Homeschooled kids are often ostracized by their peers because they grew up with a different kind of education, and it can be difficult for them to fit in social gatherings and activities. However, former NFL star Tim Tebow is giving them some words of encouragement.
Tebow is a homeschooled kid himself, because his parents wanted him to have not only a good education, but a passion for Christianity as well. "They wanted us to learn reading, writing and arithmetic, but it wasn't No. 1. It wasn't the most important thing," Tebow shared with "Good Morning America." "They wanted to instill love in our hearts, love for God, love for one another. They wanted us to be able to learn a work ethic, a dedication."
Tebow knows homeschooled kids sometimes feel alone and afraid, and they often feel "different" from other kids their age too. However, he wants to let them know that they are loved and special, and there is actually nothing wrong with being "different."
"You can be homeschooled and you can be the cool kid, and you can break the trends and you can show that, yeah, you're different, you're unique, but in a good way," he said.
Tebow is grateful that the stigma of being a homeschooled kid never really bothered him, but his siblings and friends were negatively affected by it. Back in the day, Tebow was allowed to attend the sports activities of regular schools, but he didn't always feel welcome.
"I was brand new at this place and you could tell that that group just, it had so much disdain, you know, because I wasn't part of them," he said, adding that he had to work hard to "earn their respect."
"I went to work on it, and eventually we became friends," he continued. "But people are going to view you as different, and that's OK. And sometimes I think it's pretty good to view yourself as different, and that's OK."
