What do stray animals, the homeless, and battered women have in common? As a society, we agree that members of these groups could use some protection from the elements, at least for a time. The world is a tough place and so we set aside small portions of it so that the vulnerable can find refuge.

My children (and yours too, I imagine) fall into this broad category also. They’re simply not ready for the cold, cruel world we know is out there. They are vulnerable, and will be for some time.

If you searched for animal homeless “battered women” on Google, you wouldn’t be suprised to see the same term popping up over and over.

Shelter.

Shelters protect, and they help prepare people for the time when they won’t need a shelter anymore. (Obviously, animal shelters excepted) .

And yet to some, sheltering your children is akin to crippling them. (As an aside, I first used the F-word on the advice of the Associate Pastor’s son. We were about seven years old.)

So to answer the question, “Don’t you think homeschooling your children means your sheltering them from the real world?” Yes, I’m counting on it!

But they to will grow up as we did. (Although I can’t say without reservation that I’m a “grown up”.) And when the time is right for them to go off and seek their fortune, they’ll be ready to leave the shelter.