tntgoodwin Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Do you think homeschooling is the best choice for almost everyone? Why or why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I believe it's probably the best *school* choice (meaning academic and social) for the majority of children. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the best *lifestyle* choice for most families. There are plenty of things that may need to come ahead of that for many people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think it's the best choice, but, I don't think everyone is cut out for it. You have to be able to make up your mind that that is what you do and put your energy into it and be content with that. I'm not naturally organized, but, I work at being organized and have to make up my mind to be. It takes time, but, it's worth it because I'm learning a new skill and building my character at the same time. I've never been really good at science, but, I study. I make up my mind that I have to learn it well enough to teach it and to help answer questions about it. These things take up my time, but, since I've decided that homeschooling is my "profession" right now, I don't mind. It's what I do for the time being. I don't think everyone is comfortable doing all of this. I've met homeschoolers who are so busy with so many things that education is really at the bottom of the list of things to do. I don't think that type of person should commit to homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 "Other". It is the best choice for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Other. Having met many people in the world, hs is not for everyone. However, I don't think it is a calling for all who do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I wouldn't say that it is a "calling," but I do believe not everyone is cut out to homeschool. My mother would have killed us if she had had to spend every day teaching us instead of sending us to school. I think it could be a better option for most children than public school, but not always the best choice for every family's lifestyle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It is definitely not for every family. In fact, I'd say not best for most nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think homeschooling is the best choice for almost everyone IF the parents are willing to do what it takes. I don't have faith that all parents would prioritize homeschooling even if there were no other choice for their child (like if there were no more public schools and all private schools were beyond their means). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Other: I don't think it is a "calling". I think it is almost always a better educational choice. I think it is a serious and life changing choice that shouldn't be made lightly. I don't think it is a choice for everyone. Some parents couldn't commit to the work it takes, some are dependent on the income received from employment, and some can't philosophically accept it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think Calling might not be exactly the right word (although I voted yes) but I do think God has different plans for every family. I have a friend who desperately wants to homeschool. But DH says NO. And she has told me that in the end, she knows he is right. She is VERY protective of her children, so for her, putting them on the bus and SENDING them to school is a big step of faith and trust. For me, who wants nothing more than put them on that same bus, keeping them home is a step of unselfishness (we did live child-free for 14 years, most of which I worked part-time). I think that God uses all kinds of different things to help us grow. In the case of some of us, it's homeschooling. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't think it is a "calling" and I don't think it is the best choice for "most" folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I'd have to say other. I think homeschooling is great and parents dedicated and able to homeschool will see the fruit in their kids. I know I have. I don't think I'm called to homeschool. Sometimes I get tired and burnt out, there have been times when I have been worried about gaps, socialization, or any other myriad of things a homeschooling mom can worry about. But I always go to the pro/con list for us. I don't homeschool for me. I homeschool because it is the best for my kids. BTW, I don't eschew ps. We do dabble in ps classes and it's been an okay experience. I am glad we have never selected ps full-time, no questions asked. That to me is a fiasco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. :iagree: Calling isn't quite the word I would use either. Sometimes it is a necessity depending upon where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I believe it's probably the best *school* choice (meaning academic and social) for the majority of children. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the best *lifestyle* choice for most families. There are plenty of things that may need to come ahead of that for many people. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't think most families are in a position to homeschool long-term these days. Too many single parents and dual-income couples who need the income from full-time employment to meet basic living expenses. Now I do think that far more families should HS the primary years than currently choose to do so. I don't think it's good for very young children to be spending 20 hours per week as 3 & 4 y.o.'s and 30 hours per week as 5 & 6 y.o.'s in an institutional setting. And many of these families who choose to enroll their kids have SAHM's so they could HS if they wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) It's the best for our family. Though I think homeschooling would have been great for me, I cannot imagine my mom having been the educator. She has absolutely no interest in things educational. The word "calling" gets under my skin from previous experience. We had been going to a church and attending the Growing Kids God's Way course (yes, completely other topic). People found out we homeschooled. The leader said, in front of everyone, "Well, if you have a direct calling from God, I suppose it's okay." They had been trying to get me to teach in their private school. I felt like asking if everyone there had a direct calling from God to put their children in private school, but I didn't have the