The Ongoing Battle

CHERITH N 09/28/2008 05:29:23

I think too one way to help this problem (although I realize we wont defeat satan till his day) is to keep dialogue open between the non homeschoolers. We should NOT remain islands to ourselves and that is partially the cause of these doubting onlookers.

We have an aunt whom, never had children, but works actively for public education. We've woked hard to have her around, include her in accomplishments, talk, talk, talk about what we do, how, and why. we've become very close and (thanks to her openess too) is asking us questions. It's amazing, we never thought we'd have this with her of all relatives.

But it seems these ones really (although they want control) appreciate being included..if it's possible. I know each of us have varying circumstances but if we each did a little to OPEN (lights on a hill) our homes to the non homeschoolers perahps we would not be viewed as so narrow minded! Just a thought!

CASSANDRA F 09/28/2008 07:17:16

I cant believe some of the comments in that article in regards to homeschoolers but on the other hand I guess that I can. When I went to the doctor awhile back to get a check up for my son and the doctor found out I was homeschooling she assumed I would not want shots for my kids as non of the homeschoolers she had met had ever been willing to give their kids shot and in some cases basic medical care. So we were judged for the others. Then when you have 3 different homeschool families killed by their mothers people assume we are all crazy. The hear the negative on the news and through the media but not the good. We have to go out of our way to let them hear and see the good, I know alot of us are scared of coming forward for fear of being singled out and persucuted. Maybe they cant do anything but they can sure tie it up in nots. I even have close family that is upset with me for homeschooling my kids, and that has been a hard battle to fight but keep fighting it.We all have too.

JENNIFER H 09/30/2008 12:42:14

Of course it is important to remain vigilant both to protect our Constitutional right to homeschool our children and to our God-given right to raise our children as we see fit; however, I think that there are two important issues at play here - one: Bloggers are not journalists. Recently, bloggers have been seen on TV news being treated like experts, when for the most part they are self-appointed editors re-hashing already reported stories. Two, as homeschoolers, and as Christians, it is important that we work toward a realistic portrayal of our lifestyles in the media. I know many Christian homeschoolers and not a one of them is anything like Michael Phelps' portrayal on SNL two weeks ago - but if that is all the information that the public sees, who can blame them for feeling that homeschoolers are abused and misinformed. We must be in the world demonstrating the positive light within us if we hope for a change in others.

REBECCA L 09/28/2009 05:22:54

I agree with Jennifer. Protecting our Constitutional right to educate/raise our children, is of the utmost concern for all homeschooling families. What has happened to our society? Bloggers and those who oppose ANYTHING conservative are given the most credibility? As long as we are protected under the law, there is no need to explain anything to anyone. We don't have to feel the pressure to justify what we do as homeschooling families. Do school teachers walk around explaining and ensuring that they are teaching children properly and keeping them engaged all day long?

It saddens me to read or to hear people bashing homeschooling. And believe me, they are bold in their rebuke, however, I believe in homeschooling with all my heart and I will do whatever it takes to protect it within my state and nationally. I think if anything they (government officials) will try to regulate HOW we homeschool, because you see people on shows like Super Nanny who inevitably have a family on there who claim to be homeschooling, and as it turns out, the kids are helping their parents run a carnival. No actual schooling takes place, and the children are unruly, rotten kids. Christians need to pray. I would even go so far as to say that we need to fast. The issue at hand is far too important to hand over to the likes of Bloggers.

MARILYN G 09/28/2009 08:15:18

My husband and I choose to homeschool our two sons who are special needs with ADD/ADHD, Tourrets, and Depression when they had other health issues coming into their lives trying to keep up with the straight A students. They would come home telling me that their medications where not given to them at lunch on time. They were being bullied and told to stop lying about it or to except what was happening because the other kid could not stop what they were doing. I see that in the next few years more parents will be doing this program with their kids.

A teacher that my oldest son had said that he will be getting more one on one and a more rounded education like his brother too.

SHERRY T 09/28/2009 09:58:48

I sometimes skip the Daily Focus emails because I don't have time to read it or just don't want to take the time but today something made me stop and pay attention. Today's daily focus "The Ongoing Battle" really spoke to me. I recently enrolled my oldest child in the Alpha Omega Academy and she will be starting this week. I knew in my heart that this is what God wanted me to do for her and that's why he led me here but I have for some reason had feelings of anxiety in the last few days about whether I was doing the right thing or not. I realize now this is probably Satan trying to rage a war within my heart and home. I have many supporters that stand behind me on the issue of home schooling but I also have just as many who ask or wonder why. I say to them, isn't my child worth it? Isn't she worth spending extra time each day to teach her and see her learn new things instead of leaving that to somebody else to get to experience every day? I thank Alpha Omega for the Daily Focus emails and for giving me a renewed sense of encourgement that I can teach my child in a Christian environment.

