And now to some serious stuff…I have seen a lot of homeschooling pages, websites, parents, etc post this quote (below) or something similar to it. As much as it is true and I agree with it, I personally think that it is rude and insulting. Not because we feel that homeschooling is best for our family, that means we need to put a label on others that aren’t like us. Judging parents for sending their children to public (or private) school is the same as judging parents for feeding their kids sugar left and right, choosing an eating lifestyle like vegetarianism or veganism, cloth diapering vs. sposies, co-sleeping or not, strict bedtimes or not, and the list goes on and on.
What I say is: “Choose what is best for your family without putting others down; just like we don’t like others criticizing us for our choices, especially those involving our children. Don’t drive wedges through differences in opinion; draw them to you by educating and enlightening them.”
Having said all that, a “village” does not only involve schools; it involves many other people in the community. Subscribing to a saying like the one below is saying that we are the only ones “fit enough” to impart any kind of good into our children.
We are part of a co-op with some wonderful moms a couple of times a week. When we meet, I trust them to teach my children as they would theirs and to have their best interest in mind. We are also part of other activities in our community and, even though I am present at all times, I do believe that there are people other than me that can contribute into my children’s lives in a positive way.
What are your thoughts on this?
AGREED!!! Socialization is one of the major concerns, if not THE MAIN concern when it comes to homeschooling. But honestly, the idea of having forty 4-year olds together to teach each other how to behave in a society is so backward. They are all clueless when it comes to etiquette, manners, and other culturally appropriate practices! They need guidance and the best way to do it is by exposing children to people of different ages, genders and cultures. That is why I love teaching with the Montessori Method. It subscribes to a multi-age approach and it has been proven to be very successful. I am working on a post that compares regular schools (with children in classes with children their same age) and Montessori schools (with children of varying ages: 3-6, 6-9, 9-12). The oldest teach the younger ones (which helps them learn better) and the younger ones learn from everyone, not just the teacher. Be on the lookout. It will be a really good post. |
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