We have talked about whether you CAN work and home school - but you may be wondering if you SHOULD?
The Proverbs 31 woman had time to purchase fields and plant vineyards with her earnings, work vigorously, provide food for her family, oversee profitable trading, make bed coverings and sell homemade linen garments, AND faithfully instruct her children. Nowhere does it criticize her for trying to do both.
Now it is certainly possible that in your personal circumstances you will decide that God is not calling you to work at all, but to be a keeper of the home. Or you may feel that you do not have the energy or self-discipline to teach your children at home. Only you can know what He is asking of you, and you should do that. But I do not see that Scripture precludes working from home, even for a mother with children. He will not ask you to do anything that He will not also empower you to do.
10 [c] A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Showing posts with label Christian Home Schooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Home Schooling. Show all posts
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Radical Christian Unschooling
"You could have knocked me over with a feather," as my dad used to say.
After 18 years, it has finally occurred to me that what we have been doing all along was "Radical Christian Unschooling".
Yes, we did use some curriculum over the years. Sort of. We did Switched On Schoolhouse a couple of years. And The Weaver. And The Sycamore Tree. And Saxon Math. Those were the ones we actually used, and frankly they were all good in their different ways. They are all still around
Then there was the stuff we didn't ever use. In fact, sometimes I think our house is the Graveyard of Expensive Unused Homeschool Curriculum. (Well, not anymore - that is how I got into eBay selling!)
Yes, my son is enrolled in an online program. Um. Yeah.
As a matter of fact, all the angst, all the turmoil, all the drama associated with the time of year I always started cracking the whip and panicking about academics was when I started feeling like we HAD to finish all the work that was laid out in the books/CD/workbook/fill-in-your-own or I was not doing my job. This was mostly due to pressure from my husband, or pressure from other people, mostly my in-laws, who were not terribly supportive of our decision to homeschool.
But the real problem was that the constraints these methods forced on me didn't match what I really believed about school.
And today, I finally found the words that articulated that.
I'm not sure how I got around to visiting Christian Unschooling. I think I may have found it through reading various articles by our great group of Moms and women who contribute to Blissfully Domestic Magazine. But however I found it, at Christian Unschooling I found this definition of Radical Christian Unschooling that was posted by CrunchyChristianMom:
Did we execute that vision perfectly. No. We are not the poster family for successful homeschooling.
But it may be that trying to squeeze myself - and my kids - into some kind of mold that was wrong for us contributed to my failure in certain areas. I allowed the homeschooling industry and the opinions of others to dictate what I believed I was supposed to be doing - and how, and when - instead of letting the Lord take me through His agenda for us, one step at a time.
But God is good, and it isn't too late for us, even now, to turn things around for my son here in the home stretch.
And it isn't too late for you.
If you are new to homeschooling, or particularly if you have been homeschooling for a while and feel like you are just not able to get with the program, maybe it is the program and not you that is the problem.
Visit Christian Unschooling and check out whether this educational philosophy might be the answer you were looking for.
After 18 years, it has finally occurred to me that what we have been doing all along was "Radical Christian Unschooling".
Yes, we did use some curriculum over the years. Sort of. We did Switched On Schoolhouse a couple of years. And The Weaver. And The Sycamore Tree. And Saxon Math. Those were the ones we actually used, and frankly they were all good in their different ways. They are all still around
Then there was the stuff we didn't ever use. In fact, sometimes I think our house is the Graveyard of Expensive Unused Homeschool Curriculum. (Well, not anymore - that is how I got into eBay selling!)
Yes, my son is enrolled in an online program. Um. Yeah.
As a matter of fact, all the angst, all the turmoil, all the drama associated with the time of year I always started cracking the whip and panicking about academics was when I started feeling like we HAD to finish all the work that was laid out in the books/CD/workbook/fill-in-your-own or I was not doing my job. This was mostly due to pressure from my husband, or pressure from other people, mostly my in-laws, who were not terribly supportive of our decision to homeschool.
But the real problem was that the constraints these methods forced on me didn't match what I really believed about school.
And today, I finally found the words that articulated that.
