Recently I've been struggling with the notion of sending Ethan and Alaina to school next year instead of homeschooling. My heart is with homeschooling but I want to make sure I'm making the best decision for them.
One of the nicest thing about owning cats is that you don't need to agonize over questions such as these. The biggest decision any cat parents face is, "So, how big of a scratching post do we need, anyway?" :)
I harbor mixed feelings about homeschooling. On one hand, you're nearly guaranteed to mold your child into having your exact beliefs. On the other hand, you're nearly guaranteed to mold your child into having your exact beliefs.
Even if you encourage your child to become his own person, mother is an influential figure in the life of a child, especially one as involved in their lives as you are. I would fear my children not growing ambition, learning a sense of healthy competitiveness, and blossoming into a unique personality. Or, on this latter point, you might argue that the child might become too unique. Believe me, you don't want that. It can happen even in the most heterogenous environment. Do I think it's bad? Actually, I do. I'm thirty years old and still have inordinate trouble relating to my peers. While I wouldn't trade my individualism for anything, I wouldn't want anyone else to go through the trials I have. It's nothing my parents intended, but they did encourage it. Then again, I'm an only child! You don't have that problem.
Anyway, you want to strike a balance between individuality and socialbility. Can it be achieved at home? I don't know.
I think school, for all its toughness, perversities, and absurdities is an overall good experience we all need. Public school, at that. I've heard nothing but horror stories about Catholic/Christian schools and the few high brow institutions I was acquainted with perpetuated a snobbery no child ought to be exposed to. While you could argue that a pastor is a sufficient secondary guide, I think every kid needs teachers. Good ones, bad ones. They will offer different perspectives and grow your mind in different ways. As Mr. Dobson said, "I learned something from all of my teachers, even the ones who were idiots."
The home environment is safe, even at its least ideal. I think kids need to learn to respect all adults and not just mom, dad, and grandma. I'm not saying your kids don't or can't, but I'd be willing to wager they'll learn a whole lot quicker by sitting under another adult's supervision. Though it may smack of madness, I think even the less stable teachers have something to offer a child. In fifth grade, I learned that some folks are militant nutjobs, and it raised my awareness, taught me that just because someone wields authority, it doesn't mean they're always right! This just ties back into Mr. D's quote on a social level.
And frankly, I think children need to acquaint themselves with different structural setups. College would be a shock (more than it is) for a child used to having his home as a school, even if you have desks and a chalkboard installed in your basement. The school environment prepares us for the work environment. You always have to think of that end goal. Like as not, your kids are going to work in an office at some point. A rudimentary knowledge of that infrastructure would be useful, no?
Then we come to the uncomfortable subject of religion. Despite my faith, I am a firm supporter of separating church and state. I don't even think abortion needs to be legislated, because it's a medical and moral subject and trying to legally define it has proven to be a long and unhappy nightmare. I don't think any particular belief belongs in school. We should be taught the principles of all religions, to contrast beliefs and grow respect for different people. We all must coincide together. I think scientific theory should be taught in school without condemning creation tradition. It's up to an individual to decide what he believes in. As a Christian parent, the responsibility of inculcating belief is entirely yours. Big Bang doesn't jibe well with Genesis, but it's your job to point out that it's just a theory. I myself prefer the marriage of scientific study and belief. To me, evolution is just proof that God was thinking ahead of time and made organisms adaptable. :)
It's an issue that heats me up. I don't like when "fundies" whine about how God is fleeing our nation. We can imprint His name on our currency, but that does not make us a Christian nation. Think of all the foul things that are done with that money. Is that truly what we want? Really? Equally as aggravating are the atheists who whine about public figures calling for prayer. How funny that people who claim God is an impotent fabrication are so threatened by something as simple as a private moment of silence and perhaps a little mumbling.
One of the nicest thing about owning cats is that you don't need to agonize over questions such as these. The biggest decision any cat parents face is, "So, how big of a scratching post do we need, anyway?" :)
ReplyDeleteI harbor mixed feelings about homeschooling. On one hand, you're nearly guaranteed to mold your child into having your exact beliefs. On the other hand, you're nearly guaranteed to mold your child into having your exact beliefs.
Even if you encourage your child to become his own person, mother is an influential figure in the life of a child, especially one as involved in their lives as you are. I would fear my children not growing ambition, learning a sense of healthy competitiveness, and blossoming into a unique personality. Or, on this latter point, you might argue that the child might become too unique. Believe me, you don't want that. It can happen even in the most heterogenous environment. Do I think it's bad? Actually, I do. I'm thirty years old and still have inordinate trouble relating to my peers. While I wouldn't trade my individualism for anything, I wouldn't want anyone else to go through the trials I have. It's nothing my parents intended, but they did encourage it. Then again, I'm an only child! You don't have that problem.
Anyway, you want to strike a balance between individuality and socialbility. Can it be achieved at home? I don't know.
I think school, for all its toughness, perversities, and absurdities is an overall good experience we all need. Public school, at that. I've heard nothing but horror stories about Catholic/Christian schools and the few high brow institutions I was acquainted with perpetuated a snobbery no child ought to be exposed to. While you could argue that a pastor is a sufficient secondary guide, I think every kid needs teachers. Good ones, bad ones. They will offer different perspectives and grow your mind in different ways. As Mr. Dobson said, "I learned something from all of my teachers, even the ones who were idiots."
The home environment is safe, even at its least ideal. I think kids need to learn to respect all adults and not just mom, dad, and grandma. I'm not saying your kids don't or can't, but I'd be willing to wager they'll learn a whole lot quicker by sitting under another adult's supervision. Though it may smack of madness, I think even the less stable teachers have something to offer a child. In fifth grade, I learned that some folks are militant nutjobs, and it raised my awareness, taught me that just because someone wields authority, it doesn't mean they're always right! This just ties back into Mr. D's quote on a social level.
And frankly, I think children need to acquaint themselves with different structural setups. College would be a shock (more than it is) for a child used to having his home as a school, even if you have desks and a chalkboard installed in your basement. The school environment prepares us for the work environment. You always have to think of that end goal. Like as not, your kids are going to work in an office at some point. A rudimentary knowledge of that infrastructure would be useful, no?
Then we come to the uncomfortable subject of religion. Despite my faith, I am a firm supporter of separating church and state. I don't even think abortion needs to be legislated, because it's a medical and moral subject and trying to legally define it has proven to be a long and unhappy nightmare. I don't think any particular belief belongs in school. We should be taught the principles of all religions, to contrast beliefs and grow respect for different people. We all must coincide together. I think scientific theory should be taught in school without condemning creation tradition. It's up to an individual to decide what he believes in. As a Christian parent, the responsibility of inculcating belief is entirely yours. Big Bang doesn't jibe well with Genesis, but it's your job to point out that it's just a theory. I myself prefer the marriage of scientific study and belief. To me, evolution is just proof that God was thinking ahead of time and made organisms adaptable. :)
It's an issue that heats me up. I don't like when "fundies" whine about how God is fleeing our nation. We can imprint His name on our currency, but that does not make us a Christian nation. Think of all the foul things that are done with that money. Is that truly what we want? Really? Equally as aggravating are the atheists who whine about public figures calling for prayer. How funny that people who claim God is an impotent fabrication are so threatened by something as simple as a private moment of silence and perhaps a little mumbling.
Well, there is my full dollar's worth!