Sherry T.

MARLA B 10/09/2009 14:22:21

I am new to the program and was a first grade teacher, with that said. I have seen many people that claim to homeschool who use it for an excuse to not send their kids to school. But some parents that homeschool are pretty strange and the kids do not interact well with kids their age. My son has been in regular school, is strange and would rather not be around a lot of other people. So it is not just the home schooled.

Someone had said we need to be OUT and MORE vocal about what we do and who we are, I agree. But I also think it is my business what I do with my child since the school system did not want to make adjustments for his documented disorder (delayed auditory syndrum) it was not in there little book of problems!

MELINDA P 09/28/2010 06:06:01

If we lowly, ignorant home school parents can teach our children in such a way that they consistently outperform public and private school students, it reveals the weakness of our U.S. school systems. It proves that money, unions, and popular educational trend cannot do a better job educating children than parents who love and are devoted to their kids. Those who have given their lives to the U.S. educational belief system become defensive because there is no way to compete with or explain away the overall success of home schooling.

HAILEY S 09/28/2010 07:54:00

I have some input regarding this comment:

The education of our country's children is too important to be left in the hands of their parents"

I just started homeschooling my 14 year old son who entered the 9th grade this year - and I thought it would be easy because my son was always receiving A's AND B's while he attended public schools...

So far, what I have discovered is to my horror - it appears that his grades may have been "given to him" by the public school system for the last 9 years, all because my son was in "SPECIAL EDUCATION", for having Asperger's Syndrome.

We all know that "Special Ed" teachers receive more funds then regular teachers. What I have realized with my son is that "THEY" were "getting more "funds" and doing less with them".

I have a list of objections about the Public Schools based upon what I have "uncovered" regarding my son's "true abilities":

What the Public School told me about my son:

My son has always received A's in Language Arts/Reading

What I discovered:

My son has absolutely NO reading comprehension skills, a very limited vocabulary - not understanding the meaning of some of the most simple words; He has no idea how to skim read through any reading material in an assignment, gather the main idea to answer a question and put this information into his own words.

He asks for my help after every question! When I look at his book and question in order to help him, I can usually find the answer to his question within a minute or two and I show him the general area that his answer can be found. What I discovered regarding this: if his answer is found in a paragraph that is 2 or 3 sentences long - He STILL CANNOT FIND IT!

Here is an example of the sentences that the Public School gave my son A's for:

Yesterday in our "HOMESCHOOL" I asked my son to make a short essay regarding the differences and similarities of family life today, compared to that of family life during the "Great Depression Era":

Obstacle #1: I literally had to explain to him how to find the information on the internet and had to explain what the word: "similarity" meant.

Obstacle #2: He didn't know how to read the history of that time and put that information into a sentence, leave alone a short paragraph!

This was his final response after a lot of coaching, discussion and tears:

This is copied word for word, just as he wrote it, grammatical and spelling errors included:

"THE DEPRESSION

People did not have enough money to buy glass or dishes like we do today. Chores were easier for us today, but The Depression families had to do three times of work Just to even clean clothes. Storing food was a hard thing to do too, They had to use "ice prongs" to pick up Ice blocks to put in the "Fridgerator" just to keep store food cold, and all we have to do is put food in an electrical charged Fridge."

My son would have received an "A" for that answer, if he were in PUBLIC SCHOOLS! - would you give him an "A" for that?

I am discovering this issue when he answers any question in any subject matter.

I was additionally horrified when attempting to begin his Algebra II this year - because I discovered that he was unable to solve long division problems, multiply three digit equations and could not add or subtract fractions

- BECAUSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALLOWED HIM TO "ONLY" USE A CALCULATOR TO SOLVE HIS MATH EQUATIONS!

My son was NOT in Special Education for learning disabilities, but for behavioral issues related to being within the Autism Spectrum of disorders. He would throw huge tantrums when he was confused about a question or assignment and I additionally see this at home now. Over the past month, this is what I have realized:

Every time he would throw his tantrums in public schools, the school would pacify him by giving him the answers OR if his behavior became too out of hand, they would give him a lunch detention, but STILL not make him complete his assignment nor understand it.

THE ONLY THING PUBLIC SCHOOLS TAUGHT MY SON – WAS HOW TO REINFORCE HIS BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, WITHOUT HELPING HIM UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL. THIS PACIFING HAS TAUGHT MY SON HOW NOT TO THINK FOR HIMSELF AND FUNCTION WITHOUT ANYTHING SHORT OF LITERALLY GIVING HIM THE ANSWER – WHICH IS WHAT THEY MUST HAVE DONE IF HIS REPORT CARDS CAME BACK A'S AND B'S FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL.