I'm not sure how I got around to visiting Christian Unschooling. I think I may have found it through reading various articles by our great group of Moms and women who contribute to Blissfully Domestic Magazine. But however I found it, at Christian Unschooling I found this definition of Radical Christian Unschooling that was posted by CrunchyChristianMom:
"Radical Christian Unschooling is the Trust that not only will a child seek out and learn what he needs to know when he needs to know it, without coercion, without school or school type methods, in the freedom and safety of his family, but that God will direct the child’s path Himself. Our role as parents is to act as guides and mentors in the learning process, and to disciple our children in our Faith through our daily example of walking out our faith before their eyes.”WOW. That's it.
Did we execute that vision perfectly. No. We are not the poster family for successful homeschooling.
But it may be that trying to squeeze myself - and my kids - into some kind of mold that was wrong for us contributed to my failure in certain areas. I allowed the homeschooling industry and the opinions of others to dictate what I believed I was supposed to be doing - and how, and when - instead of letting the Lord take me through His agenda for us, one step at a time.
But God is good, and it isn't too late for us, even now, to turn things around for my son here in the home stretch.
And it isn't too late for you.
If you are new to homeschooling, or particularly if you have been homeschooling for a while and feel like you are just not able to get with the program, maybe it is the program and not you that is the problem.
Visit Christian Unschooling and check out whether this educational philosophy might be the answer you were looking for.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Except the Lord build the house...
"...they labor in vain that build it..." Psalm 127:1
I want to talk for just a minute to my Christian homeschooling sisters. If you are not part of this group, this post really doesn't apply to you. No offense.
For those of us who are Christian homeschoolers, the first question should not be "What about socialization?" or "What is my child's learning style?" or "Do I have time to homeschool?" or any of the questions that we have asked, and hopefully answered, here in this blog over the last couple of years.
The first and most important question should be, "Does the Lord want me to homeschool?"
If the answer is no - if this is something that you think might be a good thing for your kids, or you don't want them to be bullied, or you think it might be something that will fit into your lifestyle, but it is not a deep conviction that burns within you like a mandate from God - you may not make it.
In fact, you probably won't make it.
In fact, even if you do make it, if it is not something the Lord wanted you to do, it will have been in your flesh and not even a "good work" in His eyes. Twelve to fifteen to twenty years of your life ending up on the "wood, hay and stubble" heap.
Thanks, but no thanks. Home schooling is too hard to take a chance on spending that much time when the Lord had something else for you.
But if the answer is yes - if you KNOW that you know that homeschooling is God's only choice for your particular family, that certainty will sustain you in the hard times.
...When you feel like an utter failure, and find yourself looking longingly at the school bus as it passes your house.
...When you find gaps in your child's education and don't know how to fill them, or even if you should.
...When criticism from your friends and family reaches critical mass.
...When at the other end of the journey, one of your children takes a tumble out of your homeschool and ends up with his or her feet firmly planted in the world you fought so valiantly to shield them from.
This last one in particular is when it is so important to know that you did the right thing, even if it doesn't look or feel like it. When it is so important to know you did what the Lord asked you to do, and then to leave the results up to Him.
Even if your child stumbles and falls. Or doesn't go to college. Or whatever it is that is your greatest fear. Homeschooling is not a foolproof way to keep your child on the straight and narrow. Oh, it helps. It may delay the onset of bad behavior. But, eventually, it becomes a matter between your child and the Lord.
And He is in control.
The most important part of Christian homeschooling takes place on your knees. Don't neglect it.
I want to talk for just a minute to my Christian homeschooling sisters. If you are not part of this group, this post really doesn't apply to you. No offense.
For those of us who are Christian homeschoolers, the first question should not be "What about socialization?" or "What is my child's learning style?" or "Do I have time to homeschool?" or any of the questions that we have asked, and hopefully answered, here in this blog over the last couple of years.
The first and most important question should be, "Does the Lord want me to homeschool?"
If the answer is no - if this is something that you think might be a good thing for your kids, or you don't want them to be bullied, or you think it might be something that will fit into your lifestyle, but it is not a deep conviction that burns within you like a mandate from God - you may not make it.
In fact, you probably won't make it.
