Early or Late?
I’d love to be sitting on a porch swing, drinking a glass of kombucha when guests arrive at our house, but I am much more likely — something like 99.99% more likely — to be finishing something up in the kitchen, giving the bathroom sink a swipe, or taking an armload of something upstairs.
Actually, I am grateful for people who are right on time — five minutes late is okay, too. Thirty minutes early? Someone is likely to be embarrassed!
When I’m the hostess, it would be better if I were early rather than late. When I go to the home of someone like me though, just a little bit late might be better than just a little bit early.
One issue that mamas bring up over and over again at homeschool conventions is about students starting high school work early, while they are still in junior high. My answer to that question is different today than it would have been twenty years ago.
Often these devoted mamas tell about their child being an advanced student. They say they are confident he or she can handle high school courses. Today my heart says this: just because your child can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that he should.
What’s the rush? Is he or she missing a course geared for junior high? Would he or she benefit more from the high school course by waiting for more maturity?
I worry about dual enrollment for some of the same reasons. A homeschooled child might end up with a Christian professor teaching a college history, biology, or sociology course with dual credit or he might end up with an atheistic one bent on destroying the faith of his students. The first scenario might come just at the right time in the life of a student to lead him to a deeper faith. The second might instruct a child whose mind is ready for the course but whose heart and soul are vulnerable to the professor’s agenda. In that case, just because your child can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that he should — no matter how many tuition dollars it might save. Remember Jesus’ words about that.
For what will it profit a man
if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26
Education is a matter of heart, soul, mind, and body — not just mind. What a child is ready for in the mind and body, he or she might not be ready for in the heart and soul.
And He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the great and foremost commandment.
The second is like it,
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 23:37-40
AMEN! I have lived and learned….enjoy every day of your home schooling and don’t rush into growing them up. You will miss having your children with you, teaching them, seeing them all day/every day!!!
Having homeschooled over 30 years so far, I have many friends who have already completed their journey. Many regret dual enrolling their children in secular colleges. My youngest have dual enrolled at Bryan college and I can tell you that classes taught from a biblical worldview make a world of difference, especially in English class.
I have known homeschool families whose children have handled the dual enrollment with ease…but more often, I see the moms come to regret it later, for many reasons. For our part, we have chosen to do one thing at a time, and not rush our children’s education. I often tell them, “you will never be this same age and in this same season of life again. “