When I worked in the restaurant biz we had a saying: “The last line of defense.”

Basically this meant we were the last ones to see a customer’s (you can’t make me say “guest” anymore) plate before it went to the table. We were the only one standing between a great experience and a horrible experience.

Recently my husband attended a parent- teacher conference for our first-grader. We have heard only great things about Audrey’s teacher, and are thankful for that. One thing mentioned during the meeting did give my husband pause, though. Apparently Mrs. G let slide into the conversation the fact that students can’t access the school’s digital library books from home this year; only on school premises.

When Ben questioned this new policy, Mrs. G said she wasn’t sure why it had changed from last year. To which Ben replied he had a pretty good guess: the school system doesn’t want parents to know the types of books the students have access to at school.

I know not everyone holds to Christian values, but we all love and want the best for our children. I strongly believe schools should be one-hundred percent transparent in what they are teaching/exposing our children to. If they are hiding something, it’s because they know some parents would take issue with it. But we, as parents, have a God-given right to know what our kids are learning! We can’t forget that and we certainly can’t hand over the reins to strangers and just hope they don’t screw up our kids!

Guys, we are the last line of defense for our children. We are their shelter and protection in a world where reality seems to be optional. No one will care for them the way we do, and it’s up to us to shepherd and guide their little hearts and minds as best we can. And that means knowing what we’re up against.

Maybe you’re like me, and you aren’t able to homeschool for whatever reason. If you can homeschool, do it today! But if you can’t, there are other ways to be involved and active participants in our kids’ education.

I don’t have a ton of experience with this as I’ve only been bonus-momming for two years and this is Audrey’s first year in public school, but I believe one of the best things we can do is ask questions. We can ask our kids about their days and really listen, and we can ask follow-up questions to dig a little deeper. We can also ask other parents what they know (in this way I discovered our school system uses a book about a “genderless” alien to introduce the idea to kids that their gender is malleable) and ask their teachers point-blank if they are teaching things outside of reading, writing, and arithmetic (spoiler alert, they are).

I also think it’s important to take time to teach truth at home, so that when they’re confronted with lies and godless ideologies, they’ll be able to spot it from a mile away. I’ve gotten a couple great books from the writing team at Mama Bear Apologetics, and I am excited to dig in and learn how to instill a godly worldview in Audrey before another worldview creeps in and takes hold of her heart.

Lastly, we need to be praying diligently for our kids: that God would protect their hearts and minds (and bodies, too, if Loudoun County is an omen of things to come).

There are some amazing teachers out there! I am thankful for the educators who have hung in there over this past year and a half of crazy! Please know we are grateful for you! But it is our right and our responsibility to protect our kids and to know what they are being taught! As long as you aren’t teaching our kids socialist, left-wing propaganda, we love you! Thank you for loving our kids, even when they cut Susanna’s hair and blame it on God.

Parents, Mama Bears, this whole protecting and raising a human thing is not for the faint of heart. But we must rise to the challenge, and trust God to equip us.

He has and he will.

Angela