It’s time!
Part 1 of a 5-part series on
Making Your School Decision.
Today, we get to hear from Regina, one of my mentors and founder of Titus 2 Mentoring.
I thought it would me most wise to start the conversation with a woman who has raised three boys – tried homeschool, public, and private. She is amentor, a friend, a wife a mom, a comforter and cheerleader to so many. Enjoy!
Part 1 by Regina
Oh, how I remember this time of year so well when my three sons were school age, praying about where each of them would go to school next year.
We never assumed that where they were that year was where they needed to be the next year, and we never assumed that what we did with one son is what we needed to do with the other two sons. Each child is unique, each year of their lives is unique, and your family circumstances for that year are unique.
When I’m meeting with young moms who I’m mentoring, I often hear the same struggles about where they send their children to school. Most of the times the struggle comes when they compare what they are doing with their children with what other families are doing. Some school choices seem more “spiritual” than other choices. It seems like comparing ourselves with other women is a common pit most of us can fall into!! God clearly talks to us about that in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”
Having the advantage of looking back (my sons are now 35, 33, and 30), here’s what I share with women in this decision making process:
1. Pray – The Lord knows the needs of your child better than you, has a plan for their lives, and loves them deeply.
2. Take each child by season – This is a year by year decision, not a life-long decision. What they need this year is not necessarily what they’ll need every year.
3. Don’t make your decision based on what others are doing – Your family, your child, your circumstances are all unique. Live free of the guilt caused by comparing.
4. Trust the Lord – God calls each of us to walk in faith and to trust Him for the outcome. Some of you will have to trust Him for provision to pay for a certain school you feel Him lead you to. Some of you will have to trust Him for the strength, skill and perseverance to home school. Some of you will have to trust Him to watch over, protect and place them with the best teachers for them as you put them in public school.
5. Wherever they are, remember you’re their main teacher and influencer. Be careful not to pass the responsibility that God gave to you, their mom, onto others. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
6. Once you’ve made the decision, rest in the knowing that your child belongs to God. He’s with them and will work in their lives to accomplish what He desires.
2 Timothy 1:12 – “for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
I pray God will use this decision making process to cause you to lean hard into your Savior’s arms and find Him totally sufficient to meet every need. And remember, He loves your child more that you ever could! – Regina
Thank you Regina! Such awesome advice! Here is what’s coming the rest of the week.Tomorrow, a child homeschooled K-12 will share her thoughts on homeschooling. Wednesday, I’ll share how we landed at the private school decision. Thursday, my friend Kelli (former public school teacher) and terrific mom of two public school kids will share her thoughts and experience thus far and Friday – my Ella’s Kindergarten teacher will write about Kindergarten readiness!
And a NO GUILT PLEDGE coming…. keep checking in all week! – Courtney
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