In fact, even if you do make it, if it is not something the Lord wanted you to do, it will have been in your flesh and not even a "good work" in His eyes. Twelve to fifteen to twenty years of your life ending up on the "wood, hay and stubble" heap.
Thanks, but no thanks. Home schooling is too hard to take a chance on spending that much time when the Lord had something else for you.
But if the answer is yes - if you KNOW that you know that homeschooling is God's only choice for your particular family, that certainty will sustain you in the hard times.
...When you feel like an utter failure, and find yourself looking longingly at the school bus as it passes your house.
...When you find gaps in your child's education and don't know how to fill them, or even if you should.
...When criticism from your friends and family reaches critical mass.
...When at the other end of the journey, one of your children takes a tumble out of your homeschool and ends up with his or her feet firmly planted in the world you fought so valiantly to shield them from.
This last one in particular is when it is so important to know that you did the right thing, even if it doesn't look or feel like it. When it is so important to know you did what the Lord asked you to do, and then to leave the results up to Him.
Even if your child stumbles and falls. Or doesn't go to college. Or whatever it is that is your greatest fear. Homeschooling is not a foolproof way to keep your child on the straight and narrow. Oh, it helps. It may delay the onset of bad behavior. But, eventually, it becomes a matter between your child and the Lord.
And He is in control.
The most important part of Christian homeschooling takes place on your knees. Don't neglect it.
Monday, September 22, 2008
What exactly is home schooling?
Home schooling
is one of the fastest growing alternatives to public education today. Simply put, it is teaching your own children at home. When we first started home schooling in 1989, there were still states where it was not legal, and most people had not heard of it. We were likely to hear – “Is it legal” “But what about socialization?” or “Why would anyone want to teach their children at home?” Even our families were opposed to the idea. Hadn’t we attended public school and turned out fine?
Nineteen years later, people still ask those questions, but there is less resistance since home schooling is now legal in all fifty states. Nearly everyone knows someone who home schools, or at least can name their sister’s boyfriend’s uncle’s ex-wife’s hairdresser who home schools. And even if they cannot, there is a growing body of adults who are former homeschoolers distinguishing themselves in every field of endeavor, from medicine to the military.
The laws governing home schooling programs differ from state to state. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here - there are already many good websites where you can learn about the specific requirements in your state. The bottom line is the same, however, no matter where you live: you have decided that you are going to take full responsibility for your child’s education. So the first thing you have to decide is whether you are willing for the buck to stop with you.
It isn’t necessary for you to do all the teaching. There are often local networking groups who have email lists where you can keep track of events and classes offered. Parents from several families may band together and offer a coop, where each one will teach a subject on a rotating basis for a small group of students. There may even be classes offered at your community college, or a special enrichment program for homeschoolers in an institutional setting like a church or a community center.
But it is necessary for you to take all the responsibility. When you have completed whatever grade level you have decided you are comfortable with – whether you just take them through elementary school or all the way through high school - what your child knows, or doesn’t know, will be largely a function of what you exposed him to. You will not be able to blame the schools, or the teachers, or “the kids at school” for any shortfall in your program or in your child’s education.
Don’t let that frighten you away from home schooling. If you can teach your children good study skills, how to read, write and communicate well, how math is used in the real world, and how to find out what they need to know when they need to know it, you are a wonderful candidate for a homeschooling parent! From that basic starting point, it will be entirely up to you and your child to decide what subjects you cover, and in what depth. You can choose a broad based “liberal arts” education, or you can custom tailor your child’s curriculum
to a particular interest or ability.
If you are a home based entrepreneur, working with you in your business can give your child interpersonal and professional skills, and an opportunity to apply his academic knowledge in a real world setting. It can also give you a nice tax deduction if you hire your child and pay him a salary. And it will give your child an opportunity to have his own money and learn how to handle it in a controlled setting.
is one of the fastest growing alternatives to public education today. Simply put, it is teaching your own children at home. When we first started home schooling in 1989, there were still states where it was not legal, and most people had not heard of it. We were likely to hear – “Is it legal” “But what about socialization?” or “Why would anyone want to teach their children at home?” Even our families were opposed to the idea. Hadn’t we attended public school and turned out fine?Nineteen years later, people still ask those questions, but there is less resistance since home schooling is now legal in all fifty states. Nearly everyone knows someone who home schools, or at least can name their sister’s boyfriend’s uncle’s ex-wife’s hairdresser who home schools. And even if they cannot, there is a growing body of adults who are former homeschoolers distinguishing themselves in every field of endeavor, from medicine to the military.
