Homeschooling Kept Me from Rebelling ~
Written by Rebecca Lindenbach of Life as a Dare.
Many people think teenage rebellion is inevitable.
I say it’s not. I never rebelled.
I recently wrote a book, Why I Didn’t Rebel, where I delved into interviews and research to figure out what parents of kids who didn’t rebel did right. And something I’ve come back to again and again is the role homeschooling played in my own story.
I was homeschooled from the first grade through my first year of university, and today I want to share with you five ways that homeschooling helped me avoid teenage rebellion.
Homeschooling Kept Me from Rebelling
1: My whole life didn’t consist of high school
When you go to high school, it’s easy to let school become the main part of your life. You spend 40+ hours a week with the same people, and whether or not you fit in matters — it can make high school great or terrible.
School wasn’t my whole life. There was no reason to rebel because there wasn’t that constant pressure to impress. Instead, I was involved in activities that led to friendships that spanned across continents, not just classrooms.
Because I had a larger world view, I saw that life was bigger than four years of high school. It was easy to turn down opportunities to party or drink, because what was the point?
2: I worked
A huge part of the reason I was responsible throughout high school was that I worked. That is hands-down one of the best opportunities homeschooling gave me.
I worked at a YMCA during seniors’ hour. I spent my time chatting with 85-year-old women in my AquaFit classes, or hearing stories from a retired pastor.
A great thing about homeschooling is that kids aren’t strictly organized by age; you have the opportunity to meet people at all stages of life.
That makes your world so much bigger — what 16-year-olds around me were doing didn’t matter to me much, because I saw what life was going to be like at 25, 45, and even 75 years old. Working gave me that.
3: It was easier to talk to my parents
Most kids who go to public school are shuttled around all day between school and activities. You leave at 7 a.m., get home at 3 p.m., go to soccer for 4 p.m., and then rushed to youth group — but where does family time fit into all of that?
Because I was homeschooled, we had a lot of time to just do nothing together.
Time to do nothing together is more beneficial to the parent-child relationship than shuttling them to and from school and activities. That’s because when you’re just hanging out there’s no pressure to perform. You can just be you, and you know your parents are enjoying your presence.
With homeschooling, this time together happens naturally.
We didn’t need to carve out time for each other—it was just there. And as a result, talking to our parents came incredibly easy to my sister and me.
4: I was separate from the party atmosphere
Now, I wasn’t sheltered from partying in the least. In the small town I grew up in, everyone partied. I knew many who drank or smoke most weekends.
But homeschooling naturally removed me from that scene by protecting me from high school culture.
5: We were naturally part of each other’s lives
Most importantly, because of homeschooling, everything we did impacted each other. My bad mood impacted my mom; my mom’s great news meant we all celebrated. Everything we did had a greater significance than just how it affected us — and that impacted how we made decisions.
From the interviews I did for my book, I found that many kids who rebelled felt that their lives were separate from their parents’ lives. They had a mentality of “It’s my life,” or, “I’m the only one who’s going to get hurt, so what’s the problem with it?”
That was not the case in my family, nor was it the case for other families with kids who didn’t rebel. In our family, I knew that what I did wouldn’t only affect me — it would also significantly impact my parents and my sister.
We didn’t live separate lives of “parent” and “child” — we were simply Rebecca, Sheila, Keith and Katie. We had our roles, but we were people first. And homeschooling is what gave me the time with my parents that I needed to be able to see that they, too, would be affected by my decisions.
Homeschooling is one of the best things my parents could have ever done for me. My husband and I are even planning on homeschooling our own kids, someday!
But the number one gift that homeschooling gave me was a family where I belonged and against which I didn’t have any need to rebel. I’ll always remain grateful for that.
A note from Jamie: If you’ve ever wondered if teenage rebellion is just a given in today’s society, you need Why I Didn’t Rebel! I’ve read it and my 13-year-old son, Jonathan, has as well. We both loved it and found Rebecca’s story inspiring and her tone encouraging.
