32;Annual;Print;Book;2014;•;Homeschool;Support;www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Help! My Teen Wants to
Attend;Public
School
By;Janelle;Knutson
If your teen is
struggling with
making;his;or;her
social life an idol,
then public school
is not the answer.
Homeschooling through the high school years provides numerous opportunities for parents to invest in the academic growth and spiritual maturity of their teenager, but how should
a;parent;respond;to;a;teen’s;request;to;attend
public;school?;Perhaps;your;teen;is;tired;of
being homeschooled and wants to venture out
into the world of public education. What do
you do?
First, remind yourself why you wanted to
homeschool your high school student in the
first;place.;A;high;school;education;at;home
provides;individualized;one-on-one;instruc-tion and allows for more time to develop your
teenager’s;unique;skills;and;talents.;Keeping
your high school student at home also provides more opportunities to strengthen family ties and to disciple your teen in spiritual
matters.;And;we;can’t;forget;the;importance
of a Christ-centered education; homeschooling through the high school years gives your
teen;the;Biblical;worldview;he;or;she;is;going
to;need;to;stand;strong;in;a;dark;world.
While;you;may;know;the;reasons;for;choos-ing to homeschool through the high school
years, you may have neglected to share that
vision with your teenager. Take some time
to;talk;with;your;teen;about;why;you;think
homeschooling him or her right now is so important.
If;your;teen;is;still;fighting;you;to;attend
public school, then start probing his heart to
determine what is driving his desire to leave
home and enter the public school system.
Here are three motivations to prayerfully consider when evaluating the heart of your child
and his desire to pursue an education outside
of the home.
First, for many teens, home can feel void of
the social excitement that is often associated
with public school life. While God created all
of us with a need for companionship, we need
to determine if friendships have become an
idol for our teenagers. Here are some heart-probing;questions;to;think;about:;Is;my;teen
spending;time;in;God’s;Word?;Does;my;teen
value the opinion of peers more than my opinion as his parent? From whom does my teen
seek;approval;more—God;or;peers?
