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Mar122006
Sheltering - aka, "Aren't you isolating your kids?"
Sunday, March 12, 2006 at 10:27PM
To continue with my theme of having answers for the critics, I will continue with another question I am asked regularly.
"Hey Fletch, don't you think you are sheltering your kids?"
Yes. Yes I do think I am sheltering my kids. Thanks for noticing. I hope you are sheltering your kids too! That's what we are supposed to be doing as parents. We are to serve as shelters for our children. Egads! You caught me - I am also guilty of feeding my children and allowing them to live in my house --call CPS! And yes, in case you are wondering, I realize that I am being very cheeky.
We are to protect our children - that is what parents are supposed to do. We have chosen to insulate our children as well. The world can be very scary and each family will have it's own comfort level with how much exposure they will allow to their children. We may have higher standards than most, but it has always been our goal to insulate our children from within. Actually, the better way to say it may be like this, we do not want to constantly go before our children and prepare the road for our children," but we do want to take the time and effort to "prepare our children for the road."
Think about it...really...seriously...think this through for me...our American culture and especially the government schools live, teach, and instruct a worldview of secular humanism. Our family does not believe in a secular humanist worldview. We are a Christian family, we have a worldview that is Biblical and Christian in nature. We only have our children for a very short time and we want to make the very most of that time.
Lastly, if we really appear to be too "sheltering" for you, please realize that we rarely make choices that we have not thought through. You may have made different choices for your family, including putting them away for government or private education. You may let them belong to every activity from sports to Scouts to Awana - we haven't. Again, these are choices you've made for your family. We have made our decisions...different...most likely...but they are ours to make.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
"Hey Fletch, don't you think you are sheltering your kids?"
Yes. Yes I do think I am sheltering my kids. Thanks for noticing. I hope you are sheltering your kids too! That's what we are supposed to be doing as parents. We are to serve as shelters for our children. Egads! You caught me - I am also guilty of feeding my children and allowing them to live in my house --call CPS! And yes, in case you are wondering, I realize that I am being very cheeky.
We are to protect our children - that is what parents are supposed to do. We have chosen to insulate our children as well. The world can be very scary and each family will have it's own comfort level with how much exposure they will allow to their children. We may have higher standards than most, but it has always been our goal to insulate our children from within. Actually, the better way to say it may be like this, we do not want to constantly go before our children and prepare the road for our children," but we do want to take the time and effort to "prepare our children for the road."
Think about it...really...seriously...think this through for me...our American culture and especially the government schools live, teach, and instruct a worldview of secular humanism. Our family does not believe in a secular humanist worldview. We are a Christian family, we have a worldview that is Biblical and Christian in nature. We only have our children for a very short time and we want to make the very most of that time.
Lastly, if we really appear to be too "sheltering" for you, please realize that we rarely make choices that we have not thought through. You may have made different choices for your family, including putting them away for government or private education. You may let them belong to every activity from sports to Scouts to Awana - we haven't. Again, these are choices you've made for your family. We have made our decisions...different...most likely...but they are ours to make.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Reader Comments (2)
Hello Fletch,
My wife and I are contemplating homeschooling for our family. We had our first baby 8 monthes ago...hey its never too early to start planning for the future! I was homeschooled in Montana where everyone thought my parents were crazy psychopaths. We lived in the mountains isolated from everyone, in a one room log cabin.. HaHaHa!! Just joking! it was fun to read your blog about being "isolated." Growing up, I was always asked about that aspect and frankly it was a non issue. I was involved with other things than just school. I played basketball and soccer with our homeschool team (we played christian schools and anyone else that would actually play us, mostly class C schools.) I formed friendships that have lasted my whole life.
Anyways, I just wanted to let you know I respect what you've had to say on your blog both about homeschooling and about Chirsianity. Good Job, keep up the great work!
Your Brother in Christ,
Travis
[...] Aren’t you sheltering your kids? – A close runner-up…and mostly from those within the church. I’ve found that most people are afraid to actually voice this question (but you know they are thinking it…). [...]