Did you feel that tremor last week? The lighting, the rolls of thunder, the shifting of the earth under your feet? Two of my favorite subjects – Elizabeth Gilbert and home schooling – collided Friday when my husband brought home the local newspaper.
I was writing a blog post about why I home school. Husband handed me the paper with Gilbert on the cover. I read the story, I looked at the picture. I laughed. I read it again. I almost made a puddle on the kitchen floor.
Eat, Pray, Love author Gilbert gave a demon statue to a local school!?! O, the blog fodder! What a gift! Can you just see me rubbing my hands together in glee? Bwaahaahaa. Blogging is fun, but this was almost too much.
Are you ready for this? Here we go, let’s start with the facts-
Elizabeth Gilbert donates demon statue to local elementary school
According to the Delaware Valley News, Gilbert and her business partner presented Frenchtown Elementary School with an 8-foot high Balinese demon when they visited the school to talk about life in Indonesia. A contest to name the huge foam monster will be held in the fall, according to the paper. (Gilbert owns and operates a store in Frenchtown of south east Asian imports; it’s across the street from the school).
I’m sorry I don’t have a picture. I tried scanning it, but it came out poorly. Trust me when I say this demon statue is truly ugly: a screaming red-yellow striped face, wide mouth open with dagger teeth, arms getting ready to snatch, with one big foot raised to squish a student.
So, those are the facts as presented by reporter. Now to the topic at hand: why I home school. I’ll get back to Gilbert’s demon in a minute.
Why I home school
These are my three main reasons:
- To be the strongest influence on my kids. Me, their mom. Not their peers, not some unknown stranger year after year I don’t know personally. This is a biggy for me. My husband and I want our children to know us, to come to us for advice, to feel part of a team. Home education is the best way to accomplish this goal.
- To teach my children the Christian faith. We believe the most effective way to do that is though spending as much time with them as we can, talking about it, living it daily before them. Teaching my children goes hand-in-hand with being the greater influence in their lives.
- Because I can. For me, it’s a no-brainer, a logical choice. I have the freedom to home school, so I’m going to seize the opportunity. I guess I’m a bit of a rebel that way.
I’m not a home schooler to produce super spellers or math whiz kids. I’m not home schooling because I think the public school education is lousy. It’s not out of fear my children will be bullied or a gunman will attack the school. Public school (and Christian school too) is simply not the best choice.
Elizabeth Gilbert is why I home school
Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But I think you can see where I’m going with this.
As a Christian parent, I believe it’s my responsibility to protect my young ones. This demon statue is a good example of what kind of nonsense kids are exposed to under the guise of education. (I’m not going to get into whether demons exist; check out the New Testament gospels for stories about evil spirits and how Jesus dealt with them).
In this world, we battle against TV, movies, video games, the Internet, peer groups, magazines and other things to win our children, be the greater influence, to teach them the way to go. Why would I make it more difficult for myself by giving my children over to someone else?
I can think of no better task. Teaching my flesh and blood Truth and Beauty and how to live.
Final thoughts
To be clear – I don’t walk in fear. My kids go places without me, they have fun, they’re not locked away. We do watch SpongeBob and iCarly. Schools are not the devil.
We have public school friends, Christian school friends, friends that don’t believe like we do and friends that are even more radical than we are. We talk to our kids about other world views, we just don’t glorify them, treat them like silly creatures that can’t harm. And we sure as heck don’t make an 8 foot statue of it and give it a name. Good grief.
So, that’s why I home school. Comments and questions always welcome. A Stumble or a Kirtsy much appreciated.
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Twitter: WriterMommy
Still amazed by the demon statue story…sheesh. I hope there were at least a few parents at that school who raised an outcry in protest.
Thanks for sharing your story; how do you make it work with such a broad range of ages underfoot? That to me seems to be one of the biggest challenges.
Oh wow- I had not heard about this!! I do have that book- Eat Pray Love but have never gotten past the first couple pages. I think I know why.
Steph
Adventures In Babywearings last blog post..nresting
Steph, I really liked the book, but I think that’s mostly because I’m such an Indonesia fan (I lived there for a little while before hubs and kids).
Marianne, I’ll save my answer for a future post.
Twitter: audrakrellaol.com
I really liked the book too, but it is important to me to point out to people that she admits she isn’t a Christian somewhere around page 11. I love it for her writing style, she is so funny. But this demon statue thing is confusing and a bummer.
Bizarre statue story!
I am a little jealous that I wasn’t blessed with the gifts and inclination to homeschool. I agree that it is best when the homeschooling parent is someone like you. Me? Not-so-much… Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve got what it takes to homeschool. I wish I did.
Susan (5 Minutes for Mom)s last blog post..Tackle it Tuesday #114
Twitter: age30books
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I read through your various posts on Eat, Pray, Love and I must say, I’m impressed! I really did enjoy this book (even though I thought I’d hate it) but her belief system just made me sad. What really made me sad is that so many women are raving about this book and (I believe) they are completely soaking up her beliefs. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a book like this were written by a Christian? This book is EVERYWHERE – bookstore, blogs, book clubs, news … just imagine the impact that a Christian book could have, given that level of national attention.
I’ll be posting my own review after my book club meeting in early August. I hope you’ll come back over and check it out.
Heather Johnsons last blog post..We Are On Our Own
[...] hours after publishing Monday’s post, we had one of these (click twice for a clear [...]
[...] besides pictures. Sorry, I know I disappoint, especially after my slam dunk of a post regarding The Demon. Oh, wait! I do have a link to my latest over at the fabulous Relief Journal. My latest [...]
Oh my, oh my
Now what would have happened if someone would have brought in a 8 foot tall Jesus into the school? Somehow I doubt that would have went over well or stayed in the school. Something really wrong with our country. I have so many reasons I will homeschool…one day I’ll share them on my blog.
casual friday everydays last blog post..He’s Getting Ready
Amen!
I agree with you on all the reasons you homeschool. Were of kindred spirits.
Come by and visit our ranch
Antoinette
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/haflingerhorses
Can you imagine if it was a Christian bookstore across the street of that school that tried to gift a bible in another language for use as an educational tool? Imagine the uproar. Oh, that’s right…the Christian bookstore owner wouldn’t have even been invited to speak at the school like this particular store owner had been.
Many Blessings,
Holly@aiminghigh
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/aiminghigh
Holly @ Aiminghighs last blog post..Correction Taken: No Rod Needed
I homeschool for many of the same reasons you do. It’s hard to believe these things are really happening in schools without alot of protest. If it was a statue of Jesus, wow, the smoke would be filling a courtroom even before any dust settled onto the statue of Jesus….America was at one time, at Christian Nation, based on the bible. Look at the mess we are in!!!
I enjoyed your post about why you homeschool. I could have written the same words, myself! Especially the, “because I can” part, and the “rebel”. Were two peas in a pod in that regard!
Antoinette
We have very similar reasons for homeschooling. Though I can say that I do have some bias having already put two older kids through public school. I didn’t have many choices back then, but I do now. And you’re right… you do become strangers. PLUS, one of my biggest pet peeves is homework.
I just enrolled in a charter that offers on-site electives and labs. Perfect for me to be able to do some errands or just have some me time. It works out great for us.
Glad I came by for a visit!
Wow – passing on your ignorance and prejudices to your children via home schooling. I suppose what I believe to be Christian beliefs and attitudes and what you believe, are two different interpretations.