Why we homeschool

Our family has made the choice to home education our children, rather than put them in the school system. Below is an outline of the ‘why’ behind our decision. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of our reasons for choosing to homeschool our kids. It is also not intended in any way to make others feel guilty for sending their kids to school. It’s simply an overview of some of the most important and outstanding reasons we believe that – for us – homeschooling is the option we must (and desire to) choose.

Spiritual Training.  Just as a solider training for war should go where he can be BEST trained, so we – training our kids for the spiritual war they will engage in as they grow – want to train them in the BEST possible place. In our opinion, this is not a school setting.  Why?  Because:

1. We want to create an atmosphere where prayer, Bible study and general Biblical principles are a central part of their learning process, not just an after thought.(Deut 6:6-8)
2. We want to be able to frequently and consistently show them the Biblical principals behind every thought and behaviour, and train them to make this a personal habit for life.  (Proverbs 22:6)
3. We want to teach them Biblical truths in regard to academic learning (the reality of God’s existence, His creation, what pleases and displeases Him, etc.)
4. We want them to be totally immersed in an atmosphere of love, acceptance, affirmation of who they are in God, and (loving) discipline, since we see this as a foundation for building Godly characters. At school we perceive that they will be too exposed to anger, bullying, discouragement and lack of discipline which may hinder this character development.
5. We want them to regularly observe adults who model the characteristics and qualities we feel they should be aspiring too. Kids imitate what (and who) they see the most.
6. We want them to be comparatively free from the long and daily peer pressure of kids who may not be behaving, talking and thinking the way we want our kids to behave, talk & think.

Academic excellence.  With ratio at almost always close to 1:1, we believe that education at home is far more likely to be of good quality than education at school. Even without formal teacher training we believe this is achievable. How?  Because:

1. We can work hard at developing and maintaining a love for learning in our children. This (which is so easily and quickly lost in school settings) will ideally help them to be life-long learners, and people who  are diligent to search out whatever they need to know in the future.
2. We are able to be very in tune with what subjects and topics each child enjoys, finds easy, or struggles with in some way. We can tailor their education to these strengths and weaknesses, moving ahead quickly when they excel, and taking the time needed when they would otherwise have struggled. There is not usually time at school for spending, perhaps, years on something when the schedule dictates that one term is sufficient.
3. With the responsibility on our shoulders of educating our children, we tend to learn alongside them. This means that we are able to keep up with what they are learning and need to know, and since we find it enjoyable, it continues to inspire them to enjoy learning. It thus becomes a shared process of enjoyment and mutual encouragement. Also, when we perceive it to be our responsibility, we aim for the highest standards.

Personal development.  There is no need to fear a lack of socialisation in homeschooled children – in fact the opposite may be true. Homeschooled kids are constantly around a variety of ages, and learn how to interact in everyday life, rather than the artificial situation which a class, year or grade makes up at school. With homeschool co-ops, clubs, music, art, swimming, church, camps, etc, there are no shortages of opportunities to socialise. But apart from this, there are other personal developmental benefits to homeschoolng:

1. Self-discipline.  Opportunities to learn by ones own initiative come up frequently in home educuation, and this promotes self-discipline, a huge benefit for life in the adult world.
2. Problem solving.  While this can certainly be learnt at school, it may not be taught as specifically as we would like. We want to be around to teach the right, kind, peaceful and Godly ways to solve both interpersonal and situational problems.  (I.e.  NOT with screaming, fighting, selfishness and frustration!)
3. Strength to stand up for what is right.  While it may seem that this is best taught by putting kids in school, we disagree. In order to be strong enough to stand up for what is right, children first need to be taught with conviction and passion what is right, in an atmosphere which is absent of doubt, apathy and incessant teasing. This is not to say we will only teach them one view (we will certainly introduce them to ideas of evolution, atheism, and other religions), but rather that we will present the cases in what we believe to be a fair and just way, and teach that when one believes in something, it should be whole-heartedly and based on an accurate interpretation of the available evidence.

In summary, we feel that God has given us (not teachers, day-care providers, babysitters or anyone else) the responsibility to bring our children up “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4), and feel that we will best carry out that responsibility by educating our kids at home.

http://writingonthedoorposts.com/2012/04/17/why-we-homeschool/

Why?

