Home Schooling

There are a growing number of families these days who are switching over to home schooling. Still an extreme minority, these tend to be parents who are convinced that what is being taught in schools available to them is of little value at best and detrimental at worst. In truth, any parent with kids in school needs to be aware of that. Schools, regardless of private or public, Christian or secular, are institutions which will teach things that parents likely won't want taught. Parents who keep their kids in school of whatever sort these days will either willingly submit their kids to these things or need to remain vigilant to counteract them.

In truth, however, it is not an extreme minority that is home schooling. In fact, it is all families. Since immersion is the best way to learn things and children learn best what they are immersed in at home, all families are home schooling. The question becomes, "What are they teaching?"

Kids learn from what their parents say. They learn what their parents think is true or false, but they also learn whether or not their parents believe what they say. Kids learn that "Come here" may mean "if you feel like it", "whenever you want", or "right now." They might hear, "It's good to do charity" but that it's not really true because you never do. Parents may tell their kids, "It's good to control your temper", but something entirely different when they see you drive. Telling your kids you love them and ignoring them while you sit in front of a television teaches your kids something, and it's not love. Words are important, but, as they say, actions speak louder than words.

Kids learn from what their parents do. Involvement in church, community, and family all tend to lead toward kids who are involved in church, community, and family. Parents who make their children a priority teach their kids that they are loved, and that kids are a priority. A father who is transparent with his successes and failures, strengths and shortcomings is teaching his children something valuable. To say, "You shouldn't do x" and to have them say, "But ... I've seen you do x" needs an answer. Sometimes it's "Adults can, but kids can't" and sometimes it's "You're right and it's something I'm trying to stop; I'm telling you not to do it so you won't have to struggle like I do." And it will be very hard to convince a son that he needs to love his wife sacrificially or a daughter that she needs to submit to her husband when a father doesn't love his wife sacrificially or a mother doesn't submit to her husband.

One of the most important aspects of this home schooling is the depth of what is taught. Whether it is negative or positive, it is burned into the child's life. Trying to "unteach" error of this type is very hard to do. Simple explanation, logic, even evidence is normally insufficient to wrench out errors learned at home. You see, when it comes to that, it isn't the errors you are trying to remove; it is an attack on family. It is an assault on history. Whether you want to teach a child who grew up unloved that there is a Father who loves her or you want to convince him that the theology he learned at home is in error, it is doubly hard to unlearn.

All kids are home schooled. What are you teaching? What you say and what you do are teaching your children. Are you teaching them truth?