Should I Public, Private, or Homeschool my Children, and What Does the Bible Have to Say About it?

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This is a big debate amongst Christians, and while many of you may know where I stand on this issue, I would warn you against reading blogs and such to support and justify your stance:  Not even this blog.  We need to be looking at the Word of God for our answers.  If the Word of God doesn't align with our decisions, we need to change them, not try and find another way to interpret the verses in God's Word.

With that being said, there is nothing specifically spoken about formal education.  When the Bible was written, parents taught their children....everyone "homeschooled."  Government had not come in to set up a standard, there were no licensed teachers, and there was no curriculum to go by.  You learned what your parents knew.

With that, you had some uneducated children.  For if you had lazy parents or uneducated parents, the children would likely be a byproduct of their raising from home.  Yet despite not knowing how to solve a quadratic equation, some mighty men and women of God were brought up.

Let me warn you: this blog post is not just for anyone.  This blog post is for Christian moms.  Even if you have not graduated high school...if you can read this post....you have enough education to train your children via homeschool.

However, most moms would not say they think they're incapable of teaching their children (for they would never swallow their pride long enough to notice an area they could be lacking in...which by the way, you can seek outside sources when homeschooling).  Most moms, in my experience, claim one of two reasons for not homeschooling their children:


1)  My children need socialization and not sheltering by their Mommy.

2)  I want my children to be a light in the public school system so that others may come to know Christ.


There are other reasons such as "having" to work and such.  However, if after this post you find that God is telling you that homeschooling is best for your children, He will make a way to supply your needs. It may take a lot of work and sacrifice, but God wants to see His children being obedient to Him.

I'm going to first address these two common reasons that I hear moms say they send their children to public school.  Then, we're going to look at the Bible...because my opinion really doesn't matter (although I like to think it does).  What matters is the opinion of whom we are trying to please and of whom WILL one day judge us based upon every single decision we have made in our short lifespan.


Okay, so let's address common excuse #1:

My children need socialization and not sheltering by their Mommy

This is an excuse I used even when I KNEW I would never have children.  I went to public school my entire life.  I tried to do what was right, and even though I was far from perfect, I managed to graduate without having ever had a drink, or a smoke, or sex, or anything of the like.  For most parents, that would be a successful child raising.

I knew some homeschooled children and they were socially AWKWARD...with all caps, because it was terrible.  I thought these children had to be soooo sheltered.  They were really, really weird.  Sure their grades were good, but honestly, if you can't communicate well with someone, or if you're so awkward when speaking to others...who is going to hire you anyway?

I was a social butterfly in school, so to me, this homeschooling concept was so foreign.  Why would anyone homeschool?!

As time went on, and I got to know these homeschooling kids better (through church groups, 4H, etc.), I learned that these kids were VERY socialized and not sheltered much at all.  They were actually around people ALL the time (far more than the average public school student).  They weren't awkward because they weren't socialized...I can't tell you exactly WHY they were awkward, other than, when I met the rest of their family...it just seemed to be in the genes.

So don't automatically assume that every homeschooling child you meet and is socially awkward, must be awkward due to sheltering.  It's not the case.  It's the parents.  In fact, I've seen many public school children this way too.  It's not the public school system either...once again, it's the parenting...

Let me also say, I would far rather my child be "socially awkward" than to expose them the wiles of the devil.  It's a no-brainer to me.

My previous view of homeschooling was a child sitting in a desk at home for 7 hours a day with no one but their siblings and mom...textbook on their desk...doing the same things I did...only without all of the "cool" people around me.  Boy did I have a poor vision of what homeschooling actually was.

Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that in some homeschools, the children would be better off in public school, but homeschooling is what the parents make of it.  You can make it exactly like public school, more like a private school, or you can make it completely different than everything you know.  There is no one set way to do it.  Once again, your child's failures and successes rest upon the shoulders of the parents (aka, the teacher).  If you send your children off to school, you will still be the one judged for what they are taught while they are there.  If you can't be 100% certain that your children are being raised in line with your personal family convictions....well then you might as well not have the convictions to begin with.  What would be the point?  You'd just be a hypocrite if you are believe one thing, but then allow your children to attend a school that teaches something contradictory.  The Spirit convicts us for a reason.  I may not be able to tell you what your convictions are, but if the Holy Spirit lays something upon your heart, you need to secure your family.

