Those who know my family know that we were always very supportive of our children’s school activities while they were in the public school system. We were on boards, volunteered for multiple events—you name it, we did it.
But things changed around the time my children entered high school. My husband and I noticed a decline in what our children were learning. Labeled an athlete, my son became just a number in the classroom, requiring only the bare minimum of instruction to keep him on the playing field. And while my daughter didn’t need as much one-on-one instruction as my son, she did need teachers to keep an eye on her when surrounded by boys who couldn’t seem to behave in a respectful way toward young ladies.
We were also disturbed that the values and ethics we were trying to teach our children at home were not what they were learning at school. It felt like a war. Both my husband and I strongly believed that education was very important, but to put it bluntly, simply sending our children home with worksheets and hours of homework didn’t seem like teaching to us.
After much prayer and discussion, our family decided to take our children out of the public school system and homeschool them. The decision was not made lightly. My son was a sophomore and very involved in sports, while my daughter was a freshman and involved in dance and many other school-related activities. Taking them out of public school seemed like it would disrupt these parts of life.
Our fears were needless. We joined an excellent cover school that walked us through all the details of educating our children. My children got involved, and it seemed as though they were meant to be there all along. My son began playing football and baseball competitively, eventually winning a college baseball scholarship, while my daughter played softball and volleyball and absolutely loved doing so.
But one of the best things about homeschooling was the overwhelming peace that leaving the public school system brought. The constant battle we experienced there became too much. Our home became a family of like-minded parents and children putting God first.
The peace I felt when we made the change also came with regret. I wished that we would have made the decision to homeschool sooner! But I comfort myself that we didn’t have the knowledge and understanding at that time that we do now, and God worked things out exactly as He planned. We are forever grateful for the journey.
I tell my story because there are many parents currently struggling with their children’s school systems. Making the decision to homeschool is hard, especially for working parents. But it’s important to realize that even while there are great teachers out there, when the government gets involved in education, all the good ideas go out the window. Sadly, the old way of teaching is a thing of the past, replaced with a cookie cutter system filled with endless days of training robots.
Our children deserve better! It may take some sacrifice, but giving your child the best education and the best environment to learn in is so important and provides a great return on investment.
College is one example. Many college admission offices actively seek homeschoolers, and studies show that coming from a homeschool background helps students graduate at a higher rate than those from a traditional education background. Another example is the opportunity to teach your children to think outside of the box, a quality that will help them succeed in life. And most importantly, homeschooling gives parents the opportunity to teach their children about Christ every day.
There are many resources available to help parents make the decision to homeschool. Some of the ones I like to recommend include your local church, Classical Conversations, Khan Academy, All-in-One High School, and Ezekiel Academy.
Don’t give up, keep fighting! Our children are preyed upon and indoctrinated every day in the public school system. We must stop it from happening!
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email ashley.carter@1819news.com.
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