Recently, a relative of mine openly shared her concerns for our children upon hearing that we may homeschool them until college. She was primarily concerned with the girls’ ability to adjust to the “real world” as well as the potential “culture shock” they may have from leaving our nest and entering college. I suppose for most people, my relative’s concerns are normal and frankly, valid.
We have dreams and desires for our children just like all parents do but we also know that no matter what we do, we are not the ones in control of their future. It’s odd to me… when did “sheltering our children” become such a negative thing in our current society? As if the world we live in today resembles some peachy 50’s TV show? As parents, we feel that it’s our God-given responsibility to shelter them. I think there’s an underlying myth behind the word “sheltering” that most people who aren’t in the trenches of homeschooling often view as synonymous with ‘hindering’ or ‘oppression’, rather than the freedom to slowly learn the ropes of life through the protective eyes and guidance of one’s parents.
I don’t have the time or inclination to go into further right now but I stumbled upon a well written post from Bailey, a 17 year-old homeschooler who is more eloquent and articulate than I’ll ever be. She does an outstanding job of educating anyone who wishes to understand the difference between positive vs. negative sheltering.
“The point of sheltering ought not to be to hide a child away from the storm so much as to equip him with an umbrella and rubber boots. It's not a place of buried heads but working minds. I feel very comfortable engaging with the world at large now that the rubber has met the road in some instances, and I credit that to my chance at viewing it differently -- a chance to figure out humanism before why people can be so mean, if you will.”
Read the rest of this interesting and thought provoking article here.
Morgan and I are constantly navigating our way through parenting and teaching our children. We do not advocate wearing blinders to the world, but at the same time, we are in no hurry to see our children lose their innocence, either. As Christians, we would do well to remember that we are called to parent our children in a way that glorifies and pleases the Lord, not the world. Ultimately, we know it is by God’s grace alone that any child (homeschooled or not) grows up to be a mature, God-loving, God-serving adult.
After all, I’m still a work in progress, too.
Post a Comment