There is a sobering article about homeschooling making the rounds on the internet. It was written by Reb Bradley but it has gotten a lot of circulation thanks to a link from Josh Harris (his post that excerpted the entire article has over 100 comments and counting). The article, Solving the Crisis in Homeschooling: Exposing the 7 major blind spots of homeschoolers, is a powerful statement on home education especially as it pertains to our motives and our expectations as parents. There is a very real sense in which the homeschool magazines and culture can give you the impression that home education is the silver bullet, the perfect antidote to worldly kids. Just educate at home and like magic you get great adults on the other end. I don’t think that attitude is intentional but it is real and it seems to me that many homeschooling parents are prone to beating ourselves up for not living up to that expectation. It always seems like everyone else has the perfect homeschooled kids and that we are failing.
It is a very long article but here are the seven major blind spots he identifies:
1. Self-centered dreams
2. Family as an idol
3. Emphasis on outward form
4. Tendency to judge
5. Over-dependence on authority and control
6. Over-reliance upon sheltering
7. Formulaic parenting breaks down relationship
I have thought a lot about this article and the implications of it for home educating families in general and my family in particular. It has been especially pertinent to me because I see myself in a lot of this article. Do we fail? Oh my do we fail. Again and again. Do we tend toward insularity and even stifling our kids? I think so. Are our motivations for homeschooling as pure as the driven snow? Not on your life. Do we lazily try to simply control our kids instead of cultivating a relationship with them, a proper and Biblical one to be sure but a relationship nevertheless? Absolutely.
Yeah, as a family we have our share of issues when it comes to homeschooling. Our extended families are not supportive of the decision, we often feel like we are spinning our wheels and it can be incredibly frustrating. I often feel like we need to “do more” and we do but that is not the core issue that we need to address.
Most of our issues are heart issues in us and in our kids and that would be true if we sent them to a private Christian school or even a public school. Let me say it more clearly because I think this is the point of the article even though some people seem to see this as a “gotcha” to rail against homeschooling: Homeschooling is not the problem nor is it the solution. Parenting is never easy. Sinners, even redeemed and born-again sinners, parenting other sinners, even redeemed and born-again sinners, is fraught with trouble and pitfalls.
In spite of all that, just because homeschooling your kids is not a guarantee of “success” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. I am firmly convinced, in spite of my failures and the perceived failures of other parents, that everything else being equal homeschooling is the best avenue for Christian parents. Christian private schools are of course an option but I have three concerns there. First is the cost which is outrageous in many private schools. Even if we could afford it, does it make sense to spend $10,000 a year on private school for our kids? Second is that Christian private schools are a pretty mixed bag, there are some really good ones and others that are not so great. Third and perhaps most importantly, sending your kids to a Christian school is still subcontracting out the hard work of raising and educating your children to someone else and those “someone else’s” are probably by and large strangers. Public schools? Don’t even get me started. My opinion of the public school system is that it is by and large a hugely wasteful and expensive scheme that serves to employ as union teachers as possible while providing “free” daycare for parents. Even if we weren't Christians I would probably homeschool our kids.
His essay is chock full of excellent quotes but the comprehensive message is what is important. While this is aimed at homeschooling families a lot of what Reb has written applies just as much to any parent. Christian parenting is about more than making our kids behave in a certain way. It is about showing our kids Christ, how He lives in and through us. Talk is cheap. Actions that demonstrate what we are talking about, lives that are examples to our children, is what counts.
I think it is important to again emphasize that this essay is not a condemnation of homeschooling but rather a richly needed corrective and encouragement for those who choose the often difficult and socially unacceptable path of home education. Many of us, in our zeal for educating our kids at home, have created an inflated promise of the end result when in reality as we all (should) know the end result is under the sovereign dominion of God and not our human efforts. I really desire to be better parents in all aspects of our parenting, including educating our kids at home and I was challenged and encouraged by Reb's essay.
Home education is not a magic formula that will ensure your kids turn into great adults nor is public schooling a guarantee of having your kids grow into drug dealers. However I sincerely believe that home education should be the preferred choice for Christian parents. I make no apology for that but I also try to shy away from being an evangelist for homeschooling. My reasons for home education are many and I am not going to rehash them again but you can find them in various places on my blog. Whatever you choose for your children, I would encourage you to read Reb Bradley’s essay because it applies to parents of all sorts. I am going to print it off and refer back to it on a regular basis. We all need all the help and encouragement we can get!
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