Dear Auntie Agony,

I’m homeschooled, but I’d really like to go to public school for a couple of years. But my parents say no. What can I do?

Believe it or not, I get letters from kids in public and Christian school who want to be homeschooled, from kids at Christian school who want to go to public school, public school kids who want to try private school, and every other option you can imagine. Why? Most of the time everyone has really legitimate concerns, but they also often think that “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”

Families take a lot of things into consideration when they decide how and where to school their kids: the strengths and weaknesses of the schooling options, their kids’ individual personalities, their financial situation, their neighborhood, their family goals, etc. Each schooling option has strengths and weaknesses, each family and child has strengths and weaknesses. Parents try to make the best match they can, knowing all of the above.

Can you ask your parents to explain exactly why they homeschool you? And then can you openly share what you think you’re missing? They might be more open to a change than you think, if everyone can sit down and talk it through together. Or maybe they’ll come up with a solution that solves your problem or concern while keeping your schooling in place. There is no perfect schooling option, and yesterday or today’s option might not be the best one for tomorrow. The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open as time goes on, and work to be satisfied with the solutions you all find.

I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. Philippians 4:11b