Do you have family or friends that are against homeschool?
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Most or everyone I know has dealt with this issue one time or another in their homeschool journey. Some more than others.
First, I need to let you know that I don’t believe homeschooling is a calling for every family. In fact, I know several homeschool families who should not be homeschooling and neglect to teach their children academics as well as life skills to adequately survive in this society.
When Your Friends and Church are Against Homeschool
But I want to give hope to the ones that have been called by our Lord Jesus to educate your children at home. Most who have a strong Christian faith will support the idea that homeschooling is a calling and if we choose not to submit to His will, we will be disobedient, and sin will result in our lives. If you are in a church or have friends that do not support your calling as a homeschool family, then find a new church and friends to hang out with. We attend a church with very few homeschool families, but we all accept each others callings.
Yes, I know that’s easier said than done, but you need to be worshipping and fellowshipping with believers who understand that educating your children at home is not an option for your family. Just like any other calling or ministry. Homeschooling is a ministry.
I suggest your tell your church and friends the reason for your separation in love and move on. It’s imperative you find a homeschool support group, so you can be encouraged by other homeschool families.
When Your Family Members are Against Homeschool
And I am not talking about your spouse. If your husband is against you homeschooling, stop immediately. As hard as this would be for any family, continue to pray for a change of heart in your spouse and make other education arrangement for your children. God is in the business of changing hearts you know! Don’t give up on prayer.
You can pick your friends, but not your family, right?
This is where your faith in Jesus Christ can only sustain you. You might tend to feel frustrated and even start to doubt your divine calling to homeschool your children when close ones question your calling. This is Satan, my friend. He wants you to feel inadequate and doubt yourself.
I am reading Crazy Love, and this quote really stuck out to me.
Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to the unbeliever.
It all makes sense now to me. Of course, I will be mocked for my servanthood to Him. We are to look at the things that pleases God and sometimes we have to do some things that costs our lives heartache here on earth, but our reward is eternity with the one who created it all. You must have complete faith in Him. We aren’t called crazy homeschoolers for nothing, are we?
Keep looking at the prize ahead my sweet homeschool sisters! May you continue to grow in faith and He will walk you through this journey one step at a time and protect you from the ones against homeschool.
Have you read the 7 Ways I Ruined Our Homeschool? Please don’t make the same mistakes I did.
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Please leave us a comment if you would like us to pray for your homeschool. There is power in prayer.
Please pray for our homeschool…we moved to a different state and we are now living in a small town where we are considered “odd” for multiple reasons(we homeschool , I’m the only single working mom….) and the majority of church members are pressuring us to put my kids in the local public school.We are homesick and trying to ignore all the talking done about us, but it’s wearing us down and making it harder and harder for us to keep pressing on to what we believe is God’s calling. for us….
praying for you…I know it is hard, but you are doing what God called you to do.
I of course want prayer for our homeschool. My husband, his family & mine are all very supportive, but I know that some days are worse than others. Some days things are frustrating for me & my children & then my husband gets all of it when he walks in the door :). Thank you so much for putting this out there for all of us that need to read the things that you have written! Many, many blessings!!!
Hi Doris,
I will be honored to pray for your homeschool. And I need to be much better about throwing it at my husband, too, when he walks in the door.
Thank you for this wonderful post. I would also like prayers. I am in a situation where no one, even my husband, supports my calling to homeschool. I was given a “trial run” this year with our oldest and it has been amazing. But for fear of being “weird” or having “those kids”, I’m getting pressure from all directions to stop. Please pray for us!
Praying for you, Sara. Please keep us posted. Have you joined our FB community yet? There a lot of supportive mamas out there.
Thank you Jill for this post. I am only in the beginnings of my homeschool journey (my oldest is five and will be in K next year), but similar to the post from Sara, I am not getting great support to start homeschooling. This is something I have known I have wanted to do for years, long before ever having kids and originally my husband supported this. Until recently when he started thinking I am not a trained teacher and might not be capable of homeschooling our daughter. But I loved what you said about God changing hearts if we keep on praying. So I will do just that in hopes God opens my husbands eyes and heart to how important it is for us to homeschool our girls. I would also love and appreciate any prayers for us as well, thank you!
Hi Jen,
I will be praying for your husband’s heart. However, I do believe you need to follow yoour husband’s lead even if he’s wrong(lol). Homeschooling without a supportive husband will only bring grief into the home.
That trained teacher things is nonsense. Look at all the trained teachers out there who are pathetic teachers.Don’t get me wrong, there a many, many good teachers out there following God’s will. Just remember…No one is going to love your children like you do.
Please keep me posted.
