Am I the only one who feels it? We are a Christian family, so we hold ourselves to a high standard of personal holiness, based on the Lord’s admonition.
But we are also a homeschooling family, and within that smaller group of Christian homeschoolers, the pressure is even greater, both from within and without the Church. The pressure to have perfect children, both academically and spiritually, is on, and I feel it every time I am around other Christian homeschoolers. It is the pink elephant in the room. Perfect children automatically implies perfect parents, perfect families, perfect homes.
News flash: my children aren’t perfect, and either am I or my husband. We have our struggles and trials too, some brought on by our ignorance or foolishness, some random suffering as a result of living in a fallen world, and even some, like Job, the result of testing. So I suffer guilt, which I suspect is common among homeschoolers, but which everyone is afraid to admit, so as not to be the only family with “imperfections” or failings. News flash: every family has imperfections and failings.
I think homeschooling parents are more susceptible to guilt than most. We care so deeply about our children and the outcome of their lives that we have undertaken enormous sacrifices, which most families are unwilling to undertake, in order to give them the best possible advantage in life. But also the buck stops here. If they mess up, there is no one else to blame.
But the Lord does not require perfection of us …
continued in the problem of perfection
You are not alone. I have felt it, too. I won't go into it here as it might resemble more of a post than a comment. Just know you are not alone and I look forward to your sequel.