For example, we all know God is our Creator and we are not here by a big bang.  Yet, textbooks all across America are now teaching this to our children.  We teach our children one thing at home, and the teachers teach them something else at school (in private schools, this may not be as dramatic, but there is likely to be some conviction you have as a family that differs from even the best of Christian teachers).  I have seen dozens of children who have grown up in loving Christian homes, begin to believe in evolution and homosexual marriage because what they were being taught at school turned out to be stronger than what the parents were teaching at home.  They have 7 hours a day with your children to teach them their agenda.  Do you spend 7 hours a day unwinding the damage that is being done?  Why even risk it?  Our children's lives are too precious to do so.

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Sheltering is not isolation.  A homeschooling family should never isolate their children:

Acts 1:8

 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Mark 16:15-16
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 

In fact, no matter how you school, you should be following these verses individually, and as a family.  So if you see a homeschooled child being isolated, it's just as unbiblical.

Homeschooling does allow a few things to complete Acts 1:8 and Mark 16:15-16:

1)  You have more time when you homeschool.  Homeschooled children usually complete their schoolwork in half the time of public and private school children.  This allows more free time to actually go into the world and witness to others.

2)  Homeschooled children have the opportunity of watching their parents witness by example.  Let's face it, if you send your children off to school, they only have evenings and weekends to see you witnessing to others on a regular basis.  If they are not seeing this, you are sending them into the public school system without effectively showing them how to share the Gospel.  The Bible doesn't just say to "Go ye into all the world..."  Jesus didn't just leave it at that...if that were the case, public school would be superior.  But Jesus said to do that AND to preach the Gospel....

How can your children preach the Gospel if their parents have never taken the time to show them?  I would bet that most professing Christian children have never seen their parents go out and witness to a stranger...or maybe even close friend....and share the Gospel of Jesus.

Certainly, just because you homeschool, doesn't mean you do this, but it does allow for more opportunity since your children are with a parent all day long.  Suddenly, they are seeing mom by example, good or bad, instead of just hearing what should be done.

Maybe you're one of those very, very  few parents who really do this...so your child has seen and been taught how to effectively share the Gospel with their friends at school.  What about the part that says "to every creature?"

If you are tied down to a school, for most of the day, five days a week (usually 6 if sports are involved), how can you go into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature?  Certainly, Jesus wasn't saying that I personally have to share the Gospel with every person....but the church as a whole needs to witness to every creature.  However, we are limiting our world to a small building to share the Gospel with.  Are these people important?  Of course, but we could run into these same people in the grocery store and share the Gospel with them there, while also sharing with many other people in the same trip.


Excuse #2:

I want my children to be a light in the public school system so that others may come to know Christ.

Proverbs 4:14 & 15

"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."

Proverbs 1:10 & 15

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not...

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:"

The Bible clearly tells us to not even enter into the path of the wicked, and if you don't think schools are not full of wickedness, I think you need to really see what is going on.  Sure, some schools are worse than others, but just because one has "less wickedness" does not mean it lacks wickedness.  And these verses tell us CLEARLY to turn from it and run!  In my reading of Proverbs, I honestly could not justify sending my children to a place that would not allow me to teach my children the ways found in this book of wisdom.

Surely God knew that public schools would be the norm...even for Christians.  Yet all throughout the Bible, God has called us to a different path.  And you can bet in most situations, if we are on the same page as the rest of the world, we are not walking the straight and narrow path Jesus paved for us.

For some reason we have engraved into our heads that if we don't do the same things that unbelievers do; if we don't go to the same places, if we don't look the same way....we will never be able to witness to them.  I hear this a lot.  And honestly, I hear it from people who admit they don't go out and witness anyways!

We can witness to these same people when we see them at the grocery store, at the park, or at the post office.  We don't have to get to know someone really well to bring up the Gospel, but if you were to ask a professing Christian why they haven't witnessed to a stranger, they'd tell you they need to get to know them better so they can be their friend and bring it up.   But when you ask them why they haven't witnessed to close friends and family they say they haven't because they don't want a awkward strain in the relationship.

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Hmmmm.....that devil is sure a sly 'ole fox.

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Now if you think I sound controversial already, you haven't heard me yet.  I'm fixing to talk about a part of this whole thing that will make you uneasy in your seat.  Many of you probably already think I'm judgmental if you don't homeschool your children.  It's not so.  I just don't see how we can accomplish fulfilling God's Word by sending our children away for 7 hours or more a day:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

If we are not with them most of the day, the school is training them....not us.

So what about those really godly parents you know that have children who are not saved?  This is a hot topic to discuss.  I usually hear that the above verse means that if you train up a child right, it doesn't always mean he'll follow God, but that he'll always remember what he was taught.

My friend, I don't need a Greek/Hebrew dictionary to understand this verse.  That is NOT what this verse is saying.  This verse is clearly saying that in whatever way you train a child, good or bad, even when he is old and gray, he will still be on that path.

