"Oh You're Homeschooled??"

I have to chuckle every time my older two children get asked when we're out during school hours the question, "And why aren't you two in school?" It never fails...when that question comes out, I wait for the broken record reply from one of the kids, "We're home schooled..." Dun dun dun da...I always keep my head to the ground ready to burst a chuckle because I know it just put the good intentioned person in a very awkward position (99% of the time)...The thoughts come racing to their head (I'm 99% sure) and without saying the words I can only imagine what their thoughts might be thinking along the stereotypical reputation of the unsocialized, nerdy, out of date, schooling in the basement, never saw a up to date tv program, and definitely has never heard a song on the radio, homeschoolers.

This is why I chuckle in my mind, because this is the stereotype of homeschooled children. You and I have both known them, they stick out like a sore thumb...The best reply the good intentioned person can usually come back with is something like; "Oh wow, well do you like your teacher?" or the adult will look at me and say "Well, that's really good, they're gonna be so much smarter cause of it." I know they mean well :)...If they only knew, I'm not trying to make my kids smarter nor am I trying to shelter them...

I thought it would make for an interesting blog topic to share the ins and outs of why we homeschool...First off, I'll set the record straight by saying I am anything BUT "anti public" or "anti private" Schooling...My children may very well enter in one day and "big deal"...For now though, it works...Some of you may or may not know that I was going to college to be a teacher, I got so far as a preschool teacher and taught in a classroom for about a year...So I love to teach!! Second, we feel that while the children are young we want to be sure the foundations of God's Word are first and foremost in their little hearts and we feel for us, the best way that will happen is by teaching them at home...

Our kids know who the famous "Hannah Montana" is and have seen a couple of the "High School Musical" movies and yes have even collected some of the paraphanalia...And by golly, they are still okay and not corrupted by seeing the movies...Do I agree with it all, not always, but it makes for great conversation when the movie's over...I'm pretty sure the last time I checked we were up to date with the clothing of this culture we live in within modesty...You can see our kiddos regularly playing out front, up and down the street, with all kinds of kids and with some of the most trouble causing kids in our neighborhood (the ones most parents wouldn't want their kids around)...but here's the cool thing, it makes for great ministering opportunities and "teaching in the moment" opportunities...Why, it was just the other day my older child came in crying cause "so and so" flipped her off...So we calmly walk outside and instruct the wayward child like I would my own...how does she know what being flipped off is?? That would be because we've sat the children down and shared with them the curse words (yep all of 'em, even the queen mother word) they will hear and how to discern if they are around a cursing child and what they could say to encourage the child or when to leave a situation. A couple months back we dealt with a child beating up another child leaving them with a black eye (mind you, these are kids all under the age of 10) You might ask, why in the world would you let your kids play around these children??!! We have a rule, if the other children seem to be doing the influencing and corrupting "good morals", and we see a change in our own children's hearts which will reveal itself in their attitudes, our kids will take breaks from the offenders and I will also instruct the erring child he/she has to apologize the next time they come over to play...If our kids can remain the influence under pressure well then, I believe you get the idea...It's about walking through life with them, showing them how to deal with life biblically, not sheltering them from the reality of the world they live in.

Sooo, our kids are not lacking "socialization", if anything I think sometimes they are exposed to too much socialization!We usually deal with a scuff on a daily basis from one of the many children who play in our front yard, including our little un-innocent ones...I'm sure next, my older daughter will be hearing from her peers the issue of sex (if she hasn't already), I won't fear, because God's ways are perfect and she'll already know the truth in her heart because Mom's already shared with her the beauty of sex within God's plan and how sin has ruined it and made it into something nasty and hush hush...But it's not, sooo you guessed it, we chit chat about that topic here and there too...I can only trust God and pray that God's truths that I have encouraged her heart with will be her confidence...

Soooo there you have it, maybe just a different side of your typical homeschooling idea :) Oh yes and we usually school in the morning hours into afternoon, so they are ready for the many knocks on the door that will soon be coming :)

Albert Mohler Jr said;

"While we are charged to protect our children from evil and to guard them from harm, we are not to shield them from the reality. As children grow older, they should demonstrate an increasing maturity that allows them to deal with the problems of life-not to run from them."