Armor Up

Mission: How to stand firm in the face of anti-homeschooling comments.

Introduction: Perhaps the noise has gotten too loud. You want to give up homeschooling your kids. Social media tells you to put them in public school. Politics tells you to put them in a classroom with children their own age. Your family may have even turned on you and verbally assaulted you with reasons why homeschooling holds your children back. 

Substance: What should you do? Maybe you feel worthless as a parent. Or maybe you’re just plain mad. Perhaps you feel ready to say, “Back off!” Whatever the case, this barrage of verbal aggression can take its toll on your homeschooling goals. It doesn’t just impact you either. Your kids can feel the questions and the stares. Trust me, I remember the questions from my younger years. People looked me in the eye while my mom stood there and asked, “Do you actually like being homeschooled?” Obviously, the audacity still exists today. Homeschoolers feel it daily. 

So, what can you do as the homeschool parent? It’s time to armor up. Although it’s hard to do, take time to think about your homeschooling goals. Talk with your spouse. Communicate with your kids. Dwell on the following questions: 

• Why are you doing this? 
• Why do you want to do this for your kids? 
• Is public school a better alternative based on what we see today about public schooling? 
• Why does homeschooling help your child’s future? 
• Does homeschooling improve your child’s mental and physical well-being? 

Implementation: Now, if you want to continue homeschooling after discussing/dwelling on these questions, buckle up. Now, it’s time to grab your armor (figuratively speaking) and get your kids ready. It’s not easy, but stand firm in your values. Try to develop thick skin to the comments. Trust me, this is so hard, but time will help you develop in this area. Remember that it’s the other person, not you. People will question you on socialization, high school learning, or just the process of homeschooling in general. Your own family might bully you for your choices. You might receive stares, eye rolls, or scoffs. Recently, someone told me that people don’t like homeschooling because they don’t understand it. This is so true. 

Non-homeschoolers don’t see the day-to-day efforts. They believe in the system of public schooling. Sadly, public school continues to decline in quality. Children are force-fed propaganda, subjected to an endless cycle of disturbing bullying, and find themselves with troubled students who identify as animals. Frankly, I think the school systems are a war zone for our young people. 

Despite the backlash you receive, you know the long days, the hard work, the field trips, and the fun times. You can educate your children in your home without compromising their innocence. That’s what matters. You know the behind-the-scenes. You can protect your children’s minds. It doesn’t matter what others think or what they don’t understand. What matters is that you’re raising the next generation as strong, intelligent, and equipped human beings. 

Conclusion/Motivation: On a personal note, I’m a homeschool graduate, and I am good friends with a great group of young people who were homeschooled. These friends are a blessing to my heart and soul. They treat me well and we always have a refreshing time together. I see the beauty of our education stories, and I’m so glad my parents sacrificed for me. I’m also glad that their parents sacrificed for them. 

May this encourage you. Your work impacts your children, and you are making a difference! At Nxt Era, we are so proud of what you’re doing for your family. You’re creating individuals who inspire hope for the next generation. In short, wear your armor against the onslaught of opinions.