Education, Intimacy and Relationship

Growing up, my mother wanted me to have the very best in education, so she found someone good to teach me all the subjects I needed. My mother found experts to give me my education. The moms who homeschool have become the experts. The moms themselves are giving their own children their education. As moms, we know what that means on a daily individual family basis, but what does that mean in the grand scheme of things? Not only is there an entirely different kind of education being developed here, but there is an entirely different level of intimacy and relationship that arise from homeschooling.

The intimacy that develops because of homeschooling is far deeper than most families ever experience mainly due to the volume of time homeschoolers spend with their children. Moms and kids spend an entire lifetime getting to know each other heart to heart as they walk though every day of homeschool. Moms do not just receive reports from others on their child’s actions and behavior, moms witness their child’s actions and behavior daily placing them in an excellent position to recognize the MOTIVES and heart of their child. In addition, a large volume of time spent with these children is spent developing godly character as well as teaching to their intellect. Homeschoolers teach to the most intimate part of a being...the heart where the deepest intimacy is established.

Likewise, there is an entirely different relationship that develops because of homeschooling. Moms are not merely the chauffeur to events and the pay roller of kid classes; they have become co-laborers with their children in education. If we are studying China and the Chinese exhibit comes to our city, the entire family rejoices at God’s provision. If fungi is the topic, and mushrooms pop up in the front yard after a rain, everyone is excited. The learning is more than learning...it is a shared experience. It is a memory that people share and memories cement relationships. Homeschool allows for many more memories to be created cementing deep relationships.

The education provided by homeschool is tailored specifically for each child as the mother teaches a child instead of a curriculum. This in itself is a radical departure from the cookie cutter classroom and broaches an entirely new level in education. Since the advent and growth of public education, we have thought and taught masses and classes rather that individuals. Individuals became numbers who filled in test blanks and later found their grades posted next to their social security number. Not only do homeschoolers consider it our privilege to teach each individual child, we consider it our duty to assist each child in identifying his or her gifts and talents as well as our calling to enlighten each child to the responsibility of using those gifts and talents for the Lord.

In a culture that screams for independence, homeschoolers have chosen family and community. In a culture that exalts intellect, homeschoolers have taught first to the heart and then to the head. In a culture where parents seek to abdicate education to the government school, homeschoolers have sought to reclaim the education of their sons and daughters as commanded in Scripture teaching them His Word as well as all the subjects of His Creation. God tells us, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." How incredibly exciting to not only be part of a paradigm shift, but to literally have changed a portion of the culture for not only for good but for His glory. Amen!