Friends, I just saw a line of about 5 school buses full of kids heading to drop them off at a public school near my home. And I wanted to cry. Im being completely serious. Next year is kindergarten time for Jacob. Up to this point, hes attended two Christian preschool programs. They have been wonderful. Kindergarten in a Christian school is quite expensive, even for half day programs. And then there is the option of homeschool. I NEVER thought I would even consider homeschooling. I wanted to have some me time, some time to do what I-want-to-do while he was in school... I wanted someone else to teach my son. But now Im realizing those ideas are me being selfish. If I sent him to public school, Id be giving my precious boy, at a very tender age over to a teacher I knew nothing about, and to a system that goes directly against almost everything I hold dear, especially my faith in Jesus Christ. Sending him to public school would be easy in the sense that its free, and we live in an excellent public school district. Also, I could go on with the notion of having me time while he is at school. But I cant help but ask, the school district is Excellent according to who? Will sending my son to public school bring him closer to knowing Jesus Christ? Will the hours there positively undergird faith in Christ? Will the teachers pray for the class in class, asking God for wisdom for that day? Will his education there be taught from a Christian perspective? The answer to all these questions is a resounding NO. So, I simply cannot do it. I cannot justify it. I cannot send my son to a school to be educated for 4-5 hours a day in a way that goes against my Christian faith. Homeschooling would require me to become very disciplined with my time (which is a big weakness for me right now). It would require that I have extreme patience with my son, even when he is going, going, going ninety miles a minute, not wanting to slow down or follow directions (this is an area I struggle with daily). There are many other things homeschooling would require, but financially, it is looking like the best option for kindergarten. We would then be able to save some money monthly so that we could possibly send him to a Christian school for first grade on... Im not going to kid you, homeschooling terrifies me. I feel inadequate, I feel nervous, and I feel an immense responsibility....Im praying God will change my heart toward homeschool....that I would not only see its benefits intellectually, but that I would desire to do this. And Im praying God will lead Doug and I to make the best decision that will honor Him for Jakes kindergarten year next year. One thing I do know that it is times like these that stretch my faith, because this decision requires that hubby and I exercise faith, not just talk about it. Either we put Jake in Christian school and trust God to provide the money to pay the tuition, or we decide I will homeschool and that God will equip me with abundantly more than I need to handle that call. Id greatly appreciate your prayers on this! And, as a side note, if youve not watched this 30 minute documentary on Common Core, please do so. Me thinking of all the kids on those buses heading to a school that teaches from these standards is what makes me so sad... m.youtube/watch?v=zjxBClx01jc
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:51:28 +0000