There are many reasons to keep your children at home for their education. Take a look at this article that shows how public school compares to homeschool written by our Senior Editor, Deborah Wuehler. Read it and you'll see why home is where your children belong.
And remember ...
You homeschool them. And in doing so, any time your children desire to talk about the Lord, they can. They can lift up His Name if they so desire! There are no bans on the name of Jesus in your classroom. If an opportunity presents itself--a teaching moment so God's Word is able to be tucked away inside their hearts--you won't miss it.
It's a serious calling. And you have responded to that call. You have heard His voice and did not turn away. You know academics are highly important, life skills crucial, music and the arts fantastic. But none can even come close to that of teaching them His ways.
His ways are higher. Higher than any human system.
Faithful Mama, you are safe in His hand. He will continue to direct you. Stay the course. Do not turn away from that call. You answered. He will do the rest.
"All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13, NKJV).
Daughter of the Living King, lean not on your own understanding, but instead continuing to lean on Him--in faith--may you have PEACE that you never even knew existed. Peace from above is yours. Never will He leave you hanging. He holds you tightly.
And His hand is on your head tonight.
~ gena
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Want to engage your kids in history while they also learn about citizenship, commitment, patriotism, courage, sacrifice, and integrity from America's greatest heroes? Request your free copy of the Medal of Honor Character Development Program. Videos, lessons, and activities included. Visit www.cmohedu.org or click here.
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Relational Homeschooling
Dear Friends,
Why should we keep our kids home, rather than send them to school? This basic question, foundational to our homeschooling efforts, is worthy of thoughtful and unhurried thinking. A good understanding of WHY we do WHAT we do will enable you to answer your critics, deal with your doubts, and encourage your efforts.
With that in mind, here are my top 10 reasons:
- Your love for your kids exceeds anyone else's--you value them enough to sacrifice yourself.
- Your commitment to your kids exceeds anyone else's--you'll go the distance for them.
- Your knowledge of your kids exceeds anyone else's--you can adjust lessons to fit them.
- Home is a much safer place to try new things--learning is all about new things.
- Home is a much friendlier place to learn--learning is easier in a nurturing environment.
- Home is a much less rigid place to learn--learning thrives with enough free time and space.
- Curiosity needs to be welcomed by the teacher--and you are the teacher.
- Creativity needs the opportunity to make a mess--and you can welcome that mess.
- Communication needs a listening ear, an appreciative audience--and you are there.
- Faith is welcomed in academics and schedule--and you want to lead your kids to Jesus.
What are YOUR reasons?
Whatever they are, remember to stay relational!
Diana
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"My job was to care for the guys, get them to carry on," says Medal of Honor Recipient Clarence Sasser of his duties in Vietnam.
Who of us doesn't occasionally need encouragement to carry on? Life wears at us, and even children feel pressure from peers, siblings, and parents--to do well, be good, excel, and succeed. Ultimately, that encouragement needs to come from within--from one's character.
As parents and teachers wearing both hats, we do all we can with our kids to turn out adults of good character. We encourage them to do the right thing always, but part of growing up means becoming independent. In this crazy, media-driven world, "character" is abstract at best, and "good" is subjective, so how do we help literal and concrete-thinking children develop positive character traits? Through examples.
In a moment of crisis, when many of us might have hid, or played dead, or outright run away, Clarence Sasser persevered, encouraged others, and, as a result, saved many lives. What made the difference? Clarence struggled beyond his personal fear. He put the welfare of others before his own. He stayed in the worst of conditions and followed through on his commitment. He did it even though no one else might have lived to tell the story. He was an active member of his team, a faithful citizen of his community, a dedicated patriot of his country.
Kids need to see those qualities demonstrated in the world outside our homes. The Medal of Honor Character Development Program Resource offers dozens of stories, in civilian life and military life, to help your students develop positive values. As one teacher says, it shows them not just what a hero is, but that "a hero is someone that they can become"--real examples of real heroes.
The Medal of Honor Foundation's Character Development Program is a free resource you can use with your kids to explore the concepts of courage, commitment, sacrifice, integrity, citizenship, and patriotism. Besides addressing these important values, the program reinforces skills like critical thinking, analysis of text, and reading and writing.
Use the inspiring examples of these American military and civilian heroes as a way to discuss American History, Civics and Government, or Current Events. The lessons are flexible, and the program is free. Request your set of materials today!