She also includes many stories from other teens–both those who have stories of rebellion and those who don’t–and she analyzes the home environments/lifestyle choices they grew up with to see what parents can learn from it. Highly recommended!
What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!
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This sounds like a great book! My kids are 5 and 8, and this is our third year homeschooling. Thanks!
My kids will be turning 9 yo on Saturday and 5 yo on Halloween, respectively. We are in our 4th year of homeschooling. I’d love to read this book, as I feel like the teen years are speeding toward us rather like a runaway train.
I’m very interested in reading more from this author’s perspective. I’ve often equated rebellion with the natural stage of becoming independent, but maybe not!
My boys are 10, 8, and 5, we’ve been homeschooling for five years.
This is so encouraging!!! My kids are 9, 8, 6, and 2 months old. I’m one of those that believes that we all homeschool from the beginning so we’ve been doing it for 9 years:). I will say though that we started doing a form of Joyschool and some learning activities at home at age 2 with the oldest and she also did a short time in a preschool to help us determine whether we would homeschool or public school. As the others came into the world they jumped in as well and we absolutely love it!!!
This sounds like a very interesting read! My kids are 15,11,9,6,4,1. I’ve been Homeschooling for 11 years. Thanks!
My daughter is 10 and is the only child the house now as siblings have grown up and moved on. I have worried a bit about rebellion from her as a teen because she’s growing up alone. She’s active in ballet, choir, etc and makes friends easily. I think your book is a must for me! Thank you for writing it and giving encouragement to so many!
My kids are 6, 4, and almost 2. This is our second year homeschooling.
My kids are 8,5,3 and 1 and we have homeschooled since birth!
My kids are 14 and 11 and I’ve been homeschooling my son for six years and my daughter for four.
Sounds like a great book! This is our first real year homeschooling our 5 year old son, and we have another son on the way!
My five kids range from 10 to 1. We have been homeschooling from the beginning.
Thank you for this great opportunity to win this book. My kids are 24, 19 & 12. My oldest 2 went to public school, and I’ve homeschooled my 12 yr old since 2nd grade. I would love to dive into this book, sounds like a great read!
This is our sixth year homeschooling, and my kids are 11, 10, and 4.
This is a very interesting book that I would love to read. My wife and I have three boys: 5, 2, and 6 months. And she has been homeschooling for 2.25 years. We love it so far, and a big part of our decision was your blog. Thank you! And keep up the good work =).
My kiddos are 13 & 10 & this is our 7th year homeschooling. 🙂
2nd year homeschoolers here. Kids ages are 10 & 13
11, 9, 6, 4, 10months
Homeschooling 5 years
This book sounds awesome! I have three children, ages 7, 5, & 4, and we have been homeschooling for three years now!
My daughter is 11 1/2 and thus is our 5th year homeschooling.
This article is amazing and gIves me hope for the teenage years.
Would love to read this! Our kids are 18 (graduated this spring), 15, 10, and 6. They’ve all always been homeschooled.
Good Stuff! I’ve been wanting a copy of this book since I saw it posted on Rebecca’s mom’s site. I follow her mom, Sheila, on social media and appreciate her ministry too! My kids are 24, 8, 7, 3, and 11 months.
We’ve been homeschooling for 5 years.
Thanks!!
Great post! My kids are 16, 13, and 11. We’ve been homeschooling the past five years. Welcome to year six!
My kids are 11,10,7,5,3 and 1. We have been homeschooling for six years. I am a second generation homeschooler and I also didn’t rebel!!
This book sounds like a great and beneficial read. My kids are 4 and 7, we’ve been homeschooling from the start as neither was ever in school but counting from the start of junior kindergarten will make it four years for my eldest child.
My kids are 7, 5, 3, and 6 months. This is my third year homeschooling. I’m very interested in the author’s research – look forward to reading her book!
