"Do you realize what you are doing? You
are going to ruin your child. She is going to grow up without any real
view of what the world is like! She is going to be awkward and
isolated because of what you are doing. She is going to have difficulty
fitting in, being happy, being loved, loving others. She is going to
grow up not knowing what all the other kids know. She is going to grow
up not experiencing what all the other kids experience. How cruel. I
can't believe you are going to subject her to that. My heart breaks for
her."
Those
comments I have heard more than once, by more than one person. Most
don't bombard me with those things all at once but they do come. I am a
Christian. I am also a Christian who has decided to homeschool. And
to some one those things is bad enough but to add the other means I must
be some radical racist who must be hiding in my bunker just waiting for
the end of the world. I guess there is some tiny bit of truth mixed in
that comment.
I
am a Christian and I am radical... for the things of Christ, for my
family, for people. Christ loves us with such a radical love that he
went all the way to the cross. So I love Him regardless of the backlash
I receive, even if it is from the very family I love so much. I love
my daughter so much that after she suffered abuse at the hands of
another student (you know, that thing called bullying) repeatedly and
suffered physical injury, and I watched her get terrible migraines at
school whiles suffering emotional injury, and I watched her learning
creep to a stop because of mental injury I could do nothing but remove her from that situation.
I
didn't make this decision lightly, I did as much research as I ever
have for anything I have ever done. And if you know anything about me,
then you know I tend to research something more than I probably need to.
As I did my research all those comments listed above grew smaller and
smaller and all the positive things that I found grew more an more. See
I didn't look into homeschooling because I was a Christian, though many
Christians do homeschool. I looked into it because I loved my daughter
more than I love myself and though the thought of homeschooling
terrified me and what that meant for the next who knows how many years I
wanted what was best for her.
I
saw the statistics and how most homeschoolers are much more well
rounded relationally because they learn to talk to all walks of life and
ages in everyday life. They are not stuck in a classroom with a bunch
of kids who are only their age. They know how to deal with younger,
same age and older people. They have no fear of another age population
which is sometimes rapid among kids. I saw that their stress levels
were much lower but their test scores were so much higher. Their
suicide levels, teen pregnancy levels, drug abuse levels, as well as
other risky behaviors were all much lower, because their families were a
tighter unit, not because they didn't have the opportunity.
Since
becoming a homeschooler I have seen that most are much more active in
the community, in fun activities, in exciting opportunities most kids
can't get because they are so busy with school and homework it leaves
little time for anything else. Most excitedly I see that they are free
to explore their passions, become what they hope, dream and desire to be
without being forced into a direction they would never desire to go.
Just
as Robert Frost did when he was homeschooled, he decided to follow the
road less traveled and became an incredible poet, one of the countries
most beloved. And it was his homeschooling family, particularly his
mother, Isabelle that inspired him to be a poet because of the rich
literature they read on a daily basis in their homeschool environment.
I
will continue to follow the road less traveled because I love my God
and my family. I am happy to hear those comments from others who don't
understand and will always show them through actions that what they fear
for my child, is what they will someday marvel at because they just did
not understand the fruit that would come from the road less traveled.
(The above was written for Free Write
Friday using what is called stream of consciousness writing, no
editing, no proofing just write!, [ Writing
prompt ~ Talk about a time you took the road less traveled and the differences it made…] Please check out Kellie Elmore's blog for more information on Free Write Friday's, twitter hashtag #FWF and join the fun! Just write!)