I am beginning my second week in the home of our youngest daughter, which besides her includes our son-in-law, an almost 3 year-old, twin one year-olds, and (the reason I am here) an 8 day old – all boys. Needless to say it is a busy place, also blessed by the joy and love that sweetens the lack of sleep. The 3-year-old is in that stage of asking “Why?” in response to all requests, comments, and random statements. At first, it is engaging to answer the “whys” of life. “Why?” do we wear socks with shoes? To prevent blisters. “Why?” is it nap time? This question has various answers – it is time, you are tired, mom is tired, or any other response deemed appropriate at the time. “Why?” when told to stay in his bed, because there is not room in the crib with your twin brothers.

After answering hundreds of questions, Nana does get tired of thinking about the answers to the meaning of life and all it involves. Yet, as a teacher, I know that these questions and answers are important and will form the basis of our grandson’s world view. Recent research in brain development shows that at around three years old there is a great growth in synapses in the brain, and that if they are not used during this formative time, those synapses are pruned. Just as a gardener prunes off useless branches, God has fashioned our brain to do likewise.

We want our children to have optimum use of the amazing organ  - the brain. Answering their questions is the first and best way for them to learn about the world around them. It will also lay the foundation of a life long pattern of asking questions, opinions and seeking advice from us, their parents.  If we respond to them now with, “Why do you ask so many questions?” “I’m busy – ask…..”, or worst of all, ignore their questions, they will quit asking and/or find someone else to ask.

There is certainly a time for questions to stop for a while. The previously mentioned nap time and bed time, for example. Yet this can be done in a way that is respectful of the child’s natural curiosity. There may even be a specific time given for answering such as after nap, after breakfast, etc. This lets your child know that their questions are important, but that the current time is not conducive to answering those questions. I also am quick to admit that I didn’t know all the answers to questions posed by my children or now my grandchildren. It is absolutely fine to say “I don’t know.” But don’t stop there. The next comment from us should be, “I’ll help you find out.” As a child gets older, you may even ask them, “Who do you think we can ask about this?”

As our children get even older, they will be looking up answers on the internet. A caution – the values we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren may not be the values promoted by the information the child receives on-line. If we have built a foundation of love and respect our values will be more apt to be accepted by these growing children.

God does not always answer us right away. God is not governed by our time-table or our sense of “needing to know”. In fact, He says in I Corinthians 13: 8-13

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.     Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.   ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

God lets us know that while we are part of this human experience,  we will not understand everything. (see italicized above) We do have the hope of coming into full knowledge when we are face to face with God. What an awesome expectation!

So, until then, I will continue learning all I can so I can answer my grandchildrens’ questions. I will also endeavor to answer the countless “whys?” with patience and love…..for the greatest of these is love.

http://ourfathersdaughters.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/why/

The beauty of homemaking

I always knew that becoming a mother was a career choice for me. To my mind, it can’t be anything else.  Raising children is not something to be done on the side, in our spare time, but something which calls for the highest standards of commitment, sacrifice, dedication and effort.  I’d like to share some of the common reasons I hear against mothers choosing to stay home with their children, and my responses to these reasons.

1) Some people seem to think that women who choose to stay at home full time are unambitious.  Firstly, ambition is not what life is about.  Secondly, I think being a stay-at-home Mom is probably the most ambitious career out there!  A housewife and mother has to master so many different facets of life.  She is a cook, a cleaner, an arbitrator, a psychologist, a day-care provider, a mentor, a friend, a nurse, a teacher, a personal shopper, a playmate, and a care assistant.  On top of these she may well specialise in a few other areas, such as baking, craft making, research, nutrition, health, sports, music, or just about any other subject or vocation you can think of.  Being a full time homemaker is anything but boring!

2) The other objection I frequently hear against being a stay-at-home Mom is that of financial strain.  I admit that sometimes this is an issue.  However, I think it is much less of an issue than most people perceive it to be.  If you are thinking, “We can’t manage without two incomes.” I would encourage you to think again.  Our lives are usually full of unnecessary stuff, which could be cut out to reduce our monthly expenditure.  And if you really do need more money, then there are ways to work around this and still stay at home.  Right now, for example, I am bringing in some extra money for my family by joining Usborne and selling children’s books.  This allows me flexibility to work around my kids, rather than mothering around my work.  It’s important to really evaluate our priorities, and make sure we are backing what we believe by the way we live.  It’s no good wishing we had the resources to stay at home, but in reality placing a higher value on home decoration.