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Dr. James Dobson
The Passage to Adulthood
By Dr. James C. Dobson
If you are between sixteen and twenty-six years of age, you are moving through the "critical decade."
Some of the most dramatic and permanent changes in life occur during those ten short years. A person is transformed from a kid living at home and eating at the parents' table, to a full-fledged adult earning a living and taking complete charge of his or her life. Most of the decisions that will shape the next fifty years will be made in this era, including choice of occupation, the decision to marry, and the establishment of values and principles.
What makes this period even more significant is the impact of early mistakes and errors in judgment. They can undermine all that is to follow. A bricklayer knows he must be very careful to get his foundation absolutely straight; any wobble in the bricks at the bottom will create an even greater tilt as the wall goes up. So it is in life.
The passage from late adolescence to young adulthood goes smoothly for some individuals. But, a number of us encounter unexpected "mudholes" that trap and hold us at an immature stage of development. Still others are plagued by addiction to alcohol or drugs, marriage to the wrong person, failure to achieve a coveted dream, or various criminal offenses. It is easy to get off the trail and in the ditch in the morning of our lives.
Your next ten years will pose hundreds of questions for which answers may be slow in coming. I struggled with many of them when I was in college, such as, What will I do with my life? What are my strengths and weaknesses? Should I plan to attend graduate school? Am I talented enough to make it professionally? And what about God? Where does He fit into my plans, and how can I know His will?
I recall pondering these questions and thinking how helpful it would be to talk with someone who understood what I was facing. But like most of my friends, I never asked for help. The years rolled on, and I bobbed and weaved my way through.
I grew up in the "Happy Days" of the fifties, when life was not as complicated. There were no drugs in my racially mixed, public high school. Not once did I hear of anyone selling or using illegal substances while I was a student there. Very little alcohol was consumed by today's standards. In fact, I went to parties every Friday night after football games and rarely saw booze being consumed. It happened, I'm sure, but primarily among those who had a reputation for being on the wild side. There were no punkers, no skinheads, no neo-Nazis, no freaks, no witches, and no gay or lesbian activists in those days. And the music of that era was pretty tame by comparison.
No doubt, some of my classmates lost their virginity during their school years. Sex is not a recent discovery, and it was certainly on our minds. Obviously, some students did more than think about it. Still, the idea of saving oneself for marriage made a lot of sense. Morality was fashionable. Students who slept around were disrespected by their peers.
Students in the fifties were often receptive to spiritual influences. They were not all Christians of course, but many of us were. Our faith shaped the way we behaved. For example, God's name was rarely used profanely. Vulgarity and irreverence did not become fashionable for most teenagers until the late sixties, when it was popularized by film and television industries. They also taught many to engage in casual sex and to disregard the commandments of God. Many revolutionary changes occurred during the late sixties, when that generation of young adults suddenly went a little crazy. And they've paid a big price for it.
From Dr. Dobson's book, Life on the Edge.
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The Familyman
Never to be one to make simple things complicated, I have just one reason to keep your children home, and that is: Home is the best place for your children.
I'm sure there are other reasons, and statistics that back up those reasons, but the truth is, HOME is the best learning place for children, the safest learning place for children, and the most natural place for children to be.
Now, there are always folks who quickly point out that there are some homes that are not safe, but I'm not talking about THOSE homes. I'm talking about YOUR home and YOUR children. Your children are safest, do their best, and achieve their potential when they are at HOME.
I tell moms all the time that when you can think of no other reason to homeschool, and you're ready to toss in the towel, cling to the FACT that your children are better off at HOME.
You might say, "But it's miserable; school is a battle every day. They hate it and so do I!!!"
Mom, the truth still doesn't change. HOME is still the best place for you all, but you might need to adjust how you're doing everything else. Maybe you need to relax in that truth, and let HOME do its work. Back off the school part, and let them just enjoy learning at their own pace at HOME.
You know all that fun you and your kids are having right now during summer? Well, continue that during the school year. Let them explore their own interests, read books that encourage that, and plug away (for a short time each day) at the non-exciting subjects.
If you need more reasons to keep them home, research some, but believe and live this truth: Home is the best place for your children.
