Home-schoolers Threaten our Cultural Comfort
Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.
Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?
Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.
Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.
Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k’s. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising hell again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work … and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn’t you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?
Posted in Conservative, Conviction, Homeschooling, News
June 20th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Good article, thanks for sharing.
I think it’s very true, we tend to look differently at people who are truly different while claiming that being different is good.
But I’m not sure all the homeschooling families are like the one that he depicts. Trying to have my young kids walk along doing the right thing at a grocery store is tough!
It’s probably one of these age things again.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I do think he leaned toward taking a stereotypical portrait of homeschoolers, but that was probably to “make a point”.
The grocery store thing is hard for anyone. Even very well behaved children have their moments!!
June 20th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
What a great article! I’m probably in the minority with a lot of my “working mom” counterparts, but I would LOVE to be able to stay home with my children, and even homeschool them. Unfortunately, my husband and I made some decisions early on in our marriage that affected our lifestyle and we are now a “two-income necessary” family. My heart aches to be a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom…
June 20th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I think he brought up some very good points. Homeschoolers do “threaten” the popular world view of how to raise children. Even though he did use the stereotypical family as an example on both sides of the spectrum.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I think people see that time from 8-3 (when kids are in schools) as their “me time”… and, well, who wants to sacrifice that?
Honestly, I dont know what I’d do between 8-3.. probably worry about my children!!
I’d much rather spend time RAISING my children, then ship them off to someone else who doesn’t REALLY care about them as a whole- who doesn’t look at education as I do, who doesn’t love God and separates God’s teachings from “education”.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:13 am
See?
If everyone was as grown up and responsible as ellebee above–taking full responsibility for their choices and actions and being willing to live in the consequences the best they can, instead of hating others for theirs–we’d all get along better in this world!
Bravo, ellebee! And may the Lord richly bless your broken heart and contrite spirit.