Hi Friends!

I am going to jump right in today and ask you, Is Like Mindedness important to you as a homeschooler? Have you thought about it before? Through our homeschooling journey we have participated in all sorts of activities to enrich our homeschool experience, as I am sure so many of you have as well. Ex. Homeschool groups, co-ops, lessons, classes, athletics, and so on, but when is like mindedness a real issue for a homeschooler?

Why Like Mindedness IS Important in Homeschooling

One of the main reasons so many of us don’t send our children to public schools is like mindedness. As Christians, we realize that our views and morals more than likely aren’t going to be practiced or taught on the “day to day” of the public school agenda. We also realize that our children would be spending a lot of time around other children that don’t get taught what we believe are solid values or biblical truths. I am not debating that there aren’t Christians in public schools, however I am saying that we know our children’s morals and values would be tested, shaken, and they are too impressionable to allow the “world” to shape them. Most of us want the time and control over our children’s upbringing, as we should. As we are instructed biblically.

With all of that being said, once you are a homeschooler we still have to participate in outside activities. Not all of those outside activities are going to uphold our like minded values either though. If you are thinking about the Salt & Light theory and how our children can influence others, that is a slippery slope. I don’t believe our children are mature, formed, and shake resistant enough to make sure that they are affecting others without the others infecting them. There is only so much a child can do and understand, and they can be infected by so many outside influences, visuals, and some things can’t be unseen or unheard.

 

After years, of homeschooling I am convinced that like mindedness IS important. Who my kids play with and learn with IS important to me. I can shelter them from unnecessary negativity and wrong thinking until they are mature enough to see or understand what lies ahead. Some may see this as over doing it or sheltering them too much, but God has instructed us to train them up and entrusted us with these precious children’s lives.

So even in a gymnastics class mixed with public schoolers, a secular academic class, or neighbors down the street – we must be vigilant in the protection of our children’s hearts and minds. Anything that your child participates in you must be mindful and watchful, if you entrust them to another adult to teach them something for an hour a week; make sure you know that person well enough to allow them to impart their views or influences onto your children.

This may mean that sometimes we make an executive call and remove them from the class or group. You have that power mom! If you have a gut feeling that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t suppress that. Ask God to guide you, and give you wisdom. You are your child’s caretaker, and you know better than anyone what is encouraging and enriching to your child or what is adversely effecting your child also. We must be careful that we don’t bend with the world, or we become too afraid to speak up for our beliefs because our group of friends or family will think one way or another about us. We are here to glorify God in what we do, not compromise and blend into the main stream. That also means, how much do we bend? Are you willing to compromise a little?

My prayer today is that we make wise choices when sending our precious children out into the world in any capacity. I pray we don’t question our own values, but we stand strong in them! Give us the confidence and courage Lord to be set apart from this world.  Amen