I always thought it was a bit strange that my son has ONLY come home with 1 homework assignment to do over the past 9 years and he has never studied for a test at home – yet his grades were always A's and B's!

FURTHERMORE, I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY:

The education of our country's children is in grave danger of complete and utter deterioration, if left in the hands of the Public School System!

EMILY H 09/28/2010 14:52:33

I LOL when I read. \"All homeschooling will do is guarantee your kids are as stupid as you are.\"

Given the choice between as stupid as me and as stupid and a certain public school teacher my child would have had, I will gladly choose as stupid as me!

Of course, all those people who think public school is the only way of doing things are just locked into an old mid 19th century way of doing things harking back to the days when Horace Mann emulated the Prussian system of education to brainwash the masses.

When people say stuff like that, I know they have been brainwashed by government schools. Sheesh! They need to get out more!

AMANDA T 09/28/2010 15:55:34

Those were all very great posts and it just reassures our family that we are on the right course that God has us to be on! This country is pushing the Lord out more and more and then we wonder why our system is the way it is?? I would be so grieved if I sent my children to school and have them learn some of the things that they are teaching them! How sad and shame on those who think that homeschoolong is brain washing. I think it\'s the other way around. Satan is creeping in the schools just like he is everywhere else. I don\'t believe that we should teach them that it\'s okay to have a same sex relationship and teach about evolution. That\'s public school for ya. Like I said if you take God out of our country and our schools this is what happens! I believe in doing the Lords will and he will take care of the consequences!

CARLA D 09/28/2010 20:38:12

Carla D

I just started homeschooling my children in August of this year. I too have family members who don\'t quite understand the concept, however I feel it\'s best.

After reading this article- and some of the comments, I\'m even more convinced that homeschooling is the way to go. Satan wouldn\'t fight so hard against it if it weren\'t. I know for sure that at home my children won\'t be tempted or encouraged to engage in ungodly or unholy acts.

I am curious to hear from other homeschooling mothers why you made the decision to homeschool. Maybe that answer should be obvious, but I really would like to know.

LESLEY B 09/30/2010 17:32:33

At first I thought I was crazy to have prayed for this, but as time has gone on it has proven to me it is Gods will, for my family. There is just so much in schools the kids really just don\'t need. Also, school are allowing kids to be exposed to one sided information. Unless your child attends a Christian school, you only get evolution...if your child has a slight learning problem, or maybe needs a little more attention, well your out of luck, cause they will just stick them into special education classes, which I still can\'t figure out who exactly comes up with the \"lack full\" curriculum in those classes. Public schools in my area are all way below average. Some High Schools in my area are under investigation for \"JUST\' graduating students. I simply do not trust the Public School System at all. It was awful when I grew up and it is worst now. My kids are MORE sociable, we explore topics for weeks, we have comprehensive discussions about what we learn and how it applies to life. I wasn\'t sure about our decision to home school, and it can be hard, but it is worth it. There are some families that give home schooling a bad wrap, but its like that for everything. I\'m sure there are some public schools that don\'t just pass students, and who are excelling in there learning. So it goes both ways. Criticism comes when people are not throughly informed. Intelligent people who are informed and nonjudgmental to the facts, most likely keep they\'re opinions to themselves, whether they agree or not. It takes STRONG families, who are humbling themselves before God to succeed, or even attempt to Home School. It is hard, but it is worth it. My kids are better kids, I\'m a better Mom, we are a better family for it. Sticks and Stones!!!

As for me and my house, we shall serve the LORD!!

TRISTIA U 09/28/2011 03:57:19

As homeschoolers we need to not get on our superior high horse about the choice we\'ve made to homeschool. It was the only choice for my family.Not every family is the same and we need to be understanding and show Christ\'s love to people who don\'t make the same decisions we do. Maybe just maybe if we can show people Christ through our acceptance of their choices we will get a little in return.

Have a Jesus filled day

MECCA B 09/28/2011 05:10:32

Homeschooling is a joy for my family. We have been homeschooling for 5 years. My son is in the 10th grade now. We have family and friends who do not agree with our decision. Some recently have made the comment: Is your son going to a REAL school now? I just smile and say, \"Not public school.\" Some, I feel, just really don\'t understand the fullness of homeschooling.

There are some homeschool families that give it a bad reputation. While there are others who work hard and give it all they\'ve got.

