This isthe final article of athree- part series on the role of the mother in the homeschool. The first, in the Spring 2015
issue, discussed the mom’s roles as general manager of the household, the emotional center of the family, and as a role
model for her children. The second, in
the Summer issue, highlighted the various roles a mom plays when she is acting
as a teacher. This last section discusses
the roles played by older moms in the
homeschooling movement, as well as in
the community.
Our organization is called ARCHERS
for the Lord, or the Association of Re-
laxed Christian Home Educators. One
of our programs, The Titus Brigade, was
highlighted in the February 2012 issue
of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. This
program was the brainchild of a group of
older moms who began discussing how
much the movement had changed in the
past few years, and how much the youn-
ger generation was in need of mentoring
from those of us who had been around
for some time.
In Titus Chapter 2, the older moms are
told that their behavior should be “as be-cometh holiness”; that we should not be
“false accusers or given to much wine,”
and that we should teach the younger
women. The main thing we are told to
teach the younger women is to love their
husbands and their children, and to be
“keepers at home.” It also says we should
teach them to be discreet and chaste and
obedient to their own husbands.
All of these things sound easy, but in
reality they can be very tricky and can
make a woman crave some interaction
with those who have successfully run
the race. How is a woman supposed to
balance being “obedient” to her husband with her own desires, especially
when she feels led to homeschool, and
he doesn’t agree with that choice? How
about when she wants to be relaxed and
he wants her to be more structured, or
the other way around? How about when
he gets the chance at a really good job offer in another city, and she doesn’t want
to leave her church, her extended family,
her friends, or the great co-op she finally
found after months of searching?
If the answers were easy, there would
be no need for teaching, no need for
The
Relaxed
Home Schooler®
Mary Hood, Ph.D.
The Mother’s Role in
the Homeschool
Part III: The Mom as a Titus Woman
The main thing we are told to teach the younger women is to love their
husbands and their children, and to be “keepers at home.”
