Is There Something Missing?
My Sister-in-law keeps a family blog so the relatives on the other side of the country can keep up to date with their lives. It’s a very sweet gesture, and I love seeing my niece and nephew (and even their parents) even if it is only pictures.
The latest photos have been of my niece going to preschool. It puts that same knot in my stomach that I get when the kids on the sports teams all know each other from school and my boys are the odd men out.
Is something missing in their lives because I’m choosing to homeschool them?
If you were to ask me this question on most any day at any time, I would say no! In fact, they gain so much from being home schooled that there is really no comparison. How many kids got up at the crack of dawn to watch the space station fly over? How many get to spend the morning working in the garden with their grandfather? There really is nothing better for any child (or parent) than homeschooling. I firmly believe that.
But there is a moment when I can’t help but wonder if it really is fair to the boys. Are they missing out on life time friendships because I have kept them out of classes with the same people for 12 years? Seeing pictures of my niece and how much fun she is having does make me wonder – even if only for a second.
Deciding to homeschool can be a hard choice for the parents. It is completely sacrificial to give up all of your free time to be with the children. But the truth is that there may be some sacrifice for the children as well. Granted, the best friendships I had growing up were mostly made outside of the school (with kids in the neighborhood), but even those friends are rarely seen or heard from these days.
There are pros and cons to every decision that we make in life. As for homeschooling, there is no doubt that the pros of positive instruction, family bonding, and spiritual and emotional lessons far outweigh anything the “organized” educational system can offer.
The next time my SIL posts on the blog, I’ll be sure to stop in this blog and remind myself of where we are and where we are going as a family.