Home is a place of freedom and comfort. Yet so many adults flee their homes in search of money, meaning, and self-actualization. I see lots of busy people around; well-meaning parents arranging various activities for their children.
I have often wondered what they were chasing, and suspected that all this madness was an attempt to avoid silence and brooding. There doesn’t seem to be a lack of material possessions and material comforts, but a genuine desire for love, intimacy, and healthy relationships. All of this can be found in the home, but the family must be willing to pursue simplicity amidst all the distractions.
When I was working, I used to think family life was dull and boring. Important things only happen outside of the family – I think so. Building a strong family life is the foundation of a successful marriage, a strong family and a strong society. As homeschoolers, we are building strong relationships with our children, and we are building strong relationships between siblings. We are doing our best.
For many, embracing a family-centered life is often a slow process because our culture discourages a family-centered lifestyle. Material desires and spending habits often “require” that both parents work. Work is portrayed as more glamorous, while staying at home is seen as menial.
When we spend time at home, we not only remove distractions and noise from our lives, but we can take the time to ask ourselves the important questions in our lives and how we can best serve our family and others. People with busy lives seem to come home to recharge each other for another day of life.
Much of the work we do as adults to improve ourselves and our relationships can be attributed to childhood experiences. Home is the primary place where we form our values, virtues and worldview. Home provides the foundation for our emotional development. You’ll see why it takes a lot of time and effort to live a family-centered life!
Cultivating a home-centered life can start with making a conscious choice to homeschool or give birth at home. It may start with an unexpected illness, accident or job loss. Those who see the value, opportunity, and serenity of spending more time at home often expand their home life. Moms who leave their jobs to raise their children sometimes decide to homeschool.
After enjoying the homeschooling lifestyle for a few years, a family may be eager to start a home-based business. Rather than withdrawing from society or shutting ourselves off from the world, we detach from our fast-paced and institutionalized lives in order to gain a sharper understanding of life and the world in which we live.
I believe that if people had more love in their hearts, and if families lived family-centered lives, we would have more global peace. Think of a world where children are seen as a blessing rather than a possession or a hindrance; where young children witness and are taught about babies, breastfeeding, and committed relationships; where children are asked (and indeed expected) to be Show care and respect for the environment, the poor, the weak, the unborn and the elderly.
How about a world where individuals solve their own problems and take responsibility instead of turning to “experts,” lawyers, doctors, or the government without first depleting their resources and social networks? How about a world where GPAs, IQ scores, SAT scores, looks or salary are less important?
If we don’t build strong relationships within our families, along with a sense of commitment and sacrifice, we will continue to see high divorce rates, selfish behavior, greed, and the dark side of human behavior. We need more attachment parenting and less alienation parenting. World harmony comes from family harmony.
Institutions are often impersonal, designed to serve the masses rather than the individual. As long as we continue to submit to institutional life (babies are born in hospitals, daycares, schools, nursing homes), we will stay away from developing the family unit into a powerful force. The “family”—or the bedrock of society—has crumbled, except for a few families with the wisdom to understand and act on what really matters.