Im looking forward to reading this book! Ive been homeschooling from the start…depending on when you count it. Four years if you start from Pre-K. I have found kids ages 8, 5, 4, & 1
June’s latest post: Spanish Lessons for Kids from the Comfort of Home
Looking forward to checking out this book! My kids are 11, 10, 8, 6, & 4. I’ve been homeschooling for 6 years – since the beginning. Thanks for the giveaway, Jamie!
My little ones are 6, 4, 2, and baby. We just started our second year of homeschooling.
My oldest is just starting 9th grade. I also have an 11, 7, and 4 year old. We have homeschooled all the way through. This sounds like an interesting book.
I would love to read this!
My kids are 9, 7, 4, and 2. We’ve homeschooled for 3 years. Thanks for this giveaway!
My daughters are preteen age(I cannot disclose exact ages) and this is our first full year of homeschool. I pulled my girls out of private school last year after Christmas. I had broken my leg and couldn’t work, and homeschool had been something I had wanted to try. I figured since I couldn’t work it was the perfect time to try. This is our first full year now, and it was going a little rough at the start, but I think we are getting used to it now.
My foster son is 10 and we have been homeschooling off and on for the last 2 years. We would love to read this book as this is probably the most serious concern I have for our future due to the incredibly toxic youth atmosphere in our neighbourhood.
My kids are 5, 9, and 11. This is our 6th year homeschooling.
My kids are 6, 3 and 1 and we’ve been homeschooling since birth! Looking forward to reading this!
sounds like a great read!
2 boys 14 and 11. We have been homeschooling for 10 years.
This looks like a great read! My children are 7 and 10 years old. I’ve always homeschooled them. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m not looking forward to the “rebellious” teen years, maybe this book could make the difference. I have an almost 8 year old and a 10 year old. This was our third year.
Thanks for the giveaway–it sounds like a great book. My kids are 5 and 7 and this is our 3rd year of home schooling.
I am also a homeschool graduate who is ever so thankful, and this post really resonated with me! I have 2 children with #3 on the way, and I have been homeschooling them since my oldest was in preschool (on our 7th year now!)
My boys are currently 9 & 3, and we have a daughter due in a few months. ????
Our girls are 12, 10, 7 and 4 and we love home schooling. We’ve been home schooling for 7 yrs (from the beginning). I was homeschooled and didn’t rebel. Her reasons resonate with my experience. I’m so thankful for how much time my mom spent with us every day. We are still close. Can’t wait to read this book! ????
My children are 10,7, & 4. This is our first year homeschooling.
Sounds like a great book. My kids are 5 and 9, and this is our fifth year homeschooling.
I just love this perspective! As a future homeschool mama of a 3 and 2 year old these are the types of issues we are interested in learning more about and preparing for!
I have six kids, 12, 11, 8, 6, 6, and 2. I homeschool the five oldest and this is our 8th year of homeschooling.
This is my second year homeschooling my three kids 🙂 They are 14, 12 & 10
I would love to read this!
My three are 11, 10, and 8. None have ever been to school, but I’ve been following a homeschool curriculum for eight years. The relationship with my eldest son (and the younger two) is currently great, and I would love for that to continue.
My kids are 17, 15, 13 and 10. We have homeschooled the entire time. This is our 13th year. My oldest son will graduate this year from home. He’s never been to school.
I have 4 kids aged 16,14,12, and 9. We are in our 10th year homeschooling!
My kids are 12, 8, and 6. I’ve been homeschooling for 7 years.
Our kids are 15, 12, 10, and 3. We’ve been homeschooling 10 years.
I love the point that her whole world wasn’t high school. Even though I went to public school, I felt that wasn’t my world and built it with my family and church. That definitely kept me from rebelling.
I currently have one kiddo, aged 9. We’ve been homeschooling 2 and a half years now.
I have a 4, 9, and almost 11 year old. We’ve been homeschooling for 2 years.
My kids are 7,4,2 and we have been homeschooling 3 years.
