Okay, so sorry, but I have this thing with continuity and proving myself to be not irrational and stuff, so I have to post this and then we can drop the subject for good.
I think this is the long and short of it. On homeschooling:
I don't know, it's just not something I want to be a part of. Despite it's merrits. The thought of trying to provide my children with enough of a well-rounded education to make them succesful drives me bonkers. I don't think I'm cut out for it.
But mostly it's because I do NOT beleive in secluding ourselves from the world, and if there is one thing I want to teach my kids it's how to be in the world WITHOUT being of the world. If they can do that in high school, they can probably do that anywhere. And if they can't, maybe I'd have to re-consider. But in theory, that's the idea, just like in theory homeschoolers are supposed to ace SAT's and read three hundred pages a day. I'm comming to realize that the most important thing is being willing to change as soon as you see that what you're doing isn't working.
Are we agreed?
I should acknowledge that I've known a lot of homeschool success stories, too. It's a different kind of success, though, than maybe what I want for myself? And maybe deep down I want my kids to be successful in ways that will confirm or validate my personal goals, which isn't fair.
ReplyDeleteIn education as in everywhere else, the definition of success is so subjective. I'm really learning that.
Thanks so much Crystal for helping me to really flesh this idea out once and for all! My thoughts on this have changed and grown alot since I met you.
I agree with you Emily. I agree with Crystal, my concern would be the influences that they would be getting at a really young age, and I think that each child might be different, or my home school my kids for the first few years so I can "well ground them" as it were, and give them a certain lifestyle and really, a certain bias in the way the see things. If I then sent them to public school, they would hopefully have a certain viewpoint behind what they see. Of course, as they got older they would need to form their own opinions about what happens, and what they believe.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I think my parents have done a pretty good job to, and I don't really think that we are going to have to struggle with "Culture Shock" almost. Think of the G- family Emily- they home school, but they are in no way a typical home schooling family, and when they have their own job and are making their way in the world, they are going to have absolutely no problem.
Oh, that is a really cool quote. It really illustrates how the little things we do can influence peoples lives, in good ways and bad ways, and we have to be really careful. Which is actually rather scary.
ReplyDeleteyAy! Crystal's getting a blog. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, I think this would be an impossible argument to ever completely settle, but I think we both know exactly what we think now. I guess I would put myself in the chatagory of not thinking homeschool is necessarily the best thing for my children, but I would hope that I'd be open to changing if I felt that it turned out differently.
I'd rather have a discussion with my kids about the King and King book than have them be ignorant, I guess. Teach them how to react to it. I don't know though, I can see how bad that sounds.
I'll just have to keep thinking and see what happens. :-)
Eagerly awaiting your first post, Crystal!
one quick note on the passion issue...
ReplyDeleteever since I was a little kid I always wanted to be homeschooled, even before I knew what homeschooling was. I just said, "I wish you could be my teacher Mommy." when we found out about homeschooling in 2nd grade, my mom really did not want to do it. she had absolutely no desire to do it.
so she prayed and said to God, "if this is what you want me to do, then give me the desire to do it." and He did - and overwhelming desire. so a couple weeks later my parents pulled me out of school and we started homeschooling, and have never looked back.
so while I would always always always homeschool my kids (as long as they wanted to), I honestly think it's a different decision for each family.
and I believe, like every major decision in life, it should be decided by prayer. only God has the right answer. don't base it on your past experiences, your present feelings, or your hopes about the future (yours or your kids'), but on real honest prayer to ask God for the answer.
I wish I did that about more stuff in my life. it would make life so much easier....
Prayer. Thank you, Verya. We have both (I hope I can speak for you, Em) been relying a lot on our own fallible thoughts and arguments in this discussion. Thank you for reminding us to ask for God's infallible assistance - we certainly need it!
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely think that you need to want to homeschool your children to do it properly. It becomes a lifestyle, and if you aren't ready for that, then it's not going to work.
ReplyDeletewhere's my favorite MNM?
ReplyDeleteThat's it, I'm going to call you and scold you!
ReplyDelete