I think that one of the huge problems today is the outsourcing of our children. Outsourcing became a way of business in the 1980s. If I can find a company that can make a part cheaper than I can, I will outsource that part, allowing the other company to take care of it for me.

Outsourcing is good for business . . . but not for parenting. We have become the generation that outsources almost everything in our children’s lives. We outsource their entertainment to cell phones, tablets, computers and Disney World. We outsource their spiritual growth to the church. We outsource their education to the schools. I read recently about parents who went to visit a professor at Harvard. Since their child had gotten a “C” in his class, they didn’t think that he was doing a very good job teaching their child. Obviously, if he had been a better professor, she would have earned an “A.”

Since we outsource so many aspects of their lives, it is easy for us to find someone else to blame when our children don’t live up to our expectations. Instead of outsourcing, we need to return to the days of partnering. We need to work alongside those who are involved in our children’s lives and see what God can accomplish through us . . . together.

I must be honest: you could not pay me enough to be a schoolteacher. I take my hat off to those who dedicate their lives and time to teach our children. As I have told you, I was not a very good student. It was not that I did not like school, it was just the principal of it. I still remember the day my principal grabbed me by the arm and began to shake me, yelling, “Walker, I think the devil’s got a hold of you!” I replied, “I think so, too!”

After forty-five years of working with students, I have learned one thing. I now understand why animals eat their young: they do not want them to grow up to be teenagers. When I was a student, I was convinced that my parents and the schoolteacher belonged to some type of secret torture society. My dad told me that if I ever got a whipping at school, I would get one at home. But I grew up in a time where my parents and the teacher had the same value system.

Nowadays, it seems as though children and parents are teaming up to work against those who give their lives to teach. Read these actual excuses sent by parents to schoolteachers.  (You might have to read them twice to understand what they are really saying).

“My son is under the doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute            him.”

“Dear School: Please excuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.”

“Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.”

“Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.”

“Please excuse Harriet for missing school yesterday. We forget to get the Sunday paper off the porch and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.”

“Mary could not come to school because she has been bothered by very close veins.”

“Sally won’t be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend a funeral.”

I may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but I think the famous Ricky Ricardo line would apply here: “Lucy, you have some ’splainin’ to do.” Parents, you need to realize that you are ultimately responsible for your child’s emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Even a company that outsources production still puts its name on the box. How does your child show the marks of your influence on his life? Even more important, how does your family show the marks of . . . Jesus?

Our children need to learn that they are under the authority of the home and the school. Only when parents, educators, and churches work together will our children have the guidance they need to grow into capable, responsible, self-reliant young men and women. However, as a parent, I am not going to let school get in the way of their education. The only outsourcing I want to do is on my knees, taking my children to the Source of all life and godliness.

Heavenly Father, Please give me the wisdom I need as a parent. Help me to partner with my child’s teachers, pastors, and other people of influence. Thank you for loving my child even more than I do. Amen.