Sounds very interesting and good to hear your son enjoyed it too. My children are 14, 12, and 9 years old. We have been homeschooling for 9 years now – basically, the whole way through after we tried kindergarten (age 5) for my youngest for 3 months and knew it would not be a good fit for our family rhythm. Thanks for the guidance and support of your work and website along the way.
We have 25, 21, and 19 yr. old sons who have graduated our homeschool. At home we have 15 yr. old boy/girl twins and a 9 yr. old girl. This will be our 20th year homeschooling!
Would love to hear more about Rebecca’s research! Our kids are 14, 12, 8 and 5. Although we are not homeschooling, I always try to incorporate homeschooling ideas into our lives.
Thanks!
Our kids are 10, 8, 6, 5, 3 and 1. We have been homeschooling for 6 years. We would love to read Rebecca’s research. It is a constant debate as to which environment is best for our kids.
Love this!!! My girls are little – 4 and almost 2 but we are doing homeschool preschool and hope to continue for years!
My kiddos are 9,8,7&3 and we have been homeschooling for 5 years!
My kids are 15, 13, 11, 9 and 3 months old! We have been homeschooling since the beginning. So 10 years. This is a very interesting topic!
I don’t need to be in the drawing, I plan to buy the book 😉 … but this sounds awesome, and I’m so grateful she has written this book. Thank you, Rebecca!
Kids : 13,10&7
We have always taught them at home
This looks like a great book! This is our 9th year homeschooling.
Our children are 13, 10, 9, 6, 4, 3, & 1.
Homeschooling from the beginning with a 6 and 9 yr old. The book looks great.
My husband and I retired from many years of public school teaching and took our 12 year old with us. This is our first year homeschooling. We are trying to learn from those who came before us.????
My son is almost 14. We started homeschooling in 2016. So this is our 2nd yr. He’s in 8th grade. We’re still learning all about homeschooling. A little nervous about high school next yr.
This sounds really interesting. My kids are 10 and 8, and we’ve been homeschooling from the beginning. We’re entering our 6th year.
Sarah M’s latest post: September Titles // 2017
My kids are 15, 13 and 11 and we have been home schooling since the start. Love this blogpost. It really resonates with me, since I was home schooled for most of my life and didn’t feel the need to rebel either.
My kids are 7, 6, and 2 and neither of the older two have ever been to school.
how interesting! I have one child, age 7, the only school we’ve done is homeschooling.
I am so interested in reading this – not only ffrom the perspective of me as “mom”, but also me as a daughter that rebelled. I will read anything that helps to prevent my son from doing the same. Thanks for the opportunity.
I am so thankful that such research has been done and such a book written, helping to break down the stereotypes of homeschooling and the teenage years – homeschooling being seen as socially undesirable and disadvantaging kids, and assuming teenagers being rebellious is ‘normal’.
I have been homeschooling my two daughters (aged 13 and 9) for the last 3 years and loving it!
This speaks to my heart’s desire… our children are 11, 8, 4, 14 months, and in Jesus’ powerful name due January 8th with our fifth baby. We are homeschooling for the 6th year and feel called to continue through the end of high school. May God bless this book!
My son is 6. I haven’t started homeschooling yet, but getting ready to. Would love this book!
This book sounds intriguing! My kids are 11, 9, 7, 5, and 3. We’ve been homeschooling for 5 years.
I always wondered why rebelion happens.. my boys are 8,4 and 6 months. We homeschool for three years.
My kids are 11, 6, and 2 and we have been homeschooling for 8 years.
Wonderful read! My kids are 7 and 3 and this is my second year homeshooling my oldest.
My kids are ages 12, 10, 7, and 4, and I’ve contemplated homeschooling for a few years now, and will soon make the leap. This book sounds incredible and like it touches on many reasons I WANT to homeschool!
