Avoiding Homeschool Pitfalls

Picture source

When we think of homeschool pitfalls, choosing the wrong maths curriculum or piling on too many extra-curricular activities might come to mind. However, Reb Bradley's article Solving the Crisis in Homeschooling raises some more significant issues. He writes of having self-centered dreams, judging others, focusing on the outward, lacking a kingdom view, and much more! It is a long article, but well worth considering in detail. I read this for the first time a couple of years ago, and the story of the homeschool Mum who was dying of cancer and wished she had not spent so much of her time making bread stuck with me! Reb's point was that we need to be careful not to just "go with the flow" of what other homeschoolers are doing, but to truly know what is important for our families. I am not in a position to know if there really is a "crisis" in homeschooling here or in the USA. However, I do know that the issues Reb speaks of in this article are real in Tasmania! I grew up homeschooled, and I often used to say that I would never do it myself. God has changed my heart, and we are now hoping to homeschool in order to be able to disciple Elnathan proactively to love God and others and develop his gifts. However, I am still deeply aware of the many pitfalls we could fall into as homeschoolers. I'd love to hear your thoughts (whether or not you homeschool) about what you see as the attitudes and ways of doing things that we need to avoid.