We chose to homeschool for several reasons: my son was being bullied, the teachers saw he needed to be more challenged, the wrong crowd was trying to influence him (according to concerned teachers), he needed one-on-one in a couple of subjects, the environment of the middle and high school he was to attend, and a few others. BUT the most important reason for our choice was to ensure that he received a good education taught in a godly manner. His elementary school still had prayer every morning, even if it was silent and optional. Middle and high school was a different story altogether.

I agree with a comment above about homeschooling not being the choice for every family. It is a great responsiblity, and you need to pray for guidance from the Lord on what to do for your family. If homeschooling is not for you, then pray for other options. I will tell you, my relationship with my son has grown to a greater depth since we have been homeschooling. That in itself is a great reward to me.

I don\'t like homeschooling being belittled. I do not belittle public school. I am a public school graduate, BUT public school has changed. It\'s scary to see what children have to face today.

I pray for our country and our rights as parents and Christians. God bless those that take the challenge and homeschool their kids!

AMANDA D 09/28/2011 05:44:49

Thank you for your encouraging daily emails! Many mornings they are tailored just for me it seems!! May God bless you in all your work in His service. The devotional today reminds me to pray daily for those who have authority over us and government making decisions that will affect our homeschooling rights. I strongly believe though God is truly calling me to do this...so whatever happens, He will provide a way.

SHIRLEY G 09/28/2011 05:58:35

I identified with Hailey S\'s comments. One of my dd\'s got nearly all A\'s in public school. I was homeschooling her sister (3 grades younger) due to poor performance in school. The younger sister started doing very well. However, when she started explaining homework and such to her older sister, I started to catch on as to how little my nearly straight A daughter knew. She has been homeschooled for two years now and in 10th grade. The wrinkles in her knowledge haven\'t totally been ironed out but she is certainly in a WHOLE lot better shape than prior to homeschooling. Thank God we didn\'t wait until it was too late to salvage her education. This year we actually moved to cyberschooling to give it a shot. While actually public education, I feel I have the ability to watch over her and make sure she is actually learning the material and not just learning how to milk the system for A\'s with the smallest effort possible.

REGINA K 09/28/2011 07:51:03

This was a great informative and realistic devotional! Loved it! It also got a conversation going. Let\'s face it public school isn\'t prep for college. With college, comes a different atmosphere and classes aren\'t taught like public school. A student has to be more independent. I know since I started homeschooling my kids, they work so much better independently and they will be better prepared than most of their public school counterparts, in that regard. Also, I have experienced flat out lies being taught as truths (example: It takes millions of years to form a fossil. -Proof: fossilized miners hat) That should never be accepted but is in the public school arena. My kids are more well round being taught about evolution, creation, bible, literature, etc... They have the tools leaving my home to make accurate decisions and have the knowledge to not follow trends, fads, and lies others may try to sway them to. They will be their own person but with well rounded knowledge of all that\'s out in the \'real\' world! I am excited for them!

BRENNA H 09/28/2011 08:07:22

I understand it is a hard road to home school when you are feeling constantly questioned. I saw this devotional differently. I focused on the fact that satan is the cause of all this division. The devotion is correct to identify that although people express these views, the devil is sure to stir the pot. Our family is right now going through some problems that only the evil one could cause. We know God will prevail. If your home is God fearing and God focused, it will be attacked. I am not complaining, since it seems that our faith test has proven a valuable refining time in our Christian walk. Remember keep your eyes on the Lord and put on the armor of God everyday. The arrows people throw will bounce off a little easier. We serve an Awesome, Faithful God who promises are true. Peace and prayers, Brenna I am so thankful that I can know such a true Father God and pray for those that do not. I am so humbled when I think that Jesus loved us enough to die for us. It staggers the imagination. Praise God.

MICHELLE W 09/28/2011 08:15:15

I am so delighted to read all the comments today. It is a joy to know I am not alone in my homeschooling endeavors. I started homeschooling my son last year in early November. Up until that time, he had been in a wonderful Christian school. We had noticed challenges in his social abilities and academics from the day he started kindergarten, but wanted to keep him in a traditional school setting as long as he did not fall behind.

Last year was our wake-up call. I had teachers and administrators telling me he was most likely autistic and that they would classify him in a way that would allow them to ease academic expectations. Although I have a great respect for most teachers, public or private, this option was not acceptable since my son was very capable of completing his work, but just needed some adjustments in the classroom. Apparently, opting for dumbing-down is easier for some teachers.

