Often I am asked questions about homeschooling : where to
purchase curriculums; which curriculums; scheduling; subjects;
etc. My answer is always the same. "If you're going to do all
this scheduling, curriculum-shoving stuff, why not enter them into
a public school?"
The way I see it.. if you have children, you're ALREADY
homeschooling.. and then you put them into school and it all stops.
You've been homeschooling since you gave birth. Look at the
amazing mental and intellectual growth they've reached without
"benefit" of school. Why is that? It's because children naturally learn.
They are naturally curious about all things. And when you child is
interested and expresses interest.. what do you do?? You flow with it.
You have conversations about it.. you get books at the library.. etc.
This is what you've been doing since he/she was born. This is called
unschooling or as I prefer to call it "natural learning". This is what
I do and have done with my children. No need for for curriculums and texts and schedules. (again--why not put them in school if that's the
case?)
Learning comes as naturally as breathing. In ancient times,
children learned all there was to learn from their parents.. reading,
math, religion, ethics, morals and social skills. These primal people
did not send their children off for 6-8 hours per day to government- paid institutions where strangers decided what they would and would
not be taught. No. They valued their children and viewed them as an
extension of themselves. They had them at home, where they belonged,
teaching them the ways of their own world and culture.
But how does this work? It's simple. It takes little effort at all.
Basically, you just live. Yes, that's what I said. You live with your
children, close to your children and open with you children. They do
not have their "own world" because they are children. (In my opinion,
that view is exactly why there are teens out there having their own lives
of which parents are totally unaware!) They're there with you all day and
everything is a learning matter. Whether they're cooking with you, cleaning
with you, working with you, watching the evening news with you, riding in
the car having discusssions, going to a library, museum, historical monument,
discussing people you know, or current world events or even discussing
problems with people, work, or life. Simply keep the age and maturity of the
child in mind. (Obviously, world politics is beyond my 2 year old and I don't
discuss the latest child-mutilation on the news with my 7 year old!) I would brave to say that there is a lot more conversation and relating with my
children than I see in other families. Almost every waking moment, there is conversation going on between them and myself. And they are
learning.
And what do they learn? From those mentioned things, they learn
math skills (cooking, working with me, money management &
budgeting the checkbook teach them math); they learn responsibility
towards employers and family (working with and for me, cleaning
house, taking care of the younger ones); they learn that the world is a
beautiful and ugly place (news, current events, discussions of these issues);
and how to view these beautiful and ugly things from a moral and
ethical point of view. They learn history and science and reading
and art (your own example and interest teaches these by going to
the historical places and museums, etc). And yