I have always said that although we are Christians, we don’t homeschool for religious reasons. We homeschool because to send our children to our local public school would be akin to educational neglect in our minds. We homeschool because we have some gifted children whose needs would not be met. We homeschool because when we were first looking at the school, the teacher told me, “Oh no, the kids never handle books because they might wear them out.”
However, being Christians, religion is not absent from our homeschooling. In fact, I would say it’s an integral part of our day. It is, in short, one of my favorite aspects about homeschooling.
A few months ago, we had the opportunity to pray for someone. As is our custom when we pray, we often make a post card, a small gift, or simply color on paper. This lets my younger children keep occupied and quiet while the rest of us our praying together. My son gets a little carried away actually, and has taken to making things with clay but it hardly matters to me. It works: it serves as a reminder to keep praying for that person, and remember them in their needs. And did I mention it counts for art? Why not? It is art. But what I love is that it’s art with a purpose. And this is what I love about the flexibility offered by homeschooling.
You see, while other kids are at a desk learning their three R’s, life is happening all around them. Real life or in educationalese. . .”hands on” experiences. Things happen that kids can grapple with, contemplate, and respond to. But when they’re in school, they miss out. Real life happens at our house too. I have written that flexibility isn’t a free for all, but when real life happens my kids have the opportunity to respond to it. Be it stopping in the middle of a lesson to pray, or cooking dinner for a family in need.
To those who would say that this type of attitude towards schooling will lead to substandard education, I will of course, have to disagree. If it’s not for real life, what else are we preparing kids for?