Choosing Public School in a Faith-Filled Home

This post is something I've felt the need to share for awhile... but I've held back. I am hesitant to address it and, to be honest, that makes me sad. Because I shouldn't be. I am completely confident in the choice we've made for our family. Nonetheless...

It seems like, at least in my corner of the blogosphere, home-schooling is almost the norm. Oh, I know there are plenty of us who send our children to public school out there, but we don't talk about it all that much. It's like the disposable diaper users vs. the cloth diaper-ers. There are plenty of both, but the disposable people don't really speak up about their decision so much...

Before I even get started here, please let me say that this is NOT an anti-home-schooling post. I am in no way trying to judge others for what they deem to be the best choice for their families. It is not my place or my intention to pass judgement on such matters. Rather, I'd like to share with you all why, in a faith-filled, devoted home, we've chosen public school for our children...

Our faith is very important to us. Teaching these beliefs to my children and raising them up in lives that please our Lord is extremely important to me. Being the single-most important female influence in their lives is a responsibility I do not take lightly. Helping all my children learn what goes into keeping a home is also something I aim to do.

I send my children to public school.

Of course I could teach my children their "A, B, C's" and how to tie their shoes and their times tables. We can- and do- tackle all manner of questions and queries that come up in our house. Ours is a home where learning happens in all sorts of situations... while baking, while taking a walk through the neighborhood, when looking out the window at the dark night sky...

That's my job. Because I am their teacher- their FIRST teacher. But, by no means, their only teacher....

I send my children to public school because they need services that I have not studied. I may have been a top-ten student in high school and have my college degree, but that in no way makes me an expert in speech and language or occupational therapy. Can I work on and reinforce the skills at home? You better believe it- and that's my job too- but I am simply not knowledgeable enough to provide my children with what they deserve (the best) on my own.

I send my children to public school so they can learn to fight tough battles early on. Oh, this is a difficult one for me... but, at the end of the day, I think it's best that I work hard to counter the outside forces pulling at my children from an early age. I may not like that I have to constantly build up their self-worth and values to counter the pop-culture that assaults them, but... this, too, is my job.

I send my children to public school so they learn to get along with people whose views are nothing like our own. Is it more fun to have my kids play with their siblings, cousins, friends, or peers from our church or similar-interest groups? Of course! But that's not real life. Real life will require that they learn to deal with (if not like) a vast array of different people. This is something they need to be exposed to... it's my job to make sure they are.

I send my children to public school because there will come a time when their thirst for knowledge will exceed what I am able to provide. They're preschoolers right now. I can handle those academics. But my 5-year old son is already doing basic algebra... he'll be needing that Calculus I've forgotten some day. And, while I speak French and a little Spanish, what if my daughter wants to learn German some day? Shouldn't she have a teacher who can do that for her? It's my job to see those needs met...

I send my children to public school because, quite simply, I feel like I have enough jobs as their mother. I tip my hat to those of you who home-school and do it well... who can truly manage to keep all those balls in the air and provide your children with a wonderful mother AND teacher. That is amazing and inspiring to me.

I think I do a decent job teaching my children our faith, how to keep a home, how to learn and discover in everyday life, how to practice learned skills at home, how to stand strong against peer pressure, how to stay true to yourself while accepting others, and where to find experts in what you want to learn. That keeps me pretty busy. But, well...

That's my job.

How about you? How do you choose to educate your children? What motivates your choice?

*If yours happens to be a faith-filled family choosing public school like mine, let me know! I'd welcome links and guest posts on the topic.

Tasha, from My Homemade Happiness, has shared her thoughts on this topic as well. You can find her post here!