3) The last reason I commonly hear for women not staying at home is, “It’s just not for me.”  This may be true.  But what about your kids?  To simply say “it’s not for me” seems a rather selfish reason.  If you have carefully weighed all the pros and cons, if you  have decided that you need to prioritize something else, or if you have prayed and prayed and prayed and still believe it is ‘not for you’, then I respect that.  God has certainly called each of us to our own ministries, and we must act accordingly.  But if you simply  have a fear that you won’t like being a homemaker, then I truly hope you will stop and think again.  There are such joys, such excitements, such challenges, blessings, and wonderful experiences to be had when you make your kids your career.

In closing, take time to read one of my favourite passages of Scripture, encouraging young mothers to keep her priorities right in the sight of God.

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”  Titus 2:3-5 (NASB)

http://writingonthedoorposts.com/2012/04/16/the-beauty-of-homemaking/

The Other Side of That Mom

Last week I blogged about being that mom…you know, the imperfect mom who has messed up many times.  It resonated with a lot of moms because we oftentimes feel like we are the only one.

But then there are other moms who look at some of the mistakes I openly shared and thought, “Ooh, hate to be her kid!”  But don’t be so quick to judge.

Because I can’t leave it at the fact that I am a mom who has made mistakes, as true as it may be.  I am also a mom who has done a lot of things right.

This is yet another struggle that moms sometimes have.  They either don’t recognize the things they have done right or they are afraid to sound like they are bragging for mentioning the good things.

So here is the other side of that mom…I feel like I have fared pretty well in the mothering department.

I have been able to bite my tongue when my child shared something that most other moms would have flipped over.

I have shown my children grace when discipline was warranted.

I have responded instead of reacted.

I have made some really good decisions.

Yes, I am that mom…I am not supermom but I have done some super things.

I have been there when my child had a broken heart.

I have spent quality one-on-one time with my children.

I have gone above and beyond to help them accomplish goals or pursue an interest.

I have surprised my children by doing the very thing they were sure I wouldn’t do (but were yet hoping I would do).

Yes, I am that mom…sometimes exceeding my children’s expectations.

I have listened while they shared their struggles.

I have given them some great advice.

I have seen them through the best and worst of times.

I have believed in them.

Mom…as imperfect as we may be, we have done a lot of things right.  And we need to give ourselves credit for that!

http://heartofamothersprayers.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/the-other-side-of-that-mom/

Women, Children and Unbelievers ~ Titanic the Ship of Dreams: John Harper by Robert Plant

“Women, children and unbelievers into the lifeboats!” One hundred years ago, on April 15

http://thinkingkids.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/women-children-and-unbelievers-titanic-the-ship-of-dreams-john-harper-by-robert-plant/

Raising Children in the Faith

A question that my husband and I wrestle with a great deal is a very simple question: How ever will we take on the enormous task of raising children up in the Christian faith? I think that one of the biggest struggles that Christian parents face is the lack of alternative culture that we are provided with in order to take on this task. Secular culture offers us a plethora of answers and cultural practices in which to raise children, (certainly not all are evil or bad), but when it comes to Christian traditions, I myself feel incredibly ill equipped to pass on cultural practices.

Don’t get me wrong. I know the gospel, I understand the message of Jesus’ life and death, God’s love for us, the fallen nature of humans, like the back of my hand. But this knowledge seems inadequate when I want to provide for my children not just a theoretical worldview, but a true culture of faith: in home, community, and Church.

Someone who has inspired me in this way is Maria Von Trapp. Yes, the same Maria Von Trapp that sings Do-Re-Mi and sews clothing out of curtains. The real Maria Von Trapp was a woman of SERIOUS intensity (she makes me feel better about my own intensity). She was a devout Catholic, and even more inspiring were the traditions that she raised the Von Trapp family in. In her beautiful book Around the Year with the Trapp Family, Maria provides a detailed account of the way in which she brought the Church year into the home. Every season is marked with recipes, stories, hymns, prayers, traditions, which engage the mind, heart, and imagination. Maria brings to light the natural beauty within the Church year: it isn’t boring or mundane, and Santa Claus is not the only way to get your children excited about the birth of Christ. She brings to light the truth that Christ’s life begs that we celebrate, mourn, abstain, feast, and study, all around the year. 

