Outlaw Homeschooling

Ok, so I guess I just have a social death wish.  I don't care about what the rest of the world may or may not do with their kids, therefore my way of parenting is completely unpopular and I'm ok with that for the first time in a long time.  I have been very shy raising my kids in the public eye.  Don't want anyone to turn me in to the officials if they see me take away my child's toy in the store or forbid them to move from time out when we're at the park.  Most of the time I have removed said child and myself from the eyes of the spectators in order to lay out the discipline.  It worked for me and my kiddos, but it has caused a backlash with those around who need an example of how to parent one's child.  Let's get real.  If you didn't have a set of great examples growing up on parenting you may feel a little intimidated on how to handle this wild and crazy idea called discipline.  Anyway, that's another post altogether.  My point remains that I am unpopular because the popular ones are loud about their beliefs.

When I started homeschooling two of my children, I has assumed the above to be true with everyone.  Until I attended a wonderful conference a couple of weeks ago.  You see, up to this point I had only attended a very secular conference and literally felt like a failure in my parenting and educating.  I didn't believe the way they handled things was something I was doing or even COULD do.  So, I got depressed, very depressed.  I held fast to the beliefs I had about how my Christian parenting, that included, but was not limited to educating my children was spot on.  But some friends and family let me know, oh-so-subtly, that I am not thinking this through.  You have to look for the supportive ones, you can't expect them to come to you.  Not being a secular parent, not getting the support I wanted, I wondered where God was leading my heart and why He would take me down this lonely path with such a passion and fire still in my heart.

What a refreshing break from my pseudo reality I thought I was surrounded by, to join in with thousands of individuals at the annual NCHE conference.  These experts in all things homeschool and parenting were just like me, well most were.  Anyway, here are just some of the "aha's" that I lived out while in attendance:

One mom was asked by her friends why she wanted to homeschool and she replied. "because I felt like public school was getting the best part of my kid and his day.  He would come home like a zombie and I wanted to interact and he was tired."  So very true.  Well said and wish I had that insight when I was pulling out my kids several years ago.  "I just want to," was my reply, which sounds like, "because I said so," which is so frustrating.  I like her reply much better.

I am blessed.  Yes, I am also hard headed in this area of blessings.  I am easily talked into what I am doing wrong and where my failures are and not enough standing on the rock of my blessings that God has placed in my life.  I need to get a grip in this area.  I am truly, truly blessed!

Let go.  This one is so funny, because just about EVERY speaker that I listened to said this.  A lot were talking about moms letting their boys go and be boys.  I do agree.  I also find it odd that you have to be told this little gem.  I love my boys, but I don't want to smell their sweaty laundry forever!  Just sayin'.

You're fine.  I really am.  I believe in an all-knowing, loving, omnipotent God.  Why would I think that He wouldn't be there in every situation when I ask that of Him everyday anyway?  I loved this speaker.  Her name was Debbie Mason and she was phenomenal!  She said she came to the understanding when she felt like a failure that, "God will cover what you don't."  Duh.  Wow, I am thick skulled.

If I believe, and I do.  If I pray, and I do.  If I trust Him, and I do....then I can't screw this up with God.

So, moving on.  I was so excited about the possibilities in my parenting and educating and such that now my husband is even more excited about it.  It's going to be a journey of unknowns and some tension, but the rewards are outweighing the others by leaps and bounds!  I like being unpopular.  I am embracing it, in fact.  Bring it on world!

Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.  ~Mark Twain

All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.  ~Martin H. Fischer