Homeschooling: The Questions We Get
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." Isaiah 54:13
One of my favorite questions that people ask is "Where do you get the patience? My kids would drive me crazy!" Patient people grow that way by exercising that particular fruit of the spirit. The more you exercise your "patience muscle", the bigger it gets. If one can't show patience with their own children, then they should ask themselves why not and remedy the situation. It could be a parental attitude problem, lack of spiritual maturity, or a child-training problem. Train children to be respectful and obedient, and you will enjoy being with them.
The silliest question we have been asked regarding home education is "What about socialization?" It sounds like the person asking it thinks we have cut ourselves off from the outside world. Home education is about opportunities to learn and experience MORE. Those opportunities bring a lot of people into your life. Our opportunities to "socialize" are numerous! There are studies that prove that home schooled children develop better socialization skills than their peers because they are exposed to more ages and backgrounds than in the peer-group setting of government schools. If this is the worst the critics can find to complain about homeschool, then PTL! Also, how many times were we told as children "You aren't there to socialize, but to learn!" "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals." I Cor. 15:33
Our greatest joy comes from parents who ask "How do you get your children to behave so well?" I answer "I homeschool." We have found that homeschooled children are known for behaving well. We had a doctor tell us how well our children were during a very long wait. When we told him that we homeschool, he said "Oh, that's it!" Then, he spent 15 minutes telling us about a homeschooling mother of 9 well-behaved children who spent 4 hours in his office. They were so quiet that he thought they had left! We also believe in consistent child training. I am with my children during the day to guide them in the way that they should go which allows for consistency that is bearing some wonderful fruit!
"Is that legal?" Of course it is! Each state has different homeschooling laws.