Jill
I understand I have always wanted to homeschool my Husben didn’t he wanted them in school. I signed him up for kindergarten he, took the test looked at the class. I prayed for my heart to change, I supported and respected my Husben. A week befor school stared he took him to the school to play so he could be use to it, when he came back his heart had changed, he told me we cool homeschool he wasn’t 100% for it! but he said things he saw he felt God change his heart. It has been 8 yrs now and he loves that we homeschool! And is very supportive, even helps with what coriculum. You are always your child’s #1 teacher even when they go to school,
This is a great post, thank you. Several years ago, we felt God calling us pull our kids out of public school to homeschool… which was WAY different than what I had ever planned. My church leaders (and very good friends) were extremely passionate about serving in the public schools and made it very clear how disappointed they were about my decision not to be “Jesus” in the public schools. We did not doubt they felt called to the public schools, but my children were THRIVING at home. We figured those leaders would come around, and time would change things. It took our family three more years to realize that we really would never get support from those people. We had to make a change, and it almost felt like a divorce!! 🙁 Our family had to grieve the loss. Six months ago, we found a graceful, loving church environment where I’m not even sure if anyone else homeschools… but it’s not an issue! The negative pressure is gone, and I’m kicking myself for not pursuing this change sooner. The lesson: Please have GRACE with people’s education choices, no matter what they are!!
Also, I look back and really wish I would have sought out a homeschool community sooner! It’s such a blessing and I’ve found great moms who are “ahead in the game.” I’m trying to be a sponge right now and learn, learn, learn!
Amy,
I am so sorry that your family had to go through that bitterness. It’s hard for me to understand when God calls us to do something that other Christians don’t support us. I have to question their walk.
And there are plenty of other places other than the public schools to spread the Gospel.
God will bless your decision as long as you follow Him.
Mama jenn, how are you doing?
I am a licensed teacher with one daughter who is a senior in HS, a 9th grader, and 6th grader. I started homeschooling the 9th and 6th grader this past year. The 9th grader has juvenile arthirtis and has not been able to attend school for health reasons. The 6th grader started home schooling for health reasons, but is now feeling much better. I want to continue to home school the 6th grader, but my family is not totally supportive. My husband is not out right unsupportive, but he is on the fence. My mother, who was also a teacher, was totally against it, but in some ways has opened up to it. I want to continue this journey, while helping my family understand that my kids can receive an excellent education. Both of my younger girls are gifted. I have purchased a math & LA curriculum for them both, but I also add on science and math from the web (Khan Academy, Sophia, YouTube). Please pray for us. I want to be able to eventually work and teach online from home, if that is the Lord’s will.
My husband is not a Christian like me and he doesn’t support my decisions ever. So even though you say stop in my heart and soul I know what I am to do. And that is to teach my girls from home. So with that said I am determined to do just that. I would like pray for my husband and his heart would come to know him and be soften with my decision I have made witch I know is right. I also have a mother in law and father in law against me. It saddens me. I am so set in my decision that I know if I lesson to them my world will fall apart. So I am going to do it. For me and for my girls. They are welcome to support me or not but will is so strong that no matter the out come of my decision I will hold fast to what God called me to do!! I would love pray because I to believe hole heartedly it is so powerful! ! Thank u liz
Hi,
Can’t believe I just found this blog. I am being called to homeschool and I just relocated to this state. My girls have been in this school since August and they are not happy. They are on the honor roll, but I have caught them crying on their way to the bus stop and they have had encounters at the school that have blown me away. The children in this school have been exposed to so much and my girls are uncomfortable. Crazy thing is we are living with wonderful family, as I am new here and needed to save to get my own home…after sharing my concerns with them, them watching me talk to my children, pray, etc. My relative said I can’t live here is I chose to homeschool. I was floored. The amazing thing is the week before this I saw a home for sale that was IN my budget. The owner of the home blew me away and shared that although she didn’t know me well she felt in her spirit that I was to have the home. She said I can move in anytime, she will put it in writing…and if I am unable to purchase I can rent for “whatever amount I can afford.” I was frozen. Didn’t make sense at the time but the relative said those words I was so peaceful. Please pray that resources come together for me to be financially prepared to move in. It is move in ready, new roof, new windows, alarm system…I will need furniture, so pls cover this with me. Single mom, in love with Christ, and my family. I believe homeschooling is “kingdom business.”
Tell friends and family my nightmare story. I had a shy but smart little boy. He was bullied and persecuted by the other children in public school. He kept this to himself of and just suffered through school. He came out of public school angry and depressed. He started drinking to cope with life. Now he is an alcoholic. That’s what public school did for him.