On Education: The Butcher and The Milkman

One of the major questions that has been on our minds this last year is how we're going to educate our firstborn son next year. On the one hand, we're involved in a great little classical christian school that is very affordable and absolutely wonderful. Isaac has spent two years of preschool there and we've been very happy with the outcome.

However, we also know that we live way out in the country, we're going to have another child in two months and I literally am not superwoman. I wish I was...I'm just not. If I could "beam him up" to school every day and back home again that would be wonderful. Nevertheless, it's just not possible. And I don't know how I can expect my three other children to spend hours in the car every day just so that their brother can go to kindergarten. Don't ask me about the elementary school in our area (which isn't even that close)...it's out of the question.

So what to do?

One thing I've generally found is that people can get all tied up in a wad over their decisions about where to send their kids to school. What works for one family might not for another and really, when it comes down to it, it's the parents' responsibility to make the best decision they can for their children and family. Homeschooling can be a great and viable option for some and not for others. And some choose to do it for a time. That very well might be us next year. However, the type of schooling is a method that parents choose for their child...the principle is that the parents get their child schooling in the best situation they can offer to them.

And coming from a family that earns its bread and butter from teaching in the classroom, we can't say that we don't believe in it. That would be like the milkman feigning lactose intolerance because he secretly doesn't like dairy or a butcher being a vegetarian simply for conscience reasons. Pretty hard to swallow if you ask me. I want my milk and meat to come from someone who believes in what they're doing and cares about the outcome. If they don't, I might end up with salmonella or moldy cheese. And knowing my husband like I do, he takes his job quite seriously. Plain and simple--he loves it.

I don't know where that leaves us. We're still wrestling, still asking God, still seeing where He will lead us. But I hope whenever we make the final call, that we'll be willing to negotiate in the future if need be and that we'll be able to see that this decision is good for us and not necessarily for everyone else.