Be real,
Todd
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FREE CURRICULUM for VOTING YOUR CHOICES:
It's time for the annual The Old Schoolhouse Excellence Awards, and we need your input! Please take a few minutes to vote in such categories as your favorite homeschool literature book, preferred online learning tool, and best app. The Old Schoolhouse will send you a FREE WannaBe series as a "Thank you," just for taking the time to vote! Click here!
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Free
Click here and get your free ebook:
7 Things You Should Know When Choosing Homeschool
Curriculum from Excellent Quests.
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Free
Share this newsletter with a friend, and be sure to let those CONSIDERING homeschooling know about the enormous FREE info-pack which awaits them here: www.TryHomeschooling.com.
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A division of The Old Schoolhouse� Magazine
Did you know? Every class is INCLUDED for members!
No limits.
There are only TWO days left to join SchoolhouseTeachers.com during our Spectacular Summer event, and our classes aren't just for the kids! We have dozens of classes and resources for parents too, from helping you teach elementary math or fractions to understanding sensory processing disorders or finding joy in the mornings.
Sign up during our Spectacular Summer special and lock in your membership rate of only $20 every two months. There are no per-child fees or additional fees for textbooks, and courses are not live, so you can start them at any time. If you or someone you know is interested in teaching a class on our site, please contact Executive Editor Bonnie Rose Hudson at bhudson@theoldschoolhouse.com.
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Contest Corner
For the month of July 2016
Teach Your Kids to Code: A Parent-Friendly Guide to Python Programming, was written by Bryson Payne, and published by No Starch Press. Dr. Payne has been a computer science professor at the University of North Georgia for over fifteen years. In Teach Your Kids to Code, he has taken his thirty years of programming experience and helped make computer programming accessible to parents.
Obviously, you will need a computer to apply the coding lessons in this book. You will also need to download certain programs and modules onto your computer. The very first chapter instructs you to download Python so you can begin programming with the Python language in chapter two. (. . .)
There are 308 pages divided into ten chapters, an introduction, three appendices, and a glossary. The appendices contain screen shots and step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing Python, Pygame, and other required modules on your computer. These downloads are all available free, so there isn't any additional cost. The instructions are individualized for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems and are very clearly explained. (. . .)
Teach Your Kids to Code isn't specifically intended for homeschool use, but it is well-suited for homeschooling families. A teenager can manage to work through it on their own. A ten to twelve year old would probably need more parental help. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone beneath ten, unless you are ready to learn alongside the child.
My 14-year-old son is using Teach Your Kids to Code on his own, as part of his computer science credit for high school. It reminds me of the programming I learned in high school, creating simple games. With only ten chapters, this isn't really a semester's worth of work, unless the student spends extra time experimenting with the code to make changes to the original program after it's created. My son is using it in conjunction with another programming book, to make it worth a full credit, two semester's worth of work.
( Read the rest of the review.)
YOU can WIN this awesome book!
TO ENTER: Email Heather (hmader@theoldschoolhouse.com) with your name, mailing address, and phone number for contact purposes, with the subject line, "Teach Your Kids" for a chance to win* it for your family!
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--Michelle Sager
Liberty Twp, OH
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--Janelle Chille
Mason City, IA
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"I really enjoy reading all the THM articles. I learn a lot from Todd Wilson's column. [He's a] funny guy who speaks the simple truth! Thank you very much!"
--Charlene
Brandon, FL
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"I look forward to THM every Wednesday. I really enjoy Deborah's articles. For some reason, it must be God, she always writes about what I am needing to hear. Her ability to put scripture and God in the middle of all her articles keeps me coming back. I recently have been enjoying the Youngs' [articles] because I have a young man (10) in my house. The encouragement of the Youngs is fabulous. I thank God for parents like them that pave the way for parents like myself and my husband."
--Racheal Fowler
Glen Burnie, Maryland
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"So love reading TOS on my iPad from cover to cover every month!!!"
--Leigh Anne McGrady
Dunwoody, GA
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"What I appreciate most about Todd's column is that he never assumes he knows what is best for me... but he KNOWS that God knows & encourages me to find that & follow that. Thanks for all the encouragement over the years!"
--CA
Kannapolis, NC
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"...I appreciate them both so much. I love Diana's passion for teaching history in a fun and interesting way. And that she is all about relationships first. I love that about Todd as well, and that he always, always says it is okay to relax about the schooling."
--Mara Martin
Everett, WA
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