The laws governing home schooling programs differ from state to state. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here - there are already many good websites where you can learn about the specific requirements in your state. The bottom line is the same, however, no matter where you live: you have decided that you are going to take full responsibility for your child’s education. So the first thing you have to decide is whether you are willing for the buck to stop with you.
It isn’t necessary for you to do all the teaching. There are often local networking groups who have email lists where you can keep track of events and classes offered. Parents from several families may band together and offer a coop, where each one will teach a subject on a rotating basis for a small group of students. There may even be classes offered at your community college, or a special enrichment program for homeschoolers in an institutional setting like a church or a community center.
But it is necessary for you to take all the responsibility. When you have completed whatever grade level you have decided you are comfortable with – whether you just take them through elementary school or all the way through high school - what your child knows, or doesn’t know, will be largely a function of what you exposed him to. You will not be able to blame the schools, or the teachers, or “the kids at school” for any shortfall in your program or in your child’s education.
Don’t let that frighten you away from home schooling. If you can teach your children good study skills, how to read, write and communicate well, how math is used in the real world, and how to find out what they need to know when they need to know it, you are a wonderful candidate for a homeschooling parent! From that basic starting point, it will be entirely up to you and your child to decide what subjects you cover, and in what depth. You can choose a broad based “liberal arts” education, or you can custom tailor your child’s curriculum
If you are a home based entrepreneur, working with you in your business can give your child interpersonal and professional skills, and an opportunity to apply his academic knowledge in a real world setting. It can also give you a nice tax deduction if you hire your child and pay him a salary. And it will give your child an opportunity to have his own money and learn how to handle it in a controlled setting.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Finishing the race
Well, it is finally happening.
Homeschool veterans from my era are retiring.
Not the original pioneers from the 70s and early 80s - the ones who fought for legalization and went to jail and paid hefty fines for the right to homeschool.
But the second wave - the mid to late 80s crowd who were still considered way out on the fringes of normal when we announced our decision to homeschool.
And we aren't talking about ones who were only called for a particular season. Or the quitters. Or the posers who shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.
These are the ones who poured out their lives, who have fought the good fight and finished the race.
My friend Katie is retiring from home schooling after 20 years.
She first heard of homeschooling in 1986 from her pastor when her family was young and they lived in Cleveland OH.
Then they moved to Baltimore, and in 1988, she attended a meeting with 7 other women who wanted to start a home school support group. From this inaugural meeting grew Christian Home Educators Network (CHEN, which became the first successful large homeschooling support and lobbying organization in Maryland.
On August 16, after 20 years and with 5 kids educated (One in Iraq, two in college, two in high school), Katie is leaving her chalk in the chalk tray and sitting down for a well deserved rest.
Congratulations, old friend, on a job well done.
Homeschool veterans from my era are retiring.
Not the original pioneers from the 70s and early 80s - the ones who fought for legalization and went to jail and paid hefty fines for the right to homeschool.
But the second wave - the mid to late 80s crowd who were still considered way out on the fringes of normal when we announced our decision to homeschool.
And we aren't talking about ones who were only called for a particular season. Or the quitters. Or the posers who shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.
These are the ones who poured out their lives, who have fought the good fight and finished the race.
My friend Katie is retiring from home schooling after 20 years.
She first heard of homeschooling in 1986 from her pastor when her family was young and they lived in Cleveland OH.
Then they moved to Baltimore, and in 1988, she attended a meeting with 7 other women who wanted to start a home school support group. From this inaugural meeting grew Christian Home Educators Network (CHEN, which became the first successful large homeschooling support and lobbying organization in Maryland.
On August 16, after 20 years and with 5 kids educated (One in Iraq, two in college, two in high school), Katie is leaving her chalk in the chalk tray and sitting down for a well deserved rest.
Congratulations, old friend, on a job well done.
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