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A homeschooling home with publicly schooled children living in it sounds…

weird.

Laughable.

Impossible?

Maybe weird and laughable…

but not at all impossible.

After getting a degree in Human Development with a concentration on the early years, homeschooling for five years, and working in a classroom everyday for a whole semester, I have all kinds of feelings, and lots of big love, for both sects.

Real quick, here’s why:

Homeschooling allows the child a very relaxed and free environment in which to learn and grow. The backyard, the park, the museum, the restaurant, the mountain, the forest, the garden, the bunk bed, the library, the focus group, the factory, the kitchen, the car, the airplane, the next continent over – they’re all considered the classroom. There are no limits. Homeschooling allows the child to learn in their own way, in their own timing, at their own pace, without the worry or distraction of state testing, classmate behavior, or teacher mood and bias. There is also this charming opportunity for creativity, exploration, and discovery. It’s delicious.

The public school system is one big, beautiful mission field. All walks of life pass through its hallways. Children in this setting learn how to live with folks that come in all shapes and sizes and belief systems. It’s not only a place of learning, but also a crisis center, a reprieve, and a way out for many children. The diversity present in the public school system is special, as children from all types of backgrounds, races, religions, and personalities come together, interact, and have shared experiences. It’s the type of place Jesus would be attracted to, I think. So, we should be too.

Of course, they both also have some major setbacks. Homeschooling is a lot of work for the parent, and it’s easy to hunker in and keep the world out. The public schools can’t allow time or attention for very much creativity and varying learning styles, and there are so.many.tests. There are more positives and negatives for both, but we’ll keep this happy and brief today.

I really, really value both approaches, and I really, really value my own children and the kiddos in the classrooms. It’s made for a bit of a tug-of-war in my heart the last few months.

So prayer and pondering has led me to go for the best of both. Maybe someday the two of them can beautifully mesh in the public classrooms, but it seems that we are a good ways from that right now in most districts.

On Wednesdays, I will simply be setting some options and ideas on the table. You can pick them up if you want! Or, ignore them all together. If you feel the quandary in your heart that I do, or if you are just curious as to how we can all have more rounded, creative, deep-thinking, inspired children – hang around here mid-week and we’ll see what we can discover, together.

I’ll start next week by giving you a peek into our creative spaces, and who/what we are studying at home these days. I’m excited about it.

I have two videos I want you to watch in preparation. They’re very, very important. Click here, for the first one. And click here for the second. Some of what’s presented could be debated, I suppose. But there is so much crucial truth presented in each of them. They’re short. Be diligent little darlings and go watch them, please! 🙂

I hope you have an inspired and blessed mid-winter week, friends!

Delightful discoveries and happinesses to you all!

 

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