Home schooling?

[calmcoolandelected]

(This is coming from a male in his 20s, I understand that a female in her 40s has a totally different views of these )

These things are still all over college life and adult life; private schools and all socity in general. In public school I learned a lot about these subjects and this was important in my growth as a Christian and my maturity. I never really participated in them (except rock & roll), but I could relate to and befriend those who frequently do. Christianity is for sinners and evangalism starts with befriending someone, not condemning them.

Exposure to these sins doesn't always weaken someone into temptation. Remember God won't tempt us with more than we can bare and also that trials of many kinds lead to a stronger character and stronger faith. Also I tend to err on the side of being less legalistic than on the side of being more. It's just important to pray for God's guidance in these matters.

As for rock & roll It's been good for me to be well-versed in it (especially the more alternative side of it.) Learning from it's idealology has given me a bit of a disconnection to the culture that can confine Christianity under man-made ideas and creations. And plenty of it is really beautiful and glorifying to God, you just have to look hard for it. (but this is probably for another thread.)

Moretap,

I actually agree with you. Homeschooling, for our family at least, isn't a way for us to TOTALLY ISOLATE our children from sin. It IS a way for us to educate them academically without having to deal with the ills of the system. Whomever it was that posted the original quote I used made a comment that they had come in contact with homeschoolers that were socially inept. I was addressing that point specifically. Homeschooling doesn't make someone socially inept! My children have spent plenty of time with other children (and adults) who are both Christian and not. Why, my husband and I even have non-Christian friends that we hang out with! I don't completely shield my children from the sin and suffering in the world. I do think that if you shield them from SOME of it (and we have chosen to shield them from the institutional side of it when they are young), and let them experience and deal with it in smaller, controlled doses then they are better able to discern and handle it later on. By controlled doses, I mean with parental supervision.

As for college and adult life situations, I think my children will be better able to think for themselves rather than follow their peer group. My son began high school last year after being exclusively homeschooled and has adjusted very well both socially and academically. What I am trying to say is that homeschooling doesn't necessarily equate to being ill-equipped to deal with people and real-life situations.

CC&E

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Moretap,

My children have spent plenty of time with other children (and adults) who are both Christian and not. Why, my husband and I even have non-Christian friends that we hang out with! I don't completely shield my children from the sin and suffering in the world.

I forgot to mention that they spend a lot of time with us, their parents, and we are the chief of sinners!

CC&E

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Growing up in public school I socialized with many non-Christians, and I had a chance to be a light in the world for some of them.

Moretap,

Wait till you have kids of your own! You'll quickly find out that with siblings or cousins or the neighbor kids the behavior usually slips to the lowest common denominator! God Bless You for being able to be that Light for your friends. I have found over the years of being a Mom and teaching Sunday School, babysitting, etc. that being Salt and Light is the exception and not the rule. Sad, but true.

Also, we train missionaries for the mission field before they are sent!

CC&E

 

[JJB]

Which is more artificial?

a) To be only with people the same age as you are
b) To be with people of differing ages

Once one is done with the artificial socialization at schools, private or public, you must adjust to dealing with people of all ages. It is very articial to interact with people who are all the same age. The only place that happens in our society is in school settings.

If anyone is seriously considering homeschooling, you may want to look at the modern purpose for schools. I recommend beginning with books written by John Gatto, including but not limited to "The Closing of the American Mind". Also any of John Dewey's writings.

THere is a plethora of information available about homeschooling. BTW, it is not only Christians who homeschool.

 

[erin74]

I am a little torn on this subject.

I became a christian because somebody at my public school told me about God. I think it's important that there are christians in public schools - and not just as teachers.

But it will depend on the school. We will likely be in a very small town. If I have to I will homeschool if the public school is not up to it. But otherwise we will probably supplement the education they recieve. The only other option is likely to be a catholic school, and while I can see a well equipped teenager handling it, I am not sure I want to send my primary age child into a catholic school. So we will wait and see on this one.

On another note, friends of ours in an outback town homeschool, as the public school was a bit on the rough side (and they are not the kind of people who you would see as not being up to a challenge). We were at a meeting with them one day and heard their children chanting away some foreign language. We noticed at a break that the textbook they had was "NT Biblical Greek". Now there's something you don't see taught in public schools often. Their dad is a minister, who spent years learning greek at college. His reasoning was - well somone in the family has to be able to understand it!!!!

 

[moretap]

Wait till you have kids of your own! You'll quickly find out that with siblings or cousins or the neighbor kids the behavior usually slips to the lowest common denominator!
CC&E

Yeah, I have no experience of this from a parents point of view so I value yours. I wonder how my parents raised me, because I was probably often the cause of the lowest common denominator. So I guess right now I am torn about this subject too, but my position is passive. God can help my children grow as Christians in public school or in homeschool, and I'm interested in seeing what will happen when the time comes.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Yeah, I have no experience of this from a parents point of view so I value yours. I wonder how my parents raised me, because I was probably often the cause of the lowest common denominator. So I guess right now I am torn about this subject too, but my position is passive. God can help my children grow as Christians in public school or in homeschool, and I'm interested in seeing what will happen when the time comes.

By the way, I know plenty of wonderful, Christian teens that have always been public schooled. I really admire their parents. My point through this whole discussion is (and remember, it started by someone bringing up the socialization thing) that homeschooling does not necessarily produce a socially inept product. Just as going to public school doesn't guarantee a heathen product!

Homeschooling isn't for everyone. Neither is public school. I encourage you to pray for direction if you are in the position to make this decision. God is faithful to His own and that means in public school or at home.

CC&E