nerve. I would now. Edited March 27, 2011 by nestof3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdrumm4448 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I do believe I was called to homeschool. It was the furthest thing from my mind three years ago. I kind of fell into it (ds begged me for a year), and now, looking back, I can see how my relationship with God grew incredibly since we have homeschooled. I like to think He used homeschooling to draw me closer to Him. But, that's just my experience. I wouldn't want to force homeschooling on anyone, just as I wouldn't want public or private school forced on anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Intentional parenting is a calling for everyone who takes on the responsibility of raising a child. Homeschooling is a tool to use to parent intentionally. There are other effective, as well as ineffective, tools to use as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 "other" It's a decision, not a calling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Other. Having met many people in the world, hs is not for everyone. However, I don't think it is a calling for all who do. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't necessarily think it is a "calling," more like a decision. And I don't think homeschooling is best for everyone, because you have to consider family life also. It isn't all about academics. I know many people who would be horrible homeschoolers. I know many people simply aren't in a position to homeschool. I think I'm especially sensitive to this since I'm a single parent and full time student. The sacrifices I've had to make, and the workload I'm constantly under, are tough. I wouldn't say this is best for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Butterfly Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It's not a calling, it's a decision. And it's a decision that may be best for your family one year and not the next. Homeschooling is something that I evaluate every year to see if it will still work for the following school year. Now, I'm not saying pull them out, put them in and pull them back out of school willy-nilly every other year, but knowing that I make the decision to homeschool based completely on my own will and life circumstances allows me to keep an open mind to really awesome alternatives for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 If anyone could see what my dh sees all day, they would know that not everyone should homeschool. No matter how we feel about the quality of public education, for some (okya, many) students it truly provides the only care, nourishment, attention, etc. they will receive in their life. A child may not be better off homeschooled if their parent is not stable, loving, and at least minimally educated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't necessarily think it is a "calling," more like a decision. And I don't think homeschooling is best for everyone, because you have to consider family life also. It isn't all about academics. ... :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It's not a calling, it's a decision. And it's a decision that may be best for your family one year and not the next. Homeschooling is something that I evaluate every year to see if it will still work for the following school year. Now, I'm not saying pull them out, put them in and pull them back out of school willy-nilly every other year, but knowing that I make the decision to homeschool based completely on my own will and life circumstances allows me to keep an open mind to really awesome alternatives for the future. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Intentional parenting is a calling for everyone who takes on the responsibility of raising a child. Homeschooling is a tool to use to parent intentionally. There are other effective, as well as ineffective, tools to use as well. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I agree with many other posters that homeschooling is a decision, not necessarily a calling. Now a person can feel personally/ spiritually convinced that it is a decision they need to make for the well-being of their children and for their own character development, which is wonderful. I would still call that a decision. I also agree with other posters that said our calling is to be parents. We are parents first (do we teach in that capacity, of course all parents do) but teaching academics in a full-time sense is not our first priority. You can be a wonderful, loving, supportive parent whether you homeschool or not. Your children can be loving, well-balanced, successful and happy whether you homeschool or not. Homeschooling is a personal family decision how to educate (academics), but it is just that an educational decision and it is not what is best for all families always. Just as we homschoolers want support for our choices, we should support those that choose differently without seeming to say homeschooling is always, and exclusively, the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I voted other. Families are unique. What is best for one family isn't for another so I don't think homeschooling is right for everyone or every child even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think that God uses all kinds of different things to help us grow. In the case of some of us, it's homeschooling. :) Hey Cin!! Finally meeting on "the board"...I agree w/ you totally. As every family is unique, so are the plans from which they will flourish and mature. I think most of us will agree, those plans are often wraught with growing pains, thorns, and uncomfortable change...it is what makes life worth living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Homeschooling is a lifestyle choice. Like all other lifestyle choices, it's not for everyone. I don't think that schools, in general, are good places for children, but that doesn't mean that everyone should homeschool. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I voted Other. I believe that homeschooling is an educational choice, rather than a calling. People who believe that it's the best educational choice for their children and who have the time, energy, resources and desire to homeschool should homeschool. That's not true of every family, so other school options may be better choices for those familes. