Another step closer part 2.

This is an interesting email I received Friday. "L" did not send this to me to begin a huge debate - she sent it to share her thoughts & opionions regarding homeschooling. I appreciate it. Of course no two people think alike & I have no problem with that. As a matter of fact, I am one of the (very) few who appreciate how different minds think. I've said before...God did not make duplicates. We all have our very own fingerprints. And minds. :) I thought I'd see if any of you have any additional thoughts or comments. Homeschooling is probably one of the most important decisions a parent will make (my opinion anyway), as we all know the importance of a good education. Sharing & learning is good.

Currently, hubby & I have a little dilemma regarding homeschooling. It isn't that he isn't pro-homeschooling - his main concern is that I have OCD & I am a determined perfectionist. I certainly won't argue with that. :) He thinks I may expect too much. I disagree. I do/will expect what I know my child is capable of, I don't/won't expect above his limits. Still discussing.

Below is the email from "L". Everything in the copper color is from her.

...because I have considered this myself and have two girls in 2nd and 5th grade in public schools myself, I felt compelled to answer each point that you mentioned myself. I agree with some...and some, I just don't see. Take it for what it is worth...I sure don't mean to impose my opinions on you but I have been there and know of which I speak :)

1. Positive academic, social, emotional and spiritual benefits. I both agree and disagree on this point. I do think that children grow socially and emotionally better around children in the same socio economic background as your children. Children do need to be around other children daily in order to be well rounded and more prepared for the real world.

2. A better education for your child. Now that is debatable. In my case....probably not so much :)

3. The schools have become so dangerous that homeschooling is now a lot safer than sending your child into the war zone that public schools have become. Well, in our area of the suburbs, this is not a concern as of yet.

4. Less exposure to drugs and alcohol. Today 31% of high school students "binge drink" at least once a month. There are also a lot of students who abuse inhalants, drugs and medicine. If you keep your child in a bubble, they will be protected from all of these things. However, they will rebel most times when they leave the home. This was true of myself and many of my peers in private school all of our lives. When we left for college, we went buck wild! My husband was in public school and never went wild as he was always exposed to these things and felt it was just the way things were. He was exposed gradually and never actually went wild. (Thankfully, I never got into trouble and eventually returned to the Lord. But I definitely was led astray for awhile.)

5. No emotional bullying such as name-calling, mocking and humiliation. This is what any child that appears "different" is forced to endure. Research shows that those children who undergo this emotional bullying are unable to learn well. True, and I worry a lot about this with my 5th grade daughter. However, I think the benefits of her being in school and exposed the the outside world outweigh any of the risks of this. She will face it sooner or later anyway.

6. Children can be Ritalin-free. Schools are increasingly labeling typical male behavior as ADD/ADHD. This is also true for thin children who like to move around more. I truly can't speak on this issue so I will just keep my mouth shut.

7. Sexual pressure is removed. Research shows that 81% of children between the ages of 12 and 14 believe that they are pressured into having sex too early. School culture and sex-ed classes tend to promote that sex is fine because everyone is doing it. Thus, children are dressing and acting sexy at much younger ages. This is true whether the children attend public or private schools. Again, my kids are too young to speak on this issue. But I do believe that kids need to be around other kids their own age and hopefully, our kids are learning at home what is right and wrong in the eyes of the Lord.

8. Family bonds are strengthened. Homeschooling actually brings families closer together. Children are given the time and attention that they need to thrive. Parents are able to really know their children. Siblings are kind and helpful to one another. Well....in our home, this may or may not be the case. I don't know that I would have the patience to home school all of my kids. I feel like I am a better parent when they get home from school after having several hours to re-charge away from them. Don't get me wrong....I miss my kids like crazy while they are gone and I love Summer break!!!

9. Better preparation for the real world. Modern schools only appear to be normal because we have been brought up to accept them as the way things are done. They are actually quite unnatural. You will never spend your day with people who are all your same age doing things that have no foreseeable results. I TOTALLY disagree with this point!!! How could a child be better prepared for the real world when they have never really been exposed to it! The real world is not always nice and it is not always pretty. No matter how much we would like to protect our children from all of the bad things in this world, if they ever leave the nest, they WILL encounter things that are not so nice and not so pretty. They will experience temptations, rejection, hate, sexual temptations, and all of the negative things we try so hard to protect them from. I hate it so much but I believe that it is better to expose them gradually than to BOOM throw them into the real world in college and have them experience some form of emotionally breakdown because they had no idea that things were so bad in the real world.

10. The home offers the best environment for spiritual training. Christians know that Jesus calls them "disciples" not "students." This is because disciples observe and model their teacher's behavior. Even if you are not a Christian you still should ask yourself if you really want your child modeling the behavior of their public school teacher. This, again, may be debatable. I was very disenchanted after high school to realize that one of my Christian teachers at private school was, in fact, homosexual.

Melissa, please know that I am not criticizing any of your beliefs. Just offering another viewpoint from someone who is in the same boat...but maybe a little farther down the river. I would love to discuss this with you more. You probably have thought of some things that I have not. And I am a big enough girl to agree to disagree on some of these issues too! Hope to hear from you soon.......

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Just to let you know, these facts are not "my beliefs", just an email I received so I could be informed further. I will say though that I do not believe making the decision to homeschool is "keeping your child in a bubble". There are many outstanding reasons people homeschool & there are many outstanding reasons people choose public schools. Homeschool now-a-days is nowhere near what it used to be - the more I research I am finding homeschool clubs for children, academic classes, field trips, sports, & the list goes on. There is plenty of socialization for homeschooled children which makes me happy, as I too believe this is a very important area. I am fully aware the above issues will need to be addressed with children at some point. I have a major issue with the above issues having to be addressed at age 6. :) Alcohol & drugs frighten me, as well as school violence. Elementary children being caught with guns is unacceptable. Any school age is unacceptable. And even if the violence isn't at the school itself, I've seen 2 different schools (both elementary) on the news just last week - both schools placed in lockdown -because of dangerous situations surrounding the school. Keep in mind too that homeschooling doesn't mean your child will never see the outside world. Naturally, they will live life the same as others...such as going to a friend's house, birthday parties, out to a movie, roller skating, church activities, etc. This topic is discussing homeschooling, not making children hermits. :)

At any rate, the research continues & I appreciate everyone's feedback! Thanks again "L" for sharing! :)