The holidays have passed and a new year has dawned. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, because with those come a sense of failure if they are not checked off the list. Instead, I prefer to look at the new year with a sense of reflection.

If you are reflecting on last year and have come to the realization that it is time to make major changes in the educational path of your family, let me start by saying this: Parents, you are equipped to home-school. You are equipped to lead and direct your child’s education.

“I could never home-school my children.” I have heard that many times throughout the years. Sadly, when this statement is made by parents, it is often within earshot of their children. Imagine being a child and hearing your parents say they can’t wait for school to start back or they can’t imagine being home all day with you. Parents, if you have children that you can’t bear being around all day, that is a parenting problem. If you can’t muster up the gusto to teach and train your own children, why do you expect others to do just that?

I am sure there are parents reading this and thinking, “That’s a teacher’s job.” I challenge you to consider, then, what is a parent’s job?

Home schooling is nothing more than an extension of parenting. We live in a society that oftentimes views children as social media fodder, but the hard work of raising, training and teaching children is passed off to the local neighborhood school down the block. Parents spend, on average, mere minutes a day with their children. Someone else is raising your children. Let that sink in. Home schooling is the restitution of the family unit.

Many families don’t know how to be a family because they rarely spend quality time together. One of the things I hear the most when parents begin their home-school journey is that attitudes in their children improve and change drastically. Government schooling usurps the role of the family. Remember, no education is neutral.

A key phrase that has circulated around many conservative circles for quite some time is, “I don’t co-parent with the government.” Here’s a news flash: if you send your children to government schools of any kind that accept government monies (yes, that includes private schools or charters that accept government monies) then yes, you most certainly are co-parenting with the government. When you drop your children off at the doors of those government-funded schools you are giving them legal permission to act on your behalf in your absence (in loco parentis). You are co-parenting with the government. You are abdicating your responsibility to the government. If you want complete autonomy over your child’s education you must lead and direct your child’s education. Parents will spend thousands of dollars on extracurricular activities and lessons for their children, but when it comes to education, they think it should be subsidized by the government. What the government funds, it runs, and when you hand your children over to strangers for the majority of their formative years, you are in a co-parenting relationship, in which the other parent (the government), has far more influence due to the sheer number of hours the children are in their care. Stop expecting the government, the system you claim to abhor, to provide educational opportunities for your children and then being upset when they do just that. It is past time for parents to take charge of their children’s education. Parents, when it comes to your children, you are the experts.

I understand that may be a scary concept for many people. It may require you to change your standard of living. For many, it is navigating uncharted waters and may seem overwhelming. The good news is, there are a plethora of resources that can help you make that leap, but you must take the first step. Don’t let fear hold you back.

I am also calling again for churches to stand in the gap. The church’s primary mission should be to create disciples, and education is discipleship. What steps has your local church taken, if any, to aid families in the biblical mandate of teaching and discipling of their own children? If the answer is none, I encourage you to have a conversation with them.

“To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Our children are a gift. We should treat them as such. They are the most important work. It is time for parents to think outside of the box. It will require hard work, overcoming fears, and sacrifice, but I promise it will be worth it to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Choose the right battle. Stop fighting a system that isn’t broken. Focus your energy on raising the children that God has blessed you with. In 2023 I encourage you to not “cast your pearls before swine.” Do the most important work.

If you would like to take the leap into home schooling but don’t know where to start, you can contact me at freeyourchildren@gmail.com. If you are in church leadership and have questions regarding biblical education resources, please reach out. I am also available for speaking engagements, and Free YOUR Children radio, which focuses on all things education, can be heard every Thursday night at 8 p.m. (Central) on WXRQ 1460 AM Christian radio and streamed on Raddio and other online platforms.

Blessings for the new year!