To think that I am some high and mighty parent that I am a better person than those godly parents that I know whose children rebelled would be a lutacris belief.  That's exactly what I'd be saying, though, if I were saying that I could send my children to public school and be certain they won't rebel.

Some of the godliest people I know sent their children to public school and lost their children.  I am not above them.  I know they did the best they could do.  I know they have regrets (as I already have in some of my decisions as a mom).  But by God's grace, He has shown me His Word and then given me live examples to watch in this area.

These godly parents taught their children at home, but they were no match for the influence of their children's peers and teachers.

Now, we do have freewill.  There is no doubt about that.  I can't force my children to love Jesus.

However, If I take my children out for a walk every single day for exercise, they may or may not do it when they are older.  On the one hand, I could take them walking and tell them how much my legs hurt and how I can't wait to get back in the air conditioned house.  In this case, despite the child being told and taught to walk every day, they will likely have a great distaste for exercise when they are older.  Why?  Because exercise has become a chore in their lives.  Sure, one day they could become a health nut, but it will be due to some other influence in their lives.  It won't be because mom was negative about what they should do!  But what if mom took her kids on a walk and stayed positive?  What if she pointed out all of the animals and sounds?  What is she told the children how walking will keep their body healthy and strong?  This child (unless other negative influences that the parents allow become stronger) will grow up with a love for exercise.

It's more than teaching your children Bible Songs to sing.  It's more than making them go to church every Sunday.  It's even more than Family Bible Time and going on mission trips.  We must SHOW our children JESUS first.  Once our children are saved, all we have to do is to give them the tools they need....the tools that are given to us in the Bible.  So many parents spend more time at their children's ball games than they do praying with their child.  We can't blame the raising of our children on "free will" when we are not being obedient to God's Word and taking our roles as parents seriously.

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.  Proverbs 11:14

What does this verse mean?  It means that if we are not surrounded by a MULTITUDE (not one or two friends who are saved) of counsellors, we are in danger of "falling."  We are sacrificing the safety of our children's future upon being with their "friends" for seven hours a day or so that we can have that extra job to live the lifestyle we want.  If we look at our hearts, we're not even really considering what God has said.  Maybe you've never even read any of these verses before.  I know that I hadn't read many of them.  Therefore, the decisions I thought I would make for my future children were based upon my judgments of what I thought was right.  It wasn't based on God's Word.  How dangerous that is for us to do.


Take a deep breath...stop screaming at me because you think I'm judging you.  Take me out of the equation.  Take a good look at your life right now.  Did you and your husband pray before sending your children to school?  Did you even consider homeschooling?  Was it done in prayer or was it done from a decision you made?

Now think for a moment that your life has ended.  Suddenly, all of that extra sleep we wanted doesn't matter, who won the state tournament is a blur,  and that fight you had with your husband has completely left your memory.  You're standing before an Almighty God getting ready to give an account for your decisions.  Certianly, we know we're human.  We know we have a long list...but in that moment...standing before God, we won't be thinking about how at least our sins are less than "so and so's".  We'll be thinking of how much we have disappointed our Creator.

If you want to homeschool, but your husband says "no" or is not completely on board, check out this post.

I may not get everything right in life.  If you read my other posts, you will see how open and honest I am about my miserable failures.  I talk about my struggles with gluttony, pride, contentment, selfishness, the list goes on for miles.  But someone took the time to introduce to me a better way.  Someone took the time to show me that we can raise our children according to the Bible without compromising even the smallest detail.  I just want to be that person for you.


If you go on to send your children to school, that is your decision.  It does not affect me.  It does not make me think I am better than you.  It does make me think that I have made a better decision in this area, but I'm sure you could point to ways where you have made better decisions than I.  In fact, if you do it in love, I'd love for you to point out a better way for me to do anything.  I won't be offended.  I WANT to do what is most pleasing and edifying, so if there is a better way, please tell me!

I encourage debate (as in educated, kind, and meant to persuade...not arguing) on this topic!  If you don't like what I said, please...let me know (kindly), but do so with Scripture backing up your opinion.  I don't care what you think about this matter...I care what God says.  At the end of the day, we may all agree to disagree, and that's okay.  But regardless of the topic, we all need to be sharing God's Word and applying it to our lives.  That's what I'm doing here.  I hope that regardless of the issue, you will make no decisions based upon feelings or what you think God would say...let's do it all by seeking His Holy Spirit and seeking the answers in His Word!

May we shoot our arrows farther than we were able to go ourselves.  I want my children to be a better mom, Christian, wife, and servant than I will ever be.  I want them to go farther...and that training starts now...it starts at home with me.