It’s an interesting perspective. However, my children were educated in the public school system and never rebelled. As impossible as it may sound, none of my children have ever told me no and they are ages 22, 18, and 6. I don’t think the key is the homeschooling, but rather having the solid base of family life that consists of adults who are truly present, model values and teach communication from day one, set expectations for responsibility through both chores and/or work outside them home, and provide ample family time. These are many of the things that most families who homeschool provide their children. I know many kids who didn’t rebel in high school; they were many of my childrens’ friends sitting at my dining room table on Saturday nights playing board games. Becoming an individual who is ready to move on from parents to a college or work setting is not rebellion. It’s a natural stage that can be accomplished with respect from both parents and children. I think whether one chooses homeschooling or public/private school for their children, there are behaviors parents can choose that foster the process of transitioning to adulthood without rebellion.
Great post and great idea for a book! My four siblings and I were homeschooled as well–and none of us rebelled. Neither did my husband or any of his four siblings. Being treated as mature individuals who were given increasing responsibility and reasons for any behavior expected of us was definitely an important cause of that, in all our minds. And our experiences have led all 9 of us who have children to homeschool as well. 🙂
My own children are 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and about to be born, and we’ve been homeschooling from the start.
My kids are 22, 16, and 7. We pulled my oldest out of school after first grade and have homeschooled ever since. I’d have to do math to figure out the number of years- lol!
My daughter is 13 years old. This is our second year of homeschooling. I am very interested in reading this book and also sharing it with my daughter.
I have a 12, 10,8 and 5. I have been homeschooling 8 years.
My kiddos are 9, 11, and 13. This is my 6th year to homeschool! I’m intrigued by this book concept!
I have 3 boys still at home..16,14 and 12 year old. this is our 9th year homeschooling.
I saw your book via another source and went to Amazon to put it in my cart. I am looking forward to reading it. I have five kids ranging from 22 to 3. We have been homeschooling since the eldest was in the third grade, so around 14 years now.
I would love to read this! My girls are 5 and 7, and this is our first year homeschooling.
I have one child, and she is 17!! We love how homeschooling has been a unifying effort for our family. So grateful!
This book looks amazing! My kids are 10, 7, and 5. We have been homeschooling for 5 years.
Wow what’s a great book! We have 10,7,5, and 18 months. We have been homeschooling for 5 years.
Thank you for this. As a public school student involved in everything and always pushed to be, I did see my life as separate from my family. I often felt like my parents wanted me to be busy or gone. And being surrounded and supported by only same age peers does give a sense of being invincible. I want everything you wrote for my son!
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My kids are 11, 9, and 6 and we’ve been homeschooling for three years.
I can’t wait to read it! So interesting. I am a second generation homeschooling mom with six kids (seventh coming in January) ages 10, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1, and we have homeschooled since the beginning. I am also so grateful now that my parents were brave enough to homeschool when it was incredibly unpopular…it was a huge gift!
There are two major things that pop to mind when I see something like this:
1) It ignores the benefits that come from “rebelling” – and “rebelling” doesn’t have to be in a form that is against one’s parents, but there are many times when having the strength and convictions to rebel are needed and important – and one often develops that strength during their teen years. (Also- at 22, you aren’t beyond the point of suddenly deciding you’d like to “rebel.” Your prefrontal cortex may not be fully formed until about 25- so there is that.
2) You are using one case study – your own, to draw major conclusions. There are many people where if they were home-schooled might find more reason to rebel rather than less. To draw this type of conclusion primarily from your own experience is extremely limited. (I am not against homeschooling – just poor reasoning.)
Thanks for those great thought! My kids are 9, 6, + 4. We’ve been homeschooling for 9 years because it starts at birth and is a way of doing life together ???? thanks.
My daughter is 13, and we’ve been homeschooling for 5 years 🙂 Thanks for offering this giveaway!
Your timing of this post is awesome! It was needed after yesterday’s thoughts and concerns about our teen. Thank you.
Hello, we have been homeschooling for 8 years now. I have 2 daughters ages 12 & 10.
My kids are 8 and 4. This is our first year of homeschooling. This topic and book is very interesting to me because in my husband’s culture, children don’t have the same level of rebellion as had been typical in the US.
