Ok, so if you read my last post you were sure to notice my displeasure over a certain class camping trip. If you have kids in school yourself you would certainly think I overreacted and need to chill since many more time wasting - I mean community building - opportunities are coming down the pike! And I have been considering my reaction to this whole "going to school" thing: am I overreacting? do I just have a BAD attitude? Am I so engrossed in the fantasy world of homeschooling that I'm out of touch with reality?
YES, and yes, and yes.
I DO have a bad attitude. I very much dislike being told what I have to do when I'm not sold on the philosophy behind it. I used be required to belong to a labour union to have a certain job. What? I can't have this job, in Canada, without paying union fees and toeing the party line? I have not and will not work in a union again except under some dire circumstance beyond my control. So, yes, I have this rebellious streak which I will admit I am not proud of and should continue to subdue. I'm sorry.
I AM out of touch with reality - some people's reality. I'm plenty in touch with my reality, the one I actively create in my one small square of the world. I do understand that the average school-type parent does not understand what the heck I'm griping about and I get weird blank looks and head shakes; but in my defence I have spent 9 years convincing myself that homeschooling is the right choice, the best choice not only educationally but for my children's health and safety and our family culture. My reality is consciously constructed of close relationships, high academic standards, independence and critical thinking on solid spiritual foundation. After much research, thought and prayer I believe homeschooling is more conducive to these principles than out-schooling.
The over-arching benefit of homeschooling in my opinion is the opportunity to develop family attachment over peer attachment. Dr. Gordon Nuefeld says it so well in his book "Holding Onto Your Kids" that the key issue with today's youth problems is over-orientation towards peer relationships at the expense of orientation to the family and community. When the peer group overrides the family in almost every area we have problems. The group with which you spend the majority of your hours can easily become the group towards which you attach, especially for teens. The way our schools are set up they actually promote a community of peers drawing kids more into the life of the school than their life at home. I know this first hand. It was more important for me to go the dance with my peers than: be honest, be obedient, be kind, be humble, be with my family, care about their concerns, help with work to be done... This community environment puts parents in a bad spot when they want to say "no" to anything that school does. What will the peers think? What am I missing out on? If we can agree that peer attachment over family/larger community attachment is not healthy, then why are we sending our kids to a place 7 hours or more a day that fosters exactly that?
My attachment to my family is reminding me that I need to make supper. I'll follow up in my next post.
YES, and yes, and yes.
I DO have a bad attitude. I very much dislike being told what I have to do when I'm not sold on the philosophy behind it. I used be required to belong to a labour union to have a certain job. What? I can't have this job, in Canada, without paying union fees and toeing the party line? I have not and will not work in a union again except under some dire circumstance beyond my control. So, yes, I have this rebellious streak which I will admit I am not proud of and should continue to subdue. I'm sorry.
I AM out of touch with reality - some people's reality. I'm plenty in touch with my reality, the one I actively create in my one small square of the world. I do understand that the average school-type parent does not understand what the heck I'm griping about and I get weird blank looks and head shakes; but in my defence I have spent 9 years convincing myself that homeschooling is the right choice, the best choice not only educationally but for my children's health and safety and our family culture. My reality is consciously constructed of close relationships, high academic standards, independence and critical thinking on solid spiritual foundation. After much research, thought and prayer I believe homeschooling is more conducive to these principles than out-schooling.
The over-arching benefit of homeschooling in my opinion is the opportunity to develop family attachment over peer attachment. Dr. Gordon Nuefeld says it so well in his book "Holding Onto Your Kids" that the key issue with today's youth problems is over-orientation towards peer relationships at the expense of orientation to the family and community. When the peer group overrides the family in almost every area we have problems. The group with which you spend the majority of your hours can easily become the group towards which you attach, especially for teens. The way our schools are set up they actually promote a community of peers drawing kids more into the life of the school than their life at home. I know this first hand. It was more important for me to go the dance with my peers than: be honest, be obedient, be kind, be humble, be with my family, care about their concerns, help with work to be done... This community environment puts parents in a bad spot when they want to say "no" to anything that school does. What will the peers think? What am I missing out on? If we can agree that peer attachment over family/larger community attachment is not healthy, then why are we sending our kids to a place 7 hours or more a day that fosters exactly that?
My attachment to my family is reminding me that I need to make supper. I'll follow up in my next post.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for constructive and encouraging comments!