6 Ways Homeschooling Benefits Christian Families
I wanted to spend the month of June offering some practical advice and encouragement from homeschooling moms. I asked some ladies I knew if they would be willing to share some thoughts from their perspective. This is the first of several that I will be sharing here.
As I read Michelle’s words, there were several distinct benefits of homeschooling that stood out to me. I will let you read Michelle’s thoughts in her own words, then I will list the benefits of homeschooling for Christian families at the bottom of this post.
Guest post by Michelle Risinger
I chose to home school for many reasons but the main one was that after 3 years of my daughter being in “Christian” school, I realized that no one is going to train our children the way that we want other than us. I could not expect my daughter to learn more about Christ-living in the few hours I had her in the evenings then she would learn from the people who had her the 8 hours she was most alert and raring to go!
I also realized that I didn’t have to raise my children in the mold society has for their kids. As a home schooling Mom I need order and continuity, organization and commitment; but I can also say we are taking the day off and going to help a neighbor clean their yard or take a five mile walk. Schooling has so much more to it than what you read in the books.
I realized too that if I wanted Godly children then they would need to be saturated every day and all day in God’s Word. I chose a curriculum that was totally based on the KJV Bible. Like with any curriculum there are some negatives but they could be topics of discussion in class – another opportunity to explain what the Bible says. I would also have Christian music playing throughout the day and play tapes/CDs of someone reading the Bible or music when they napped or went to bed at night.
Having schooled 2 girls first I chose to not dwell on the higher grade level subjects but to have them learn skills that would be useful to them as women, wives and mothers. I didn’t transport them to endless ball games and practices. I took my first daughter once a week to her grandmother’s so that she could learn to sew. My second daughter was given the privilege of working in an institutional kitchen with two Christian men from culinary school.
Once a week I would take them to their own shut in. There they would read the Bible, sing to them and even assist them sometimes with needs they would have. They formed a very special bond with these dear ladies.
We also had the very special privilege of having a pastor who never home schooled but was sensitive to those of us who chose to do so. Once a month he would have home school chapel at the church where the kids could do some type of oral report or musical number, etc….then he would preach a short devotional. What a blessing that was to our family.
Our children also went to King’s Kids and were part of weekly Scripture memorization. Participation in church functions, Sunday School, VBS and other church ministries were always a normal part of their routine and aided us in training our children to love and serve the Lord. That is what homeschooling should be about – not being the smartest or the best athlete, but being the best Christian they can be. (Although I’m happy to say that so far my college graduates have graduated with honors.)
Some say that homeschooling isn’t for everyone. I do not totally agree with that because it can be for everyone if they would be committed enough to follow God’s command to train up our children.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 4
Here are 6 ways homeschooling benefits Christian families. This is by no means an exhaustive list; these are simply the things that stood out to me as I read Michelle’s article.
1. You are the one training your child every hour of the day, which ensures they are being taught exactly what and how you want them taught.
2. Your children are not being molded by the philosophy of popular culture.
3. Your children can be saturated all day, every day in God’s Word. (Why I think this is so important.)
4. Girls have more opportunities to learn practical homemaking skills. (And although it’s not mentioned, it’s a given that boys can be given extra opportunities to learn practical life skills as well.)
5. More hours can be given to ministering to others because children are not away at school all day. Ministry as a family becomes a part of education.
6. The focus of education can be kept where it truly belongs – for a child to grow to be what God wants them to be rather than striving to be the smartest or most athletic as could easily be a temptation in a traditional school setting.
