The COVID-19 pandemic has produced many first-time homeschool parents, and some feel trepidation at the thought of being responsible for their child’s education. This edited Q&A is the second in a series in which we pose questions about home education to several experts. In this installment, Alice Churnock, Sally Clarkson, Cathy Duffy, and Mystie Winckler address the issue of social needs.

At school, kids socialize with peers, teachers, and coaches. How can we meet kids’ social needs at home?

Scenario: Deanna is a new homeschool mom with three kids. The oldest is in 10th grade and loves volleyball. The second is a fourth grader who loves math. And the third is a kindergartner with special needs. All planned to do in-person school this year, but because of COVID-19, their family chose to homeschool. Deanna feels some trepidation as she starts her homeschool journey.

Every summer, the veterans organization American Legion hosts nearly 20,000 teens in weeklong camps called Boys State. Hundreds of boys in each state run for mock political office (or did before COVID-19, at least), including the top spot of governor. Even if you’re not a political junkie, the experience seems like a lot of fun, especially as presented in the new documentary Boys State, filmed in Texas in 2018. 

With the continued impact of COVID-19, this year millions of American kids may learn at the kitchen table rather than a school desk. Homeschool mom Jamie C. Martin runs two websites to help homeschoolers, including SimpleHomeschool.net. In 2016, she published Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time with over 600 book recommendations. Recently, I talked with Martin about how Christian families can use books to educate kids.

Watership Down by Richard Adams: Before becoming a full-time author, British war veteran and civil servant Richard Adams invented this tale of talking rabbits for his two daughters. In 1972, he published it in book form, soon selling more than a million copies and earning a Carnegie Medal. The story of rabbits seeking a new warren will appeal to tweens and teens, but even mature readers can appreciate the skillful storytelling. Winsome characters like Hazel, the leader, and his muscle, Bigwig, display a complex view of human personality and politics.

Netflix’s new series The Baby-Sitters Club will entertain kids. But it disregards Biblical values, offering a progressive, pro-LGBTQ “update” on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling books from the ’80s. 

Visually, it pops like an updated American Girl movie. At first, characters such as club founder Kristy (Sophia Grace) and budding artist Claudia (Momona Tamada) seem as sweet and American as apple pie. The five main characters’ entrepreneurial spirit shines as they develop a babysitting business. Episodes focus on friendship and tween-age anxieties. 

Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life by John Calvin: John Calvin first published The Institutes of the Christian Religion in Latin in 1536. Within these five chapters translated by Henry J. Van Andel, Calvin says the goal of the Christian life is to achieve “a harmony between God’s righteousness and our obedience.” Intended to fortify Christians against life’s trials, Calvin skips flowery language and long paragraphs in favor of bullet points.