Christian Homeschooling: 3 Reasons We Need to Roar Like a Mother (That Means You Too, Gentlemen)

I have often heard the term “mama bear” used to describe overprotective parents. However, this use of the term is misleading. Real mama bears, like the kind you find in the forest or hanging around polar ice caps, are different. These mama bears do protect their young from predators. But they also prepare them for life in the wild.

3 Reasons Christian Homeschooling Is About Preparing

Inspired by these wilderness creatures, a team of Christian homeschooling mama bears recently published a book designed to help us prepare our cubs to navigate the wild ideas of culture. Here are three reasons we all need to read, Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies.

1. Infectious Ideas Are Assumed

CS Lewis is attributed with saying, “The most dangerous ideas in a society are not the ones being argued, but the ones that are assumed.” This is true. When ideas are debated, we have an opportunity to logically evaluate them and determine whether or not they are sound. When ideas are assumed, we may not even realize they are present and, therefore, we relax our guard.

Our culture is chock full of assumed ideas that do not line up with reality. If we want to raise kids who seek truth, we must prepare them to carefully evaluate every idea they encounter. The problem is, many times, we adults have not been trained to do this. And anytime we seek to lead our kids in something we don’t know well, we usually are not successful. That is why the new Mama Bear Apologetics book is so valuable. It comes alongside us as a mentor and encouraging friend, helping us evaluate where ideas in our culture fall short of reality.

2. Cultural Lies Are a Mixture of Truth and Error

One thing that is confusing about the ideas our culture promotes is they are not one-hundred percent false. Almost every lie has a kernel or two of truth thrown in the mix. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be appealing. So, how do we train our children to reject cultural lies, without falsely leading them to throw out the truths that accompany them?

The solution is what the Mama Bear team terms, “the refined art of chew and spit.” The Mama Bear book walks us through identifying the truthful components of each ideology on which we can “chew,” as well as the false parts we need to “spit” out. If that weren’t enough, the Mama Bears also give practical examples for helping children of different ages think through these issues.

3. Our Kids Are Growing Up in a Different World Than We Did

You may be thinking, “This is all great, but my child is under the age of five. It will be years before he encounters any cultural lies.” True, your child might not yet be able to articulate the ideologies of our culture. But he is, without a doubt, already influenced by them. Recently, my friend’s 4-year old daughter announced she didn’t know if she could trust the Bible. When my friend asked why, her daughter said, “A lot of weird stuff happens, like stuff we can't see with our eyes.” My friend’s 4-year-old can't explain what naturalism is, but, clearly, she’s already influenced by naturalist ideas.

Our children are growing up in a different world than we did. And they are asking deep questions at younger and younger ages. The Mama Bear Apologetics book is a much-needed manual to catch us up to speed on the ideas that influence our kids and their friends. These Mama Bears have done their homework and have taken the guesswork out of equipping our kids to navigate these cultural lies.

Conclusion

As faithful Mama (and Papa) Bears, we must prepare our children for life at home and in the wilds of modern culture. We at Foundation cannot recommend the Mama Bear Apologetics book highly enough! Why not consider buying it as a Christmas gift for yourself and a friend?