been called to do by our great Lord. You know what is best for you and when I get in those spots I just remind myself (best I can) that it is me and dh who has made this decision and we are listening to our call from the Lord.
Remeber that the bible tells us WE are to teach our children as we sit together, as we walk together, not that we are to send our children to a teacher to be taught. We are our childrens greatest teachers.
I hope that iwll encourage you just a bit I hope someone else has some more powerful words but know you are doing the right thing!
Blesssings
Misty
Hi I hope you had a great Mothers Day besides all that happened! I have similar issues with my family also so i know how you feel, i wish they were all on board in this journey the Lord has put us on but they are not and if they are not living for the Lord everyday we cant expect them to understand our choices or our leading to do things. So, I just tell them this is on our hearts from the Lord to do and we will live for him and do what he has called us to do. I tell my children that there are people out there(family included) that have a different opinion but God wants our family to do this so we will listen to him and if anyone asks them questions etc..to just tell them that and try to talk about something else but its hard!! I have homeschooled now for 7 years also and you would think it would get easier with people around you but for some its not, and it bothers me also (family says we got “brainwashed” behind my back and how the kids are paying the price and will “run” when they get older etc.etc.)I just tell them to get on the internet and look up the facts first then when they are somewhat “knowledgeable” about it i will have a “discussion” with them but of course noone has asked for the discussion!! They have their own opinions based on the world and they wont let another opinion be valid!
So hang in there and Pray for your peace about this! Thats what I do everyday! God Bless, Billiejo
I completely understand what you all have experienced. And it is hard, every time. We pour our hearts into what we feel God has called us to do and when someone challenges that or belittles us it hurts. We’ve been told directly to our faces that we’re brainwashed and because we belonged to a church that didn’t recite liturgy and had drums, guitar and electric piano for music that it must be some kind of cult. All we can do is pray for those who persecute us that the scales be removed from their eyes and their minds be renewed in Christ. Because truly, their behavior and words are not in line with God’s word…”Let no unwholesome talk come from your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.”
I will pray this morning for all of us that God will heal our hurt and give us the strength and courage to persevere. Who knows, maybe we’re raising a Joshua generation!!
Have a super day!!
mj
I don’t know if this will help, but go to the homeschool channel at crosswalk.com. Today’s article is from Old Schoolhouse Magazine and lists the ten reasons Christian parents should not send their children to public school. Might give you a little ammo, at least.
Karen
One of the best things you can do is have good answers and maybe rehearse them as a family so you’ll be ready in those difficult situations.
I’m wondering if we should start a topic here on the forum where everyone can post common homeschool questions and criticisms. Then some of you who have worked through the issues already can post your best answers for everyone’s benefit.
What do you all think? Would that be helpful?
Heather, it is hard. I run from confrontation and any criticism feels so much like confrontation to me. Besides all the great encouragement above, we also need to remember to not be surprised. God told us that persecution will come. To me, it’s a wonderful confirmation of my own salvation, and affirmation that we’re on the right path. I have always thought that if we’re doing what God calls us to do we’ll be harassed. If things are going too ‘swimmingly’ with the world, I tend to wonder if I’m following hard after the Lord.
Blessings,
Cindy
Oh Heather, I am so sorry that you had to experience all this on Mother’s Day and that your DC had to be faced with it too. It is hard regardless of the day, time or person but especially hard when it is family.
Pray for hearts to be softened and for God’s glory to be revealed in and through your family. That is our ultimate goal. We don’t homeschool for higher test scores, or better socialization, or for our DC to get a “good job”. We do it to love and obey our Lord Jesus Christ.
So stand firm knowing that you are in God’s will in homeschooling. BUT then pray that God will help you to overlook the hurtful comments and to show love to those who persecute you. The fruit (from the HOLY SPIRIT) in your life and in your childrens life will shine in a dark world. And will eventually silence those that oppose you.
May you feel encouraged and be blessed with an extra measure of God’s grace today.
Shelly
This has raised a good discussion, I know I would benefit from having more answers under my belt so I don’t get utterly sideswiped by the inevitable questions and criticisms that arise. I remember the Clarkson’s had a great section in Educating the Wholehearted Child regarding how to graciously handle many of these tough encounters. I know that helped me answer some of the generic questions when we first decided to homeschool, I should read it again now that the kids are getting a bit older and the questions and concerns are getting more difficult to find “extinguishing” words for! I’ll dig that up and see if it’s as helpful as I remember. At any rate, it is a pleasure to know we are in good company here and can always find a comforting shoulder to lean on!
Take good care!
Rachel
It is a good discussion, Rachel. But also sad. I was thinking this morning how others are not expected to defend their decision to have just one child or put their child in a public school, etc. But let us have more than three children, and let us homeschool or attend a house church and suddenly we find our lives under the microscope. It reminded me of being pregnant and even complete strangers felt comfortable putting their hands on my belly – such infringing going on! Here’s something: every time (yes, every) we go to the doctor, after our visit, he gets out his recorder to dictate the results of the exam and says something like this – “Healthy, 9 year old homeschooled male….Lives with Dad and Mom and 7 siblings…” I have yet to get up the nerve to ask if he says the same about public school children. 😉 There, I’ll get off my soap box now… 😳
Cindy
Thank you all for the encouragment! I’ve found that as my dh and I have been faced with opposition once again, its only strengthened our resolve to homeschool. Like Cindy reminded us, God never promised that all would be easy when we choose to obey Him, did He? Too often I forget this, or am surprised by the persecution when it comes.
I’m so thankful to be part of such an encouraging homeschooling community! What a great idea Doug had, to post common homeschool questions and critisicms, as well as edifying responses to them. Does anyone have any good ones to start?
Love to you all & Thanks again!
Heather
Cindy, I appreciate your “soap box”. It is very sad that our lives tend to be put under a societal microscope, especially when we feel so incredibly blessed and enriched by our decisions and wish others could experience the same joy! I smiled when you mentioned house church because that has been one of the major shifts our family has been going through in the past 6 months (from a mainstream church meeting to an organically led home church). Whoa! We weren’t quite prepared for the gasps of horror from well-intentioned people and the ensuing “shunning”. The kingdom of God doesn’t make sense to the world, and even sometimes fellow believers don’t understand the upside-down nature of being a follower of Jesus. I’m glad to find some good kingdom-minded comradery here on SCM!
Love Wins,
Rachel
I have one for Doug’s idea of general topics to address.
A criticism that we face on a weekly basis is “Your kids need to be with other kids their age. Homeschool is fine, but when do they get to be away from you and with their peers? They need friends their own age.” We’ve used the Scriptures like Prov. 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” and Prov. 18:24 “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” and countless others, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference.
mj
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