I have 2 girls, ages 6 and 3. This is our 2nd year homeschooling (1st full year because we took it very easy the first year).
My kiddos are 2, almost 5, and 7. This is our first “official” year of homeschooling, but we’ve taken advantage of many learning opportunities for the last few years. 🙂
What perfect timing!! I just had a conversation two days ago with my own father, about my decision to homeschool my two girls (ages 5 & 10). He literally told me that if I continue to homeschool, they will probably rebel when they are in college. This article couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. As a first year homeschool mom, there are so many insecurities and doubts as to whether we are making the right decision. Thank you for the vote of confidence and reassurance!
Our children are 22, 21 and 9. Neither of our grown children rebelled and we have wonderful relationships. They have become more like friends now and I couldn’t be happier. We have homeschooled their whole lives. I love reading things that confirm our very important choices to do what we believe is the best for each of our families.
This sounds really interesting! My kids are 9,7,5,2, and we’ve been “homeschooling” for 5 years! Thank you!
I’d love to read this! I have a 10 year old DD, 8 yo DS and 18 mo DD. I’m in my 7th year of homeschooling.
I would love to read this. Our kids are 8, 6 and 4 and we have been homeschooling for 4 years.
I hope I win a copy of this book! My kids are 4 and 6 and we are considering homeschooling them. Best regards!
Christine McEvedy from new Zealand,
October 18-10-17,
My 3 girls are now 20 years old & working,17 yrs old for whom I am her Teacher Aide as she has Down Syndrome and my youngest who is 14 yrs old.
The teenage years bring their own challenges and I feel very encouraged& inspired to read your book’s introduction.
Thank you!
My children are 19, 15, 12, 9, and 6. I have been homeschooling from the beginning. It would be lovely to share to book with my spouse and children! Homeschooling hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t change the choice for anything!
Please can I share this post on my homeschool moms’ group? I know they would be SO blessed by it!
We have 10 and 12 yr olds that are homeschooled and 17 and 19 year olds that weren’t (they haven’t rebelled) but I’d love to read this book and glean from her insight.
We have 5,7,15,17,22 and 23 year old. We have been homeschooling for 16 years.
Hi!!! My son is 6 year old and we are homeschoolers. I know he is still a child, but I’m always thinking how to be a better mom and of course a better homeschooler mom. I have some firms ideas about what I want for his high education and I’m already thinking about rebelling and teenagers. I think this book would be of great help to find our own path through those difficult years.
Our daughter is 11 and this is our 4th year of homeschooling. Coming upon this blog post is so timely as I just had this discussion with a friend yesterday.
I homeschool 3 of my 4 kids, and I am new to this. Their ages are 13, (10 – she goes to charter school), 7 and 3. I’m looking for some guidance!
Check out Pam Barnhill’s website & podcast as well as Read Aloud Revival.
https://pambarnhill.com/start-here/#start_new
Read a lot and don’t do too much to start. Give yourself time to find your groove.
Trust your instincts and try not to worry too much ????
Sarah Badat Richardson’s latest post: The ride IS your life!
Our children are 17, 14, and 4 (our 20th anniversary surprise 🙂 ). We’ve homeschooled from the start and this is my 13th year homeschooling. Thank you for this giveaway! The book sounds great.
13, 13, 12,10,8,7,5.
9 years of homeschooling
We have a 14 yr. old. I loved this issue of Simple Homeschool. This book sounds wonderful. Thank you for giving it away to someone.
What an inspiring story and a glimpse into the future as we are at the beginning of our homeschool journey, it sounds like an encouraging read!
I never rebelled either. Not to say I never had issues with my parents…I just didn’t see the reason and I worked and had responsibilities. My parents were strict, but not too strict. I pray my children will feel the same way …that they are loved and can talk to us. Thanks for the great post.
