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Exploring Schooling Options: Public vs Private vs Homeschooling · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's August, and for this month we are focusing on all things school, tips for helping our children get ready to go back to school.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Today's topic, we're going to be discussing different points of view on schooling for our children, public versus private versus homeschooling.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd love to hear what your family does as far as schooling.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: At the top of the podcast notes, it says text me, so just click that to send me a quick text with your answer.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Include your kids' ages, and if you want to add your name, that's fine, but otherwise it's anonymous.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: So when our daughter was growing up, we did all three: public school, homeschool, private school.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: She was in a Christian preschool, a public kindergarten in first grade, but when she started having stomach issues and didn't want to go to school in second grade, I knew something was wrong because our daughter was very social and love school.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: After she was diagnosed with ADHD, I decided to homeschool her for second grade.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a former teacher and I have a master's degree in education focusing on learning disabilities.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I felt that was the best option.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: But that was 30 years ago, and homeschooling was not nearly as popular and did not offer all the wonderful curriculum, programs, and social opportunities available today.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: But we were part of a small homeschool group of moms that alternated teaching once a week.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: We went on field trips together and did some other things.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: And since my husband worked from home and I was not teaching, it also gave us an opportunity to do things together as a family during the week.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: We also sent her to a private school for her later elementary and junior high years.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: When she was ready to go to high school, we decided as a family to let her go to our local neighborhood high school.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Two reasons.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: We were in an excellent school system academically, and the school offered many opportunities for her to follow her passion and her interest in theater and drama, which she also later pursued in college.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, the culture was not so anti-Christian as it is today.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So we're going to look at some comments I've seen from parents with their rationale for their schooling choices.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, homeschooling.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: There are a variety of reasons parents choose to homeschool.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: They can spend more time together as a family.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: They can provide a godly worldview that's woven throughout their education and learning experiences.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: They can provide more opportunities for their children to pursue what they are interested in.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: They can address both strengths and weaknesses on a one-to-one basis.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: They can adapt instruction to their child's specific learning style.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: And the current culture in public school is so anti-Christian that parents don't want their children exposed to that.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: They believe that it's important to shelter their children from the bad ideas of the world so they can build a solid foundation before sending them out to fight the false ideologies that are thrust upon them by society.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: When I homeschooled some 25 years ago, the public schools were academically good and the culture was not anti-Christian.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: But I needed to focus on helping my daughter learn how to manage and succeed in school in spite of her ADHD.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, she has a very high IQ and graduated college with a master's degree, and she is doing great in her career.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the positives include the school you choose will most likely support your worldview.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Most private schools usually have high academic standards, but some drawbacks are they have a cost factor which can sometimes be very expensive.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: They often have a waiting list, and most of the time you are responsible for getting your child to and from a private school.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: The third choice, public school.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Some parents express that if children are grounded at home in the truth and have been raised with strong Christian values, being in a public school can make them stronger and help them face the untruths and learn how to fight against them.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: They also say they receive real-world experience standing up for their beliefs.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: It allows them to be leaders among their peers and be a light to them.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: It also prepares them for college and the world that they will face when they become adults.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: But no matter what your choice you make, all parents agree that sending your children into the world unprepared to face the ungodly culture today will be devastating for them unless they are prepared.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: As parents, you are your child's primary teacher, supporter, and encourager.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: As a family, take time to pray together and seek God's answer for your children.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Again, please go to text me at the top of the show notes and let me know what your choice is for schooling your children.