Recently on Facebook I read this article on homeschooling. It made me sick my stomach. It made me cringe. As sad as any child abuse is, I couldn’t help but think about my family and all the other homeschooling families I know in our community. It makes me wonder what type of backlash we could suffer when someone reads this. I know many families that homeschool and many families that have adopted or will adopt in the near future. This article is like a dark, ugly stain on the homeschooling community which I know to be filled with light and some of the most dedicated parents on the planet.
You can’t ignore that some people will abuse their children, or that some people will abuse their students or players in public schools or on sports teams. It’s ugly, and it happens in various atmospheres. I’m not condoning what this article talks about, of course. However, I don’t think that regulating homeschooling more is going to get rid of abuse. I also don’t think that I need someone coming into my home and telling me that I’m not doing a good job just because I homeschool. I don’t want CPS here just to check on my kids because they aren’t following the “norm” (although, they have been more than welcome here since we have been foster parents…we knew that going in though and we really have nothing to hide.)
Not every homeschool family is hiding a dark secret or abusing their children. Most of the families I know are just trying to give their kids the best start in life that they can whether that is public, private, charter, or home school. I’m okay with any of those, if that’s best for your family. I don’t think that there is one way we should all be doing things. I worry though, that someone who reads this article will meet a homeschooling family and think, “I wonder…”
So, in light of all of this, I would like to be real and talk about why we homeschool. We homeschool because it’s an option we are entitled to as parents. I don’t think I need the government to come and take my child at a certain age and teach them whatever they think is appropriate. They are not my child’s parent; I am, and my husband is. It is our responsibility to care for our children and teach them the best way that we can.
Stay tuned next week for part two when I will discuss more reasons why we homeschool and why I think it is a great option.
This post was originally “penned” in 2013 and is a part of the ongoing, monumental task of moving over an entire blog. Thanks for reading!
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