My kids are 16, 13 & 10. We have been homeschooling for 6 years. I would love to read this book 🙂
Oh, I am just at this point with my teens…wondering if they will or if they won’t. My kids are 17, 15, 13, and 7. We’re in year 7 of homeschooling.
This sounds like a great book! My kids are 11, 10, and 8 and we’ve been homeschooling for 6 years now. Thanks!
When we started homeschooling 6 years ago, we didn’t know many other homeschool families, much less teens/young adults/adults who’d been homeschooled. To get the perspective from one who’s been there would be so encouraging!
So curious (and encouraged) about this book! My kids are 10 and 5, we’ve been homeschooling for almost 4 years now.
My kids are 11, 10, 8, 6, and one week! We’ve been homeschooling for 6 years.
Our kids are 9, 7, and 4. We supplement our homeschooling with public school ;). But I am planning to bring them home full time in middle school.
We just jumped into this amazing new world one month ago! I love homeschooling and so does my 1st grade son.
We’ve been homeschooling our six children for the past eight years now, and still going strong!
7 yo daughter
3rd year homeschooling
As someone who rebelled with a big R as a teenager, I’m very curious about this book ????
Sarah Badat Richardson’s latest post: The ride IS your life!
My children are 20, 18, 15, 12, 9, and 7, and we’ve homeschooled their entire lives. (Okay, because of legal issues in Germany, the older two did go to school for six months when they were 8 and 6…) The oldest is at college now, the 18yo is running his own construction business. However, we’re having quite a lot of issues with the 15yo now, and some with the 12yo, and I’d love to have this book to see if I get more inspiration, and to see if THEY are willing to read it…
My kids are 12, 10, 8, 5. We have homeschooled for 7 years.
My kids are 23, 18, and 9. I have been homeschooling for 13 years. I started homeschooling when my oldest was 10 years old and never looked back. Homeschooling is a lifestyle. We have never regretted it!
My kids are 10 years, 8 years, and 21 months. This is our second year homeschooling.
My kiddos are 8, 6, 4, 2 and I look forward to reading this book!
wow…would love to read this. it’s a topic my husband and i discuss regularly. our son is 13 and daughter 10. we are in our 4th year homeschooling.
I’d feel blessed to win this book, especially as my daughters are 13 and 15 years old. There was a time I’d be agreeing 100% with what I read above, however, my husband left us over a year ago and is currently pursuing a divorce. This has caused a lot of change in behaviors, obviously many not being positive. They are broken. I have to rely on outside help now and sometimes this scares me, but I must leave those fears with our heavenly Father. I’m hoping this book will encourage my daughters to stay the righteous path as we face our new life and the uncertainties that come with it. I’m hoping for a positive reaction from them, that they don’t instead only notice the happy supportive families, both parents in obedience to God and there for their child(ten). I am in my 8th year of home educating!
So sorry for what you’re going through, Sandi. Saying a prayer for you and yours now.
It sounds like a wonderful book! Thank you for introducing it and allowing a reader the chance to win one! Our children are: 12, 10, 9, 7, 5, & 3. We’ve been homeschooling for 7 years. Thanks again!
My son is 21yrs and my daughter is 11yrs old, and I have been home educating for 8yrs.
Creating a strong connection to family and community, so that there is little motivation to “rebel” and fortify the disconnection, is the number one reason I have chosen to home educate. It absolutely worked with my son, and I’m confident it will work with my daughter. At the point that I saw the rebellion mentality start creeping in amongst some of my son’s school friends, I immediately withdrew him from high school are started home schooling. The first thing we did was to buy a campervan and go travelling for a lengthy time, and that was a great start to the process of undoing those ties to the school rebellion mentality, and strengthening the family ties of connection. Then once we were back from travelling, his education continued in the setting of adult studies and the adult workplace, doing volunteer work, work experience in the field, training, and casual work. I do not regret the path I chose, as my son is the only teen from all those whom we knew through that period, (including my own siblings teens) whom did not end up embroiled in all the acting out of teen rebellion. There seems to be an unfortunate quality of the rebellion that occurs these days. Maybe years ago, there was some experimenting that went on in the teen years, but it seems that most moved quickly out of that phase and into full adult maturity, much quicker. These days it is very alarming, that a lot of teens who embark upon the rebellion phase, seem to be getting stuck there for many years, and stagnating or regressing, and becoming quite lost as to how to pull themselves out of that place of rebellion.