We went on a long journey of testing, evaluations, assessments, and therapy to find out my son\'s diagnosis. We discovered that he has Central Auditory Processing Deficit (CAPD). Suddenly, everything made sense and I knew that homeschooling was the ONLY option for my son in order for him to achieve academic success. Since I started homeschooling him, his depression is gone, his self-esteem is much, much higher, he is calmer, happy most of the time, makes better choices, is more patient, kinder and mature, has many friends in the neighborhood, and does not feel threatened or bullied, carries on meaningful conversations with adults, loves to learn, is maintaining A\'s and B\'s at grade level, and is much more sociable. All of these traits were in a downward spiral in traditional schooling. I know some of you with learning disabled children with understand what I am talking out. Parents have unlimited grace for their children, but there are those that simply do not.

Had I not taking the reins for driving my son\'s education, he would more than likely be another academic failure the many public schools, and dare I say Christian schools, are putting out. I realize my circumstance is different than most, but I am very appreciative of the laws that still allow parents to homeschool. I do not worry about what others say about homeschooling--they are not raising my son and I have the Lord to answer to about how I am training him up.

I would also like to add that grace and understanding has been key in dealing with those who are opposed to homeschooling. There are public school co-op programs that can help with extra tutoring and extracurricular activities if you are interested. I have chosen a Christian curriculum for my son, but I am not opposed to asking for help in areas like math and writing through co-op programs. I have found the local public elementary school to be very helpful. If you need help, ask for it!

Have a fantastic day of homeschooling and God bless!

CHRISTINE M 09/28/2011 10:12:46

All a critic would have to do is talk to some of these homeschooled kids and compare them to kids in public school!

KRISTIE C 09/28/2011 13:16:02

My husband has been in ministry for almost seven years now and one would think the church would be the one place I would receive all kinds of support. However, I can tell you every church we have ever been a part of has literally persecuted me for homeschooling our three children. The meanest comments you could imagine have been said to my face from a church member! There have been days when I wanted to give up totally, but somehow (by God\'s grace) I didn\'t! Just wanted to share some real life encounters of this type of craziness out there against homeschool kids and their parents!

KIM F 09/28/2011 14:42:35

Well, what those comments prove is , that those people are not walking with the Lord. All we can do as christians is to pray for THEIR salvation. That is our job, as true believers in Christ.

Replying to them in an anger is not of the Lord.

Satan would have us quick to anger , but the Lord would have us use those opportunities to show what a real Christian would say or do.

I know its hard, but, thats why we have him, because we cannot do anything without his power and grace! Praise God in all things, Amen!

What a wonderful God we have!

God Bless you all!

Keep up the Good Work!

kim :)

EDWIDGE S 09/29/2011 00:09:33

I'm less concerned about how my children will compete in the modern world than I am about in whose company they will find themselves for all of eternity.

As the learned Paul said about himself, we are determined to know nothing among [modern man] but Christ and Him crucified.'

We live in the Washington, D.C., metro area and here are some things I know/have learned about what's going on in some of the area schools of late:

*Teachers are spending class time READING TO high school students because the system has acquiesced to the fact/reality that they are just not reading at home. Naturally, reading skills/comprehension is weak to nonexistent as a result. Moreover, in some high schools, students are not writing. When I was in HS (I did attend public school), we had writing lab and wrote papers regularly!

*Teachers are absolutely teaching to the test, allowing no time for students to actually MASTER a concept/subject.

*Students suffer physical attacks from peers and adult school staff alike.

*Many"not all, but many"teachers are uninspired and are not committed to and invested in the success of the pupils they teach.

*Kids as young as elementary age are engaging in sexual acts"if not having full out coital sex"and have STDs. I called the DC school teacher who shared this with me a liar because it seemed so unbelievable. She explained that what is not being talked about or talked about enough is the spike in children"most often little girls but also little boys"who are being molested (and infected) by adult abusers in their lives and, in order to process what's been happening to them, engage in various sexual activities with their peers.

Do I find all this threatening? Heck yes! Would that it were so that parents could rest assured that their children wouldn't be confronted with (assaulted by) such failures, deficiencies, and crises in the public school system.

To answer Carla D who asked if others would share why/how it is they decided to homeschool my reasons include the following: 1) I didn't want my kids on the public school system assembly line. I wanted them to be critical thinkers, knowing HOW to think and not merely accepting what they're TOLD to think (as well as not being manipulated into adopting the thinking of a world that is turning its back to God). 2) I considered the reality that in sending off my children to class with 20 other children, I'd be exposing them to 20 other households (their beliefs, practices, influences, etc.) five days a week, 6+ hours a day; PERSONALLY, I was not confident that our influence for Christ could compete with that (especially during those formative years). Just as Christ had his time of grooming and preparation before being His ministry and work for God's kingdom, so is this period of homeschooling, in my view, the grooming/preparatory time for our children before going out into this world (should the LORD tarry in His return). 3) I did not want to risk the chance that they suffer some of the physical, mental, emotional, or sexual abuse that children can suffer while in school.

