Local (Owosso Michigan) couple chooses to educate their seven children at home

Local couple chooses to educate their seven children at home

By GARY GOULD Argus-Press Staff Writer (Owosso, Michigan)

Saturday, February 17, 2007 8:41 AM EST


Argus-Press Photo/Anthony Cepak Grace Stuart, 7, plays with her brother Richard, 1, as their mother Marianne does a reading assignment with Guy, 8.
It's 8 a.m. at the Stuart household in Owosso and six of the seven children in the family are lining up in the living room to greet their father.

Almost like troops getting in formation to morning reveille, the Stuart children greet their father, Guy Stuart III, with a warm good morning. He responds with a series of questions about the status of their chores, if they've brushed their teeth or if they're ready for the day ahead.

One of the children giggles and is given three pushups to do by her father, causing a sister to also smirk, bringing about a round of pushups for her as well.

And while their father tries to come off as being strict, the kids realize it's all in fun as they start another morning of school. But they won't be climbing into the family van, catching a bus or walking to school anywhere - they'll be staying home where their mother, Marianne, will be instructing them.

For four years now the Stuart's have homeschooled their children, a decision the couple made after the closure of Owosso's St. Joseph Catholic School, where three of their children attended school before it was closed in 2002.

HEFT Editor's Comments: Michigan is the state where we lived, homeschooled and worked hard with hundreds of other families and organizations to ensure the rights of families to homeschool their own children. Michigan still remains one of the least-fettered states in which to homeschool thanks to Dr. Pat Montgomery, Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore and others.