What's Working for Us All

I have spent the last few days thinking about what I could write that's working for all of us since I've covered each camper individually this month. Finally today it came to be, just about an hour ago. 

Taking deep breaths and thinking things through is working for us. It's been an interesting month, the furnace has had issues, pipes have had issues, there's been several doctor's appointments, and due to paying some unexpected bills we've been really tight in our funding. But all of these things we made it through without much issue because we've taken them one thing at a time. Been quiet without yelling, prayed for guidance, taken baby steps, and made due.

This afternoon, however, my husband came home from talking with a friend of his to tell me an awful (but true) story. There is a counceler near our home who told a local mother that if she withdrew her child from public school (they can't afford private school) to homeschool the child, they'd see her in three months to remove the child from the home. On charges of child neglect, failure to educate, and some other legal jargon. The concealer then proceeded to say they'd get custody of the child until the child was at least 17 and if they had their way they'd take every child away from all homeschool families. Homeschooling should be illegal and if it were up to them it would be. Homeschool children are socially retarded and unable to cope in the real world. That homeschool parents simply want an excuse to not have to get up in the morning and not to have to bathe their children.

I was LIVID!

I am still angry. I am calming down but I am very very upset that such an attitude was thrown at a poor woman looking to do the best for her child. I think it reprehensible that a "professional" would threaten a mother like this. 

Daddy and I, however angry that we were, decided to do as many homeschoolers out there would have done and turned this into a learning experience for the children.

One of the councilor's question to this mother was, "Name me just five famous, or accomplished, people who were homeschooled."

Well, of course we all know that the information is easy to find. In less than one minute and a google search later we came up with a list of 18 and over twenty more Internet search pages with links to more. 

We spoke about discrimination of any group of people by any who are ill informed and how wrong this is.

We spoke about the negative connotations of the word "retarded" in any context.

And we prayed. We prayed not only for the mother who had been told this, not only for her child she was trying to do right by, not only for all homeschool families faced with similar situations, not only for all homeschoolers out there... We also prayed for the councilor who spewed this hatred and ill will out there.

I am glad that I live in this country and that I'm freely able to educate my children as I choose. I am glad that I have the backbone and the knowledge to stand up for people like this councilor. I am glad that I am able to teach my children the truth of the world. And I am grateful to GOD for all of this and so much more.

Linking up today with Our Busy Homeschool for Sharing What Works!!

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