Finally, this devotional serves as a great reminder for homeschoolers to become members of the Home School Legal Defense Association http://www.hslda.org/. Homeschoolers should not take the protection and vigilance this org offers for granted just because our numbers are growing and homeschooling is more accepted and supported than it was in the 1980s, when the hslda was established.

Random aside: What does dd stand for? I've noticed this abbreviation a lot in homeschooling blogs.

TIFFANY A 09/29/2011 13:07:20

dd = developmentaly disabled

MIGNON B 09/30/2011 22:31:31

I have not stopped crying with heartbreak since reading Hailey S\' post. Although I am not in the exact same boat I so understand. This touched me as this week I\'ve been uncovering more and more things that my children should know by now and don\'t and I have been so heartbroken as I

see my son struggle to read.

We are just starting on our homeschooling journey, after taking our two sons out of public education in Australia. Even some members of our church think that we are mad and that I am not \"qualified\" to teach my own children, even though the Lord in His Word has instructed me to do so! Our boys got bullied almost every week last year. This year it became every day! The final straw was when my one boy got hit on his ear with a cricket bat and my other boy on the spine! We had been approved for homeschooling but had not received the certificate yet. The policeman said, \"What more are you waiting for, brain damage? He has blood coming out of his ear! Take them out of school, your certificate is going to arrive soon.\" All this time the school did very little, even though my sons had been sexually assaulted, bitten, scratched, hit and thrown by other children in 2 weeks. They said that they cannot protect my children like bodyguards. I said that they couldn\'t protect them for 1 DAY!

Anyway, one of the reasons I looked into homeschooling was because one of my sons could read and write 3-5 letter basic words by the time he was 3 and a half. He was sent to school at four and a half, he was one of the youngest there. I asked the teacher at parent/teacher interviews why, after a year and a half of school, my son was still struggling to read. He was still coming home with the same kinds of words for homework as I\'d taught him when he was little. Another woman who had sent her bright child at 4 and a half complained that her child couldn\'t read AT ALL after a year and a half of school! They pretty much blamed it on the fact that we had perhaps sent them to school too young. My son would come home with inappropriate reading material for his age group and he would also report that they were watching more and more movies in class (NOT educational ones!) They never had their teacher, always some random substitute.

My 1 son is doing Grade 4 & my other Grade 2, yet I am now starting them out on Kindergarten Phonics and teaching them English from the beginning! They are great at maths - they can do a lot of the hard stuff no problem. However, the really basic stuff I\'m having to do with them as they don\'t know it off-hand like they should at this stage.

I suspect that our other son who will be starting school beginning 2013, has Aspergers, we are about to have him assessed. We are sure that the public system would crush him and this is the other reason we are homeschooling. I know him better than anyone else. I can see a tantrum coming a mile off and I can try to steer the situation well clear of it before it happens. At school that would not be the case. Also he would be teased about his speech. One of the children who assaulted my boys actually has severe Aspergers and there is no protection for him. I said that it is not all his fault. Yes he has done the wrong thing, but he has no carer with him to see these things don\'t occur. He is left to interact with everyone on the assumption that he is able to do so just like everybody else. The school said they could not afford to provide a carer for all children with special needs.

Anyway, thanks Hailey for sharing. It really spoke to me and assured me that I was not alone and that I am on the right track! My heart goes out to all of those still stuck in the school system struggling and hurting, not realising there is a way out!

ROBYN C 09/28/2012 04:26:54

I\'m a writer and Chicken Soup for the Soul is looking for stories about raising kids with Aspergers and autism. It\'s due in the 30th though. You could still write it and submit. Go to their site and check it out. My son does not have that. He has Sturge-Weber, but I\'m submitting anyway. God bless us all!

ROBYN C 09/28/2012 04:28:40

The education of our country\'s children is too important to be left in the hands of their parents\" I suppose that person was educated in the public school system? :-)

KATHY S 09/28/2012 07:42:00

I just \"CRINGE\" when I read the comments of the judgemental people against homeschooling. My biggest fear is that they will take this right away from us and my son who still hasn\'t healed from \"bullying\" and \"abuse\" at school will be forced back into a system that doesn\'t care about the SAFETY & well being of our children.

In 8th grade now, with Aspergers syndrome, ADD, and extremley shy it would be a huge culture shock for him. Actually, he would not make it back in the system at all. He went through so much for so many years, his sweet spirit couldn\'t surviuve the horrors of Public or Catholic school (at least the ones we attended).

