There were definitely a couple of common themes running through the responses to question three:

What is your biggest fear or concern about homeschooling?

• Them not learning enough.
• Government taking away the freedom to do it.
• It becoming illegal.
• I’m not a consistent person; not disciplined enough to make it work.
• Children aren’t prepared to give an answer to those who ask them for the hope that is within them.
• Doing it in our own strength and failing.
• That homeschooling will be compromised or taken away.
• None.
• Not doing enough; children won’t be able to get a job.
• The influx of charter schools will turn people away from the Lord and cause families to sell out.
• That homeschooling will become a be-all-end-all; desire for children to have a love for people in the world, but not an attraction to the things of the world.
• Don’t know.
• That the kids will be ruined.
• That I’ll fail, miss the boat.
• That we won’t be able to teach what our children need to know.
• That our daughter won’t get what she needs for college.
• High school.
• That we won’t teach enough.
• Daughter doesn’t want to homeschool, and I don’t know what to do.
• None.
• None.
• Going to jail for homeschooling.
• We won’t cover everything that they need to know.
• Good so far…no fears.
• That I’ll go crazy and take them with me.
• That I’ll forget something.
• That the government will do away with it.
• That the laws will change, or that we won’t do it well enough.
• That we won’t effectively protect children from being conformed to the world.
• Totally mess up the academics and leave gaps in their education.

More than any of the others, this question prompted some heart-to-heart discussions. I was able to share some of the things that our family learned in the process of homeschooling, and from my perspective now as a homeschool graduate looking back on my years as a homeschool student. I trust that the Lord orchestrated these conversations and used them to encourage and bless each of us.