I feel very empowered in my choices since reading the book “Hold Onto Your Kids – Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate. I was following my instincts, and referring to my own experience of feeling connected to my family as a teen and stepping away from all of my rebelling friends. However, it wasn’t until I read that book, that I felt authenticated in those choices. That book is my encouragement for sticking with the winning path I’ve been following for years. For me, it is about decreasing the single-focused connections that are school-based of the same age group, and increasing the connections within the community that have a broad age range, and increasing the connections with healthy family members, and those of close friends that can be trusted to be following a similar path, of increasing the sense of “connection” with the child, rather than friends who have been raised in an environment that has fostered their sense of disconnection, alienation and searching for “belonging”.
I would love to be a recipient of one of the giveaway books, however if not, it sounds like a must-read. Thanks for taking the time to write such a book from a young persons perspective.
Kelia xxx
This looks like a wonderful read! I also am reading “Mothering and Daughtering.” This is a topic dear to my heart at the moment! My children are 8 and 10 and we have be homeschooling for 5 years!
As a former rebel child, I often hope my kids don’t do the things I did! We’ve been homeschooling 5 years.
Thank you for this!
My sweet babes are 8 and 9, and they have always been homeschooled!
My kids are 8, 6, 4, and 2. We’re in our 4th year of homeschooling!
Katy’s latest post: What’s Your Default?
Sounds like an interesting read. My littles are not quite in school yet, but I have homeschooled preschool with the oldest. 🙂
My children are 6 years old and 11 years old and we are in our 2nd year of homeschooling
Excited to read this book I have three kiddos–14,12 and 9. This is my tenth year homeschooling!! Whoa! I haven’t ever actually counted it up! ????
Oh man we’d love this book, with three girls, we’ll need it! One is 14 and twins are 9. Weve homeschooled off and on for 10 years an it’s getting better every year.
This book sounds great! From your blog post I think this book could give great encouragement to keep homeschooling and also develop a great home life that will set me and my children up for successful joy filled life.
I am Currently home schooling my 5 yr old and I have an almost 3 yr old that I will homeschool as well.
Hi I have a 12 year old and 14 year old. I actually decided to pull them out last term. I saw my babies struggling with school in many areas and I had had enough of the school environment. We have been homeschooling 1 week tomorrow 🙂
My kids are 5, 3, & 1 month. This is my first year homeschooling.
This post shows the prayer of my heart! As a 2nd generational homeschooler i saw homeschool families that went well and those that did not. Reading your list helps that make perfect since. I want to read this! Have my children read it as they grow 15, 12, 9, 7, 6, 4 and 2. We’ve been homeschooling for 8 years.
I would love this books to get inyo our homeschool group, church and into the Christian Family center I work at!!
My kids are 5 and 9. But I was homeschooling 7 years before the birth of my oldest daughter. So, 9+ years homeschooling. I homeschooled my friend’s daughters when she was having some abusive marital issues. The oldest now has a family of her own.
I am excited about this book for my six year old and I. We are just starting, but knowing rebellin is not a given is great and I would love to read this.
Sounds super interesting. My kids are 9, 7 and 5 and we have been homeschooling forever!
My oldest is 12 and we’ve been homeschooling since he was in K. Others are currently 11, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2 and 2 months!
Our children are 20, 17, 15, and 13. I feel so blessed and thankful that we have always been able to learn together (at home and elsewhere)!
Thank you, this is so encouraging. My children are 8,7,4&2. I have been homeschooling technically since birth. ???? However, school age wise it has been for the last four years.
Since my son is only 2, we’ve technically been homeschooling his whole life. 🙂