Monday, January 15, 2007

A Home School Myth

You might think this is going to be about how great home schooling is compared to public schooling but it’s not. Instead I am going to talk about a home schooling myth that I personally have been believing. The myth is this: in order to be a good home schooling mom, my children must know how to count to 20 by age three and know all their ABC’s and they must be reading full sentences by age four. They have to have the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence memorized by age five. I must have several hours of schooling planned out for my preschoolers each day and have a disciplined schedule. We have to do things like plant a garden together, draw maps of our neighborhood, dress up like Vikings and go on a canoe trip, go to the park, break out our magnifying glasses and have a detailed science lesson on ants. And if they spend any more than 30 minutes a day, two or three times a week, watching TV, then I have failed miserably.

I was starting to get intimidated and, let me add, very discouraged because I was hearing how great other people’s kids were doing. “So-and-so’s child can read very well and she’s only four years old! Suzy Q’s three year old can count to 30! Jane’s two year old is playing the drums”…and so on and so forth. Then I talked to a very good friend of mine who is much older and wiser than I (thank God for such blessed people!). She told me that many moms get caught up in that home schooling “competitive” spirit. And all her life she has always heard about how so-and-so skipped 1st and 2nd grade and went straight to 3rd and this teenager over here is a Sophomore and she’s taking college courses and this 9th grader over here took the ACT and got a 32 and on and on and on and on.

“Andrea,” she said to me, “Don’t get caught up in it!” She said that each family is different and each mom has different gifts and areas where she excels. Some moms are very gifted when it comes to home schooling and others aren’t. The important thing is not that our children are the smartest and most educated people around but that they grow up to be people of character who love the Lord. The reason we home school is not that our children are educated quantitatively but that they are given quality education that fosters their relationship with the Lord and teaches His values.

With home schooling, my children aren’t going to be teased and laughed at and made fun of. With home schooling, my children won’t be subjected to unbelieving teachers pushing their own agendas. With home schooling, my children are not going to be taught that evolution, feminism, secularism, humanism, emotionalism, environmentalism and all the other “isms” are true. Rather, with home schooling, I am in control of the teachings my children receive and I set the priorities! With home schooling, I can provide a loving and nurturing learning environment where my children can flourish with out the negative influences of “mean” peers. I control who they play with. I decide what curriculum. Lastly, and most importantly, I foster their relationship with God and do my utmost to instill in their little hearts a passion and a zeal for Him. Hallelujah!

And I may not be “Supermom.” I may not be able to do all the things I hear other moms doing. My little one may not grow up to be Einstein. But that is not my goal. My goal is children of character who love the Lord. My children are going to be home schooled because they are going to be the better for it. Period. The Bible tells us not to compare ourselves with ourselves. Thus, my attempt to keep up with the Jones’ is ending right now! As long as I am on the same page with my husband and we are doing what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord, that is all that matters. Amen!