Protecting My Kids Against The Bald Truth

My oldest daughter was born capable of speaking in complete sentences and participating in adult conversations.  Well, maybe not exactly, but she is incredibly bright.  When she was a toddler, I often caught myself talking to her about concepts she couldn't possibly understand because she seemed so, well, knowing.

And so it was that when she was about four we were having a conversation in the car about Winnie-the-Pooh.  The library was having a 75th birthday party for him, and she was wondering how come he didn't look any older.  My quick response was, "Well, Honey, you know Pooh isn't real."  Silence.  More silence.  Then, she responded, ever so quietly, "Oh, yeah."

That was it.  That was the moment I crushed my daughter's spirit and shattered her innocence.  I hang my head in shame every time I remember that incident.  Granted, Madeline seems to have recovered well.  I could almost think she's past the Pooh debacle, but every once in awhile she'll give me a look.  And I'm convinced she's remembering the moment I destroyed her childhood forever.  (And yes, I know that after she reads this she's going to milk it for all it's worth.:) )

But, we've moved on.  My  other two children never developed the same affinity for Winnie-the-Pooh that Madeline did.  (See this post.)  A children's show they've all been attached to, however, is Blues Clues.  Especially during the Steve days.  (Well, I guess that's debatable.  See here.)

It is accepted as truth in our household that the reason Steve left is because the actor was balding.  Madeline has seen Bald Steve pictures on the internet, and the other two would like to as well.  But, I've had to put my foot down.  I don't want to run the risk that seeing their childhood friend without hair might somehow devastate them, just like the truth about Pooh hurt Madeline.  So, in our house, Bald Steve is PG-13.

No Pain, No Gain

I’ve been reluctant to write posts of a spiritual nature.  Lately, my personal prayer life has been weak and I haven’t been consistent in personal Bible study.  I’ll read Christian posts in various other blogs, and recognize that I don’t have the command of doctrine or writing ability to express my ideas in a sound manner.  Frankly, I’m intimidated by the thought of writing something that might hamper someone else’s faith.

But, I’ve also recognized that my own laziness has been keeping me from fortifying my own faith.  I could get up earlier each morning to concentrate on personal prayer time and Bible study.  But I haven’t.

Lately, issues have come up in my life compelling me to concentrate on my personal faith. Dave and I are at a crossroads.  We need to determine God’s will for our role in our current spiritual family.  Or, should we find a new church home altogether.

I can’t afford to be spiritually lazy any more. 

So, God has given me a gift.  A few weeks ago, literally on the way home from a particularly difficult church meeting, my back started aching in the car.  For a couple of days, the aching stuck with me most of the day.  Now, I’ve found that while the pain is strong right away in the morning, the sooner I get out of bed and move around, the sooner I’m feeling better.  Sitting with an ice pack on my back, while reading the Bible and having prayer time, also helps.  Usually by mid-morning, if I haven’t done anything too strenuous, the pain has mostly subsided.

Perhaps I should see my doctor or chiropractor to have my back checked.  A new mattress would probably also be a good idea.  For right now, I’m holding off on that.  If I was more disciplined, I wouldn’t need this reminder to tend to my spiritual needs.  For now, though, while I need this pain to help combat my weaknesses, I’ll use it.

I Couldn't Do It ...

Often when I tell people we homeschool our three children, I get a somewhat dismissive ‘Well, I sure couldn’t do it,’ response.  I’d like to use this forum to reply.

Emotionally, sending them to school would be tough.  Simply put, I like having them around.  My kids are smart and clever, each with a distinct personality.  (See Madeline’s blog, here and here, for examples)  We have fun together.  Last night, for example, our supper table discussion, centered on Henry’s proposed scenario – “If you were stranded at sea on a floating cookie, would you starve and stay afloat, or eat the cookie and drown?” 

But, I don’t want to give the impression that it’s total jocularity at our house.  It certainly isn’t.  Having a 13 year old girl, 9 year old boy and 4 ½ year old girl in the same house all day with each other can lead to, uh, plenty of tension.  Some days, I feel like I spend most of the day, um, raising my voice.  But then, just when I’m ready to pull my hair out, I’ll see Madeline working with the other 2, making a video.  Or, Henry will be reading a book to Grace at the top of the stairs.  Then, my heart turns to mush and I’m so glad they have this time to get to be with each other and learn to truly love one another (even if they don’t always like each other.)

However, our decision to homeschool is based on much more than just my sentimentality.  As my friend Mary asserts,  “since we live in a world that has largely rejected God, since so many are actively anti-Christian, we as parents need to gather our children to us and hold them close. Fill them with God's Word and hold them close”  In our particular situation, we believe that the best way to educate our children is at home.

It is our conviction that God has called this family, at this point in time, to homeschool.  We’ve prayed that He would lead us to do His will.  We’ve prayed that our pride wouldn’t keep us from sending them to school, if that’s where He wanted them.  We’ve prayed that if He wanted us to send them to school, He would give us a clear indication.  We continue these prayers, and others, for His guidance.  And He continues to answer.  Not through any lightning bolts or burning bushes.  But by giving us a feeling of peace and a sense of resolve.

I am so grateful that this is the path God chose for use.  It hasn’t always been easy, and  I know we’ll still have struggles, but I believe that the roughest times are behind us.  I also know that homeschooling is not for everyone.  It can be difficult, costly, and is a huge commitment.  If both parents aren’t committed to homeschooling, it’s probably not your calling. 

One benefit of taking the less-travelled path of homeschooling, is that I’ve gained a greater appreciation of God’s design for families.  Each situation is different and every set of parents has the right to make the decision that works for them.

So, if you’re convinced that you can’t homeschool, that’s okay. 

Just please respect my position that I couldn’t not homeschool.