{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"B\u1eafc Carolinians cho gi\u00e1o d\u1ee5c t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0","provider_url":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi","author_name":"Debbie Mason","author_url":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/author\/debbie-mason\/","title":"Homeschooling by Force, Fear, or Faith? - North Carolinians for Home Education","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"UPFZfRzPQX\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/homeschooling-force-fear-faith\/\">Gi\u00e1o d\u1ee5c t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 b\u1eb1ng v\u0169 l\u1ef1c, s\u1ee3 h\u00e3i hay \u0111\u1ee9c tin?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/homeschooling-force-fear-faith\/embed\/#?secret=UPFZfRzPQX\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"\u201cGi\u00e1o d\u1ee5c t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 b\u1eb1ng s\u1ef1 \u00e9p bu\u1ed9c, n\u1ed7i s\u1ee3 h\u00e3i hay ni\u1ec1m tin?\u201d \u2014 T\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c Ng\u01b0\u1eddi d\u00e2n B\u1eafc Carolina v\u00ec Gi\u00e1o d\u1ee5c t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0\" data-secret=\"UPFZfRzPQX\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/nche.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/nche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/c-1143-Carman-R-FFF.jpg","thumbnail_width":1143,"thumbnail_height":600,"description":"[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;2_3,1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.11&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;] Spring 2022\/Rachael Carman Twenty-six years\u2014that\u2019s how long it\u2019s been since we began this journey. And this May, we\u2019ll cross the finish line. We\u2019ll graduate our youngest. In the early days, it seemed like we\u2019d never graduate the oldest, but somewhere in the middle, time sped up, and the end is in sight. I cannot believe it. All those veteran moms who told me to enjoy every moment because it would go so fast were right. I didn\u2019t believe them when I had seven under thirteen. At that time, it was like our days were in slow-mo. The days and weeks lasted so long\u2014the progress was slow, the chores were endless, and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was out of sight. We began this journey through a series of circumstances that we would never have chosen. Thirteen days into the kindergarten year of our first child, we found ourselves in a disturbing situation. We thought we\u2019d done everything right. We\u2019d bought a house in the best district and gone to the meet the teacher orientation meeting. But the system failed us. Long story short, at the end of the first day of school, our son wasn\u2019t put on a school bus. And on the second day, he was put on the wrong school bus. He had a tag pinned on his shirt with \u201cBus 809\u201d printed on it, as prescribed by the school. We\u2019d done everything we were told. As a result of this situation, we did the unthinkable. We pulled our oldest son out of the local public school. ForceWe started homeschooling because we felt forced, much the same as many families who are starting now. Maybe that\u2019s you. You don\u2019t want to take on such a large commitment, but you feel like you have no choice. Perhaps like me, you\u2019ve made fun of or criticized homeschooling. I did. And I didn\u2019t do it behind their backs. I did it to their faces. To my shame, I told the moms I knew who taught their children at home that it was dumb. All these years later, as I think back on what can best be described as my ignorance, I didn\u2019t know one thing about why they were doing what they were doing. I didn\u2019t get it. Guess who I called when things got tough in our first year? Yup, those same moms I\u2019d criticized. I\u2019d been the dumb one. They were so kind to me. The years that followed were both bumpy and blessed. It\u2019s like we\u2019ve been on a roller coaster ride with an occasional break on the lazy river. FearMaybe you find yourself stepping out to homeschool because of fear. You are concerned about what\u2019s going on in the government schools\u2014the bullying, the indoctrination, the sexualization of children. You\u2019ve discovered that the schools of today aren\u2019t the same as the public school you attended, much less the school your parents attended. The revelation of the proliferation of anti-Christian influences in the curriculum has shocked parents. The normalizing of anti-American, anti-biblical, and anti-family instruction, as well as the influence of negative socialization within school hallways, during recess, and in the locker rooms, have many parents looking for alternatives to their local public school. No one likes to feel forced to do anything. And fear as an initial motivator isn\u2019t a bad reason to begin, but neither force nor fear will carry you to the finish line. We felt both when we started, but what emerged as we continued was much more meaningful and sustaining: faith. FaithGod used a frustrating situation that forced us to begin this journey, and drew us to Himself in ways we would have avoided. Before beginning homeschooling, I limited myself to doing only those things that I was proficient at doing. I participated and contributed when and only when it was easy for me, and I knew I could excel. That\u2019s not to say that I didn\u2019t enjoy a good challenge, but it means that I limited myself to my wheelhouse. I didn\u2019t venture far from my comfort zone. Homeschooling wasn\u2019t in my set of skills. That was a huge mistake. The walk of faith is all about stepping outside of ourselves, taking God\u2019s hand and heading out on an adventure with Him. That\u2019s what we did when we started homeschooling. Instead of joyfully taking God\u2019s hand, I think He did for me what I used to do with my willful two-year-olds. He took my hand and insisted that I follow. So I did. But also like a two-year-old, I didn\u2019t want to follow. Are you like this too? I get it. But here\u2019s the deal. It\u2019s been the best adventure ever. I\u2019m so glad, so grateful for His patience with me. I\u2019m grateful for His providential orchestration of the forced-into-homeschooling-adventure, along with all of my fears of totally messing up my kids. I would never have chosen this path, never. He knew that. But He also knew that I desired to grow in my faith and my relationship with Him. So the God of the universe, the Good Shepherd, the Lord of hosts, the King of kings, my Savior and my God, took me on an adventure, \u201cHe made me lie down in green pastures. He led me beside still waters, He restored my soul. He led me in paths of righteousness for His name\u2019s sake. Even when I walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I did not fear for He has been with me.\u201d (Psalm 23) Bottom line: I don\u2019t know where you are in your journey or why you\u2019re thinking about stepping out into homeschooling. Maybe you aren\u2019t sure either. Maybe you\u2019re finding yourself in a place you never would have imagined, and as the dust begins to settle, nothing is familiar. Welcome to the club. Don\u2019t panic. You\u2019re not alone. Take a moment and catch your [&hellip;]"}