The attitude of *potential* deprivation

There is an attitude I see floating around home schooling parents a lot. That is the attitude of potential deprivation.  It's not that we worry that our children are deprived - that they are missing out on some essential experience or learning, that their future hinges upon.  It's that they *might* miss out on something or that they may feel that they missed out on something, when they become adults. 

Certainly, some of our children may feel they were deprived of the classroom experience.  They may be jealous of the hours other get to spend in the company of children-other-than-siblings.  It's quite likely that some will feel that way.

It's also quite likely that some schooled children will feel they were deprived of their parents' attention, that they may have gotten had they been home schooled.  Or feel deprived of endless hours to read or pursue areas of interest that their school and after-school-activity schedule doesn't allow.

It's also likely that some of our home schooled children will feel deprived of the experiences that other home schooled children have had.  Some families will be able to afford to extend their cultural studies by visiting the country they are learning about.  Some home schooled children have a very full schedule of classes and out-of-home activities that may be the envy of students who have a more home-based life.

Then again, schooled students may feel deprived of experiences afforded to other schooled students due to location, parental income, school attended, parents' working hours, a multitude of siblings or a lack thereof...

In fact, we humans are capable of feeling deprived in just about every situation.

The problem is not a dearth of educational experiences or social encounters.  The problem is not going to be what you provided for your children educationally.

The problem is sin.  It is a lack of contentedness.  If Paul the Apostle can learn to be content whatever the circumstances (including imprisonment, stoning, shipwrecks etc) then surely we can.

So if we teach our children anything, let's start teaching them contentedness.