My name is Sheila and i'm mom to 5 kiddos (Two recently adopted from Uganda) and i send my kids to public school.
{{GASP}}
I sent them to school even when they barely knew English. Less than a month after being home and they have attached to our family just fine.
I have wrestled with this. Everyone i know seems to homeschool. If i read blogs on adopting the older child, they homeschool.
There is a pressure on Christian Moms. A pressure to explain why we don't homeschool or at least send our kids to a Christian school.
There is an even greater pressure in the adoption community, esp if you adopt an older child, on why you send your child to public school.
So why does our family send our kids to public school?
1. We know God is sovereign. He controls every little detail of our lives. Nothing i do is a surprise to him. Although, i do wonder if He face palms himself some days with some of my decisions.
2. I have never wanted to keep my children in a Christian bubble. We listen to Christian music. Most of my friends are Christians. We are actively involved in Church. My kids know nothing other than Jesus. Sending them to public school exposes them to the world.
3. When i was 12 years old I heard about this fun place to go on Weds nights called Awana. A local church's bus ministry came through my neighborhood to pick me up. I didn't grow up in a Christian home, but a little girl in a public school, invited me to church and my life has been changed ever since. I want my kid's to have the opportunity to tell another friend about Jesus.
4. I don't want to homeschool. At all. I don't feel called to do it. I have been on that horse once and vowed never to do it again. I felt as if i wasn't in the center of God's will even though "Good Christian Moms" are suppose to do this. I was miserable. My daughter was miserable. It lasted for a very short season.
5. I feel God calls everyone to different things in different seasons in our lives. Does this mean we will public school forever? No, but i have no doubt that we are in the center of God's will in this season.
6. I feel even if i make a mistake that God can right any wrong in my children's lives. Rom 8:28
7. We are a family of 7. Finances can be tight. My children love to play instruments and it's FREE in the public school. TOTALLY FREE.
8. I love to volunteer in the public school. There are so many kids that come from broken homes. I love to be in a classroom loving on a child that doesn't get any love at home.
9. I have had absolutely NO ISSUES. Nada. Not one. If anything has come up, the teachers were quick to resolve it. My kids haven't come home indoctrinated in the cult courtesy of Common Core.
10. I totally trust Jesus with my kids. I have seen Jesus send FABULOUS teachers/mentors/believers into my kid's lives. In school. In public school.
I have to trust that where i fail as a parent, God will fill in the gaps. Figuring out how to parent an adopted child through the public school system is daunting and at times, it's down right maddening.
Even when we fail, when we fall flat on our behinds, we can trust that God loves our children even more than we do.
That's a promise i cling too.