The Von Trapp family moved to Stowe, Vermont when they were forced to flee Austria during World War II. Upon her arrival, Maria observes America as a culture entirely too caught up in the rat race of life, always racing somewhere, trying to save time, and never savoring the love of Jesus and engaging in the Church year. She mourns for a culture that she sees as headed for paganism, and losing touch with their own religious roots. She writes:

“This atmosphere of “hurry up, let’s go” does not provide the necessary leisure in which to anticipate and celebrate a feast. But as soon as people stop celebrating they really do not live any more–they are being lived, as it were. The alarming question arises: what is being done with all the time that is constantly being saved? We invent more machines and more gadgets, which will relieve us more and more from the work formerly done by our hands, our feet, our brain, and which will carry us in feverishly increasing speed–where? Perhaps to the moon and other planets, but more probably to our final destruction.

Only the Church throws light onto the gloomy prospects of modern man–Holy Mother Church–for she belongs, herself, to a realm that has its past and present in Time, but its future in the World Without End.”

From really reflecting on where my own heart and mind are these days, I have been really trying to come up with some sort of focus for this blog, and I hope to be able to share specifically with you my own attempt to implement Maria Von Trapp’s help with living the liturgical year at home in my own home.  This is a HUGE task.  Girlfriend was serious about this stuff. So I have been putting this off, saving it for another day, even though I read the book pre-Easter season, I hope that this blog can help keep me a bit more accountable for doing these things at home.

And although our child is still a baby, I think that it will be much easier to start while she is so small, so that it is a more natural way of existing and living for our family as she begins to understand what is going on.

How do you handle this issue of raising your children in a faith based context?

Here is a link to Maria Von Trapp’s book online:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/FAMILY/TRAPP.TXT

She breaks it up into the different season and gives a beautifully written account of her own family’s customs of traditions. May we all pray for each other, support each other, and love each other as we all try our best to raise children, find meaning, and seek God in a harsh and bankrupt world.

http://d0mesticanarchy.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/raising-children-in-the-faith-23/

Lighting The Path

Have you ever gone camping?  Hiking through the woods?  Have you been on a retreat with your kids as a counselor or chaperone?  Did you ever walk the ocean shoreline at night?

I bet you got your  flashlight and shown it ahead of you to light the path, right?  Remember how pitch dark it was everywhere except right in front of you, in the beam of light?  If you shown it way ahead you might fall over something right in front of you.  If you show it to the side you could not see what was right before you.  There was no point in showing it behind you because you had come from there, it was behind you; you were going forward.  The flashlight went ahead of you just enough to light your path.

That is the way of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. We live in a world darkened by sin.  Some areas of life are darker than others.   He is your light for your path.  He does not want you looking way ahead, to the side or behind.  He is the Light for your day, showing you His way.  Guiding you safely through the path, helping you navigate what would cause you to stumble.  Jesus died on the cross and, if you will, is the “batteries” for the “flashlight”.  You have all you need to navigate the path of life.

Do not walk through life in the dark.  Pick up your Light, allow Him to show you the way.

Psalm 119:105 (NASB)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.“

Daniel 2:22 (ESV)
“He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.”

http://mom2momflorida.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/lighting-the-path/

Books We Read: Colonists and Native Americans (and some special fun)

This week, we studied Colonists and Native Americans (we’re continuing that for a couple more

http://thinkingkids.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/books-we-read-colonists-and-native-americans-and-some-special-fun/

PowerLaunch — Raising Leaders From Cradle To College

We are here at the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party! We’re Jody and Jenni:  two moms with nine children between us (ages 24 to newborn — from law school to cradle), who also run a non-traditional private school in Florida, and are deeply passionate about raising leaders who will impact their generation for Christ.

Aside from blogging about Christian parenting, we also write magazine articles and homeschool curriculum and we speak to parents and teach parenting seminars. We are currently co-authoring a book about empowering parents to raise world changers, discover the direction of their child’s calling by age 12, rethink socialization, and disciple their children for a new world.

