| Everywhere you go, people spout their opinions. | | | | more so when you go from one family to another! |
| In-laws and parents alike, neighbors, coworkers, people | | | | 3. God put your children in your hands. It is your |
| at church: they all have their opinions and freely tell you | | | | responsibility before the Lord to raise your children with |
| what you should and should not be doing. | | | | wisdom and kindness and love and nurturing |
| Listening to wisdom is a good thing, but sometimes | | | | admonition. That job doesn't belong to anyone else. |
| these people aren't offering wise advice. Sometimes | | | | 4. Other people are not omnipotent. They do not have |
| they are just bragging about how much better they | | | | all the answers. |
| are, building themselves up at your expense. | | | | 5. You can often get conflicting advice. One person |
| Sometimes they've never had children. Sometimes you | | | | tells you to make your child cry it out, but another says |
| watch them say some pretty nasty things to their own | | | | that is cruel. If you listen to everyone, you'll just tie |
| kids. Sometimes their advice just won't work for your | | | | yourself into knots. |
| family's needs. | | | | 6. And if you allow yourself to be sidetracked by |
| And when you are a home schooling family, | | | | every wave of advice, then you will just be spinning in |
| everybody feels the need to put in their two cents | | | | circles. You'll lose your purpose. |
| about your child's education. This often leads to | | | | I have had people tell me that my kids can't learn from |
| carrying burdens that we would do much better | | | | me because I'll be too soft. Or I'll give them all the |
| without. Here are a few reasons to ignore unwanted | | | | answers, and then they will only learn to depend on |
| and often foolish advice. | | | | me. Or only a teacher can appropriately discipline a |
| 1. There is more than one way to solve a problem or | | | | child. Or they won't get socialized. If I focus on these |
| to do something. You need to find the resources and | | | | things (and there have been times that I have), I'll find |
| the methods that work for you. | | | | myself trying to prove them wrong or be overly hard |
| 2. Every child is different. What works for one does | | | | with the discipline or extra tough on their schoolwork |
| not always work for another. I have three children, and | | | | rather than moving forward with purpose and planning. |
| I have to deal with each child differently. How much | | | | And then home schooling has lost its joy for all of us. |