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 For us, it's a choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Other. It's really not my place to judge educational issues for anyone but my own family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Do you think homeschooling is the best choice for almost everyone? Why or why not? I homeschool because it's convenient, not because I'm called to. I don't think I'd even know what it felt like to be "called" - that's a foreign concept for me. Maybe I am and don't even know it LOL. Anyhoo and either way, no - I don't think it's the best choice for almost everyone. Why not? Because there is no one-size-fits-all (or -most!) for anything, IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't think that all parents are cut out to homeschool, anymore than I think that all people are cut out to be parents. Philosophically, I do believe that most children would benefit from homeschooling, especially during the elementary and middle school years. I don't know if I would label it a 'calling', per se. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think homeschooling would probably be the best bet for all of humanity if there was a way to do it. There really isn't a much better way to learn that that personal attention a child gets from the people who love that child/ren deeply. However, it's feasible not feasible for everyone to do it. I feel fortunate that I'm able to stay home and HS the way I want but I don't really feel "called" because that's not really part of my belief system. I haven't been "called" to do anything. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Well, I would answer if I knew what you meant by calling. If you mean a kind of divine imperative that must be obeyed, then, no. If you mean that circumstances that lead you to it can be providential or a product of fate, then maybe. But there is no way to know for sure. If you mean that life leads you to a point where it seems like homeschooling just fits with want you want out of life and you consciously pursue it, yes. My oldest son feels like he was born to be an accountant. He has told me he cannot envision himself doing anything else. I'm not kidding. Is that right for everyone? No way. I cannot envision myself sending my children to public school. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It's an educational choice, which has turned into a benefit for our lifestyle. So in turn it becomes a lifestyle choice. But I have one child, I know homeschooling is the best option for him (for a plethora of reasons), but if we had more than one child, the choice could be different for them. I don't think everyone should homeschool. For us I don't feel it's a calling as in the spiritual sense of a calling, but it feels right. Some kids have a lousy home life and school is their only sense of normal. Some kids have a lousy time at school and home is their only sense of normal. I think kids need to have a place to be normal, feel loved and accepted. In that regard not everyone should homeschool because not every parent is equipped to provide that for their child. I know my child is a different kid than he would be in a school setting. He's at peace with his own individual sense of self. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 A child's education is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can do it themselves or they can delegate part or all of it to others, but they are no less responsible for the results if they delegate it. So I would say a parent's calling is to make sure their children children are educated according to their values. I voted other. :iagree: This is the first poll I recall seeing where so many people voted other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't really think it's a calling, and I don't think it's best for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't see it as a calling. I know some people see it that way for themselves. I will not speak to *that*. I see it as a *choice*. I dare not presume to know whether it would be *best* for anyone else. That is a decision each family must make and live with. It was obviously the best choice for *my* children, or I wouldn't be doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annettemarie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I don't think it's best for everyone. As a matter of fact, I can think of a few people who probably *shouldn't* homeschool. And just as I wouldn't want anyone telling me I had to put my kids in school, I wouldn't tell others they had to keep their children home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It's the right choice for our family, right now. That's all I'm willing to commit to. I taught in public schools too long to think that all parents are capable, and of those who are capable, not all have the desire to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I think it is almost always the best choice for any parent willing and able to put in the effort. I don't think educating our children is a calling. It is the duty of every parent to educate their children, whether it is an aspect of parenting they enjoy or not. I do not believe it is something one can completely delegate to others and wash their hands of doing themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 There are so many options, nuances, differences and situations that to say HS is good for all, most or even many is hard. There are families that just can't homeschool for a many reasons. There are families that truly are being served best by the public school in their area. There are families that need the support of a public school for special needs. There are families that have found public school/private school options that mean they don't have to homeschool...and there are those that would never want to be home with their children or have the responsibility to teach them. I am an options person so I love that there are options such as homeschooling so that I don't have to put my child into public school if I feel it is not the best choice for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachmejoy Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I believe that anyone who wants to homeschool can, and even those who don't necessarily want to, but need to. But I have to say that not everyone SHOULD homeschool. There are definately situations where some shouldn't. I don't know if I would call it a "calling" or not, but I supporot anyone who chooses it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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