We just moved into a new cyber home at jenniandjody.com. So stop by, but don’t mind the blank walls; we haven’t finished painting and decorating yet! LOL

You can, however, peek into the store and order one or more of our recent parenting workshop DVDs.

Here at PowerLaunch, we are dedicated to helping parents LAUNCH their kids into a powerful adulthood. We teach parenting with the end result in mind, and cover a wide range of topics from discipline and character training to infant potty training and baby wearing.

Here’s a peek at a some of our favorite posts:

Raising the Head of a Household

Raising a Proverbs 31 Woman

I Don’t Have a “Thing”

Connect Powerfully With a Co-Journal

Without Anger or Excuse

Can They Say It With Confidence?

Can’t wait to meet new mom bloggers at the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party! Drop us a line in the comments below, and also visit us on Facebook and Twitter!

http://powerlaunch.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/powerlaunch-raising-leaders-from-cradle-to-college/

Rooted

The other day I wrote down this thought on my Mom2Mom Christian Parenting FB page:

“With God all variables are just possibilities in the scenario.” ~ Renee’ …. I am going to continue to think on this thought He has given me …. I think there’s a blog entry in there

It is true.  All the variables in our lives are possibilities in God’s hands … to mold us and shape us into His perfect plan for us.  We have a habit of messing things up.  We try to “plant” ourselves where and how we think we should be at any given time.   We make our lives comfortable and God has to make us uncomfortable to get us back where we need to be.

Life has a way of redirecting the “streams” that feed us.  Sometimes we end up in a “desert” place.  Circumstances can make it seem that the “water” has redirected out of reach, or gone underground too deep to reach.  That is when and where we find out how we are rooted.

The Redwood trees are the grandest trees, towering above all others.  Yet their root system is shallow and should not support the mighty trees. The secret to their strength is that they tie in with their fellow Redwood trees and are linked together in an underground system.  They are strong from the little seedling to the oldest tree in the forest.  They share their roots, their nourishment.  The ones furthermost from the streams and lakes are nourished through shared roots by the ones near water.

As Christians, we connect with our family and fellow Christians through churches and prayer groups.  We support and nourish each other.  We are never alone.  We intercede in prayer for each other.  We encourage and lift each other up even if the circumstances we are going through have left us feeling like we are way out in the desert.  God uses the variables in our lives as possibilities to make us strong if we allow Him to use them.  He will bring  fellow Christians along side us to aid in our trials as well as in our growth.

Tanya Tucker sang a song many years ago … “There’s a tree in the backyard that never has been broken by the wind. And the reason it’s still standing is it was strong enough to bend.”  Sometimes storms come and threaten to destroy us.  Our “roots” are strongly anchored, but the winds are threatening to crack and break our limbs and level us to the ground, leaving us useless … just roots with no visible life.   During these storms we need to be bendable.  Rooted, yet strong enough to bend.  Life kicks up some mighty strong winds.  Are we willing to bend as He allows the winds to blow?  Or do we stiffin’ up and fight back, as though we can change the storms of life.  Can you thank Him for the storm … the  rain and wind that ultimately makes you strong?  Do you keep your roots attached during bad weather to your underground network, allowing others to be blessed by interceding on your behalf with Him? Or do you give up and try to go it on your own?

Driving around you pass millions of trees you do not notice, but then there’s that tree you pass that has “character”.  It may be a little bent, or show signs of storm damage, yet it is strong and beautiful, producing fruit or flowers even though it is scarred by life’s storms.  You may even see its roots here and there showing it’s strength in its surroundings.  While other trees will be cut down without opposition,  THAT TREE … it will be considered.  It will be noticed and preserved,  maybe even singled out as a center point for a park.  It has survived, it has character, it is strong.

Today there are all kinds of variables facing you, many harsh.  Will you thank Him, remembering that “all things work together for good”?  Are you going to try to handle it all on your own?  Will you reach out to family, even your children … to fellow Christians and secure your “roots”?  Will you allow the variables to be the possibilities in His hands?

James 1:3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials..”

Romans 8:38“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

http://mom2momflorida.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/rooted/

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