If;your;teen;is;struggling;with;making
his or her social life an idol, then public
school is not the answer. Instead, pray
that God would ignite a passion for Him-self;within;your;teen’s;heart.;Help;your
teen to see the value of placing a relationship with God above that of relationships
with peers.
For some kids, homeschooling does
produce a social void, and these teens
need help establishing healthy friendships.
While building friendships with siblings is
important, your teen might need one or
two friends outside of the home. Joining
a homeschool support group or co-op is a
good;place;to;begin.;Start;looking;for;fam-ilies within your church or homeschool
group;who;have;kids;your;teen’s;age;and
invite the entire family over for dinner.
That;way;your;whole;family;can;work;on
building;new;friendships;together!;Don’t
forget to remind your teenager of the
unique opportunity he has during these
years to grow closer to God.
Another;driving;force;behind;a;teen’s
desire to attend public school is discontentment with being at home. These
teens see home as a place for consumption rather than production. They want
to;break;free;from;the;confines;of;home
to experience the excitement they believe
public school has to offer.
If your teen seems lazy or unmotivated within the home, then perhaps
he is struggling with viewing the home
as;a;place;to;develop;and;utilize;his;in-terests and talents in a productive way.
Help your teenager discover God-given
interests that can be put to use during his
high;school;years.;Perhaps;your;daughter
enjoys;cooking;and;would;enjoy;prepar-ing meals for families in need. Maybe
your;son;has;a;talent;for;working;with;his
hands and could start a home business or
ministry helping neighbors and friends
with small projects. Does your teen
take;pleasure;in;art,;writing,;organizing
events,;or;working;with;computers?;Any
of these interests, through prayer and
with;God’s;guidance,;can;be;turned;into
useful;skills;for;business;or;ministry.;Let’s
give our teens the time and opportunities to develop their God-given interests
within our homes to be used for the glory
of God!
Finally, some teens view the public
school system as a place of academic
challenge;and;stimulation.;For;these;kids,
homeschooling may not challenge them
enough academically, creating what I
call;“academic;boredom.”;These;teens;are
bored;with;the;curriculum;and;a;lack;of
mental stimulation and challenging dis-
cussions. They see the public school as a
place full of peers and teachers who have
time to discuss and debate various con-
cepts;with;them.;Perhaps;Mom;and;Dad
are busy caring for and educating youn-
ger siblings and do not have enough time
to invest in the rigorous intellectual dis-
cussions their teenager needs, or perhaps
the curriculum itself is not challenging
enough.
Are;my;teen’s;God-given;interests;and;talents;going;to;be;cultivated
and;utilized;at;a;public;school?
