Military families who home school make many sacrifices for the good of their country. Today on Home School Heartbeat, Michael Smith talks about some of the trials these families face.
Michael Smith:
Without a doubt, home schooling families across America face many challenges. Yet the sacrifices of military families who home school cannot be overstated. Most of us saw September 11 through television and newspapers. For military families the events of that day and its aftermath were up close and personal. They saw it in machine gun nests that were quickly set up around the entrance of the bases where they live. They see it every day in the fully armed patrols walking the streets of their neighborhoods.
Dealing with these kinds of issues on a daily basis can be extremely stressful on a family. Often, dads are not home to shoulder the burden. Dennis Ingram, a Marine Core data communications expert says that much more falls on the moms. Dennis and his wife Amy home school their four children and Amy agrees with him. She explains that having Dennis away from home so much is "mentally demanding" and the family "tends to feel more vulnerable without Dad."
The Ingrams have good reason to be scared. They have been warned that servicemen and military dependents could be future terrorist targets. Stress like this sometimes makes it difficult to stay on target with home schooling.
Amy says it makes you realize how little you are in control of your life. She adds that she relies heavily on God's help for getting through the day's trials.
Being in a military family and home schooling your children presents unique challenges. The Home School Court Report recently profiled several military families and asked how they overcome the uncommon problems they face. Ask for your free copy when you contact us. Check us out online at homeschoolheartbeat.com. That's homeschoolheartbeat.com.
