Shelter First, Launch Second
Homeschoolers often spend much of their lives talking about how their children should not be in the public schools, because as parents we’re supposed to be raising, sheltering, and taking care of them. At a certain point, though, your children will become adults, and will give up their childish ways. At that time, they may enter college, and you will have completed your responsibility to shelter them.
Although as adults you and I wouldn’t put ourselves in a high risk, anti-Christian situation multiple times, we nevertheless are able to function in society. We could go to college and not fear that our faith would be destroyed. When your child is no longer a child, but has been raised to be a man or woman in Christ, then they’re ready too. Even though they might not have been ready while you were homeschooling, at some point they will be ready to be an adult and go to college.
I often think about the advice that my midwife gave to me the day my eldest son was born. She handed me the baby and gave me the only advice that I needed to know, which was ‘know your child and trust yourself.’ When you really know your child, you can trust your own instincts. People think that maybe there’s a magic wand that they can wave and everything is going to work out. But it’s really that love and knowing your child that will ultimately make the difference.
Remember: shelter then launch. We need to take it one step at a time!
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Comments 2
I agree with you, Joelle! I thought youth group was a great time to experience a bit of real life. Kids don't not actually have to LIVE inside the mess, but they visit enough so you can have great conversations about what to do in the future.
Blessings,
Lee
I agree. There are other ways to practice functioning in the world outside your four walls. One is interaction with a variety of people - sooner or later the child will learn how to handle conflict. Another is though literature. We just got done with _Jane Eyre_ and I must say it's nice to be able to discuss behavior and situations without being right smack dab in the middle of them. I wish I'd read that book before [insert unpleasant memory here]. Youth group is a great chance for teens to hear about the real world too, and to encourage and pray for their peers.