I still have the images of my son getting into our car on the last day I let him attend Public school and just screaming and going balistic, trying to tell how he had been punched in the head by some child for no reason, just trying to get his backpack for leaving early for a Doctor\'s appointment.

My Heart broke that day, and I could not ease his pain or comfort him, he just was so traumatized.

I pray Dear Jesus, do not let the Government take away our freedom of homeschooling our precious children that you have blessed us with. Amen

JEAN F 09/28/2012 08:46:44

Carla D wanted to hear from some homeschooling moms about why we started homeschooling. I just posted this on Facebook the other day to address some people\'s negativity about that. Here is my post:

Over the least 6+ years, many people (other than homeschoolers) have asked me why I started homeschooling Tiffany. I have heard almost every reason known to man why they \"assume\" we started homeschooling. There were really several reasons, but only one of them was sufficient reason enough for me to take my child out of school and try to teach her myself when I had no college education, had suffered brain damage from a stroke, and was trying to regain my strength after having breast cancer that involved almost a year of chemotheraphy and radiation. No, it wasn\'t something that was high on my to-do list at that time in our lives! But as Tiffany is entering into her final year of high school, I want to address the main reason that we began homeschooling.

Contrary to popular belief, I did not start homeschooling my daughter because I thought I could do a better job than the public school teachers, or because I thought she was \"too good\" or \"too smart\" to be in public school. I didn\'t start homeschooling because I felt I needed to be close to her 24 hours a day, or because I didn\'t trust her, or because I didn\'t want her to be around other children. I simply had a deep conviction to raise my child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Bible tells me that God has a plan and a design for her life, and He has put me as her instructor to reach that design. To that end, I wanted her to have a Christian education in a Christian atmosphere. I wanted her to learn academics and spiritual truths according to God\'s Word on a daily basis. Since God has been taken out of the public schools, that was something

that wasn\'t available to her where she was. The Bible talks about parents teaching their children... diligently... all the time, as they go about their day. How could I shepherd my child when she wasn\'t with me, but was instead in a godless system? I would have loved to enroll her in a private Christian school, but cost factors eliminated that option for us. Therefore, at the Lord\'s leading, and with much guidance from Christian friends, we decided homeschooling was the

best way to go.

It was a very scary thing and we had to really step out in faith and obey God\'s direction. It was Bible verses such as Romans 12:2 that we had to keep in mind: \"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\'s will is"his good, pleasing and perfect will.\"

Over the years, Satan has provided numerous temptations and reasons for us to quit homeschooling. However, God's Word says, No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62b). Looking back takes our eyes off the One who can lead us through difficult times. We have had to be steadfast when other people have slandered, made fun of, and ridiculed us. I have had to not give up when all night lesson plans and all day schoolwork, along with daily housework, church work, mission work, wife\'s work,

and mother\'s work, combined with health issues, almost became too much. Tiffany has had to smile and be polite and try not to appear irritated when well-meaning adults have tried to convince her that she is missing out on all the socialization that the \"normal\" children are exposed to in public and private schools. She has had to refrain from wanting to lecture her elders about how she probably has had more socialization in any given day than most public or private

school students, and definitely a more selective quality of socialization. As we began homeschooling into high school, people reached a whole new level of criticism, and we had to \"grin and bear it\" as people ostracized us because Tiffany was going to miss all the regular teenage events such as field trips, sports, school dances, and proms. Oh, the lies Satan has made our society believe about what is important in a child\'s life!

But through it all, God has been faithful and as His Word says, He has never forsaken us. He has given us the strength to persevere, and in the process I have discovered the thrill of learning right along with my child. Math, history, science, geography, language, and other subjects have all taken on a new dimension when the Lord has been in the lesson.

We have LIVED EDUCATION! We have EXPERIENCED WORK! Tiffany hasn\'t missed out on anything! She doesn\'t just sit at a desk for 5 or 6 hours everyday. We have been on field trips for days at the time to learn about history in such places as Tryon Palace in New Bern and the Biltmore House in Asheville. We have had day-long field trips to the zoo, corn mazes, paint your own pottery, and tours of various businesses such as The Fayetteville Observer, Outback Steakhouse, etc. Tiffany has had the advantage of being able to learn about anything she desires, from learning academics in textbooks, to learning about managing her money by having her own checking account since she was 12 years old, to learning home economics in her own home, to experiencing the thrill of being in a faith-based movie with fellow homeschooled friends (which was filmed during a school day), to establishing and running a business from the time she was 13 years old where she teaches horse riding lessons during and after school hours, totally by herself. She has had the privilege of being able to take days off (when other children had to attend school) to volunteer with various ministries such as Camp Grace Released Time, a ministry that teaches the

Bible to students in various public schools in the community in an off-campus setting, His Little Ones Pregnancy Support Services, a local crisis pregnancy ministry, and also help with the preliminary work of establishing two Backyard Bible Clubs where we go into underprivileged neighborhoods to reach children with the Gospel. I dare say, even though she has been homeschooled, she has matured physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially, and academically just as well as any public or private school student I have encountered.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said: \"Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.\" I would add that \"school\" is in the same category as Sunday School in the context of this

statement, because our children spend a lot more time away from us when they are in school than when they are in Sunday School. At least in Sunday School, they are getting the Word of God.

So I chose to homeschool my child. And I thank the Lord for His provision of allowing me to do so. I know I will reap what I sow. He has given me the opportunity to shepherd my child\'s heart... diligently... sitting in my house... walking by the way... when I lie down... and when I rise up (Deut. 6:7) ...and it is truly a blessing!

MARIO D 09/28/2012 08:59:05

My wife and I made a decision after my daughter\'s 7 th. grade year to home school our 2 children. My son had finished just finished 3rd. grade. We are not sorry we did. Although my daughter had established a circle of friends and it was difficult for her, she (now 19) see\'s the end result of a secular education. She is a solid Christian teen and has had extensive communication with one of her closest friends from public school, regarding the truth of the Gospel, to no avail. The public school system successfully indoctrinated her friend into the wisdom of this world. My son has a friend down the road from us who embraces evolution and is not so sure whether God is real. I coined an acronym for school that goes like this- Secular Culture\'s Humanistic Office Of Learning. As difficult as it is my decision was based on the thought of when my children reach adulthood and I have taught them Godly principles at home and the public school teaches them secular humanism, they will enter the market place of this world confused about which way is the right way to go. I have to stand before the Lord and give account for the stewardship that He has given me over the gifts of our two children. I could not shirk my responsibility. Children will often stray to find their own way but the foundation which is Christ will stand the test of time and dilligent prayer. I also have a 34 yr. old daughter that lived with us for a few of her teen years and by her own admission her walk with the Lord was strong while she was with us and the foundation remains although she has had some rough times. If we are dilligent to pray for and minister to our children the love and truth of the Saviour it will not return void.

R S 09/28/2012 09:19:09

Edwidge, and others, dd can also stand for dear daughter, ds for dear son, dh for dear husband. Guess we have to look at the context to know what it means. In my humble opinion (IMHO) I wish that people wouldn\'t abbreviate in a post until they have once spelled it out with the abbreviation in parentheses.

This has been a great discussion. I appreciate the experiences shared and it reminds me to be even more thankful for our freedom to homeschool.

Please look up the http://www.parentalrights.org/ to see what you can do to help protect these freedoms for all Americans.

May God bless our homes and schools with His truth!

RENEE R 09/29/2012 08:27:24

While, like many commenters, I read your devotionals every day, I am probably in the minority here: I am a Christian teacher in a public high school. Let me first say that from my professional and personal standpoint, I think homeschooling is a great option for parents who are lead by the Father to pursue it and are financially capable to do so. I have not been blessed with children yet (and maybe ever), but if I had children I would pray for guidance about their education. I have had many friends and family members who have homeschooled, and there are many success stories, but there are also many failures.

I am not asking anyone to change their convictions about homeschooling or even your opinion of our country\'s educational system as a whole, but just as you want society to view your family as an individual unit and not a stereotype, I would ask that you all do the same towards your teachers and your local schools. I honestly give all of myself to teach my students and to help train them in the skills that are valuable for a Christian walk as well--critical thinking, reasoning, close reading. I am not perfect, but I do my best to demonstrate Christ\'s love in my classroom. I also know I am not the only teacher who is like that in my school; however, I think just as homeschool-families get stereotyped, so do teachers. I believe I was called by the Lord through his giving me the talent to teach. I have to be very careful when reading things that are condemnatory towards ALL teachers in public schools, because the enemy, Satan, will use those comments to attack me and keep me from fulfilling God\'s purpose for me, just as you all often feel attacked about your convictions.

I would just encourage you all to continue homeschooling if the Lord has lead your family towards that place, but to also remember to pray consistently for the thousands of Christian teachers, students, and administrators in our public school system, even if you are not *directly* a part of it. As members of the universal Body of Christ, we have to stay united in our purpose and desire to serve the Lord, even if our methods are different.

DELLACA R 09/29/2012 15:32:22

When I took my college exit exams I tested in the top 10% of all the students who had ever taken it. I\'m not saying that to brag rather to state that if my kids will only ever be as intelligent as I am then I\'m okay with that.

I pray for the homeschooling society to be accepted and those children and families protected.