Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Michael Farris:
This week, I've been trying to dispel the myth of the perfect homeschool mom. And guess what? There are no perfect homeschool children either.

In theory, this makes sense, but because we've worked so hard to train them and dedicated our time and resources at a sacrificial level, we have a hard time accepting it in practice. Then, when our kids do misbehave, we have a tendency to overreact.

Your children need to be well-behaved, but they can't be perfect. The Bible says so. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You can and should punish them for deliberate misbehavior, but keep a watch on your own motives to see if you aren't just embarrassed by your child's public display of human sinfulness.

When you see your own children act inappropriately in front of others, you may compare yourselves to the other family and think, "I've never seen the Smith children behave this badly." Well, maybe you haven't, but I can guarantee you that the Smith parents have seen their children behave that way!

Here's a principle that can liberate you from the myth of the perfect homeschool child: simply deal with your children according to what they've done. Don't let your fear of the reactions of other people cause you to deviate from punishment if deserved or mercy if warranted. Let God give you the wisdom to stand for what is right while administering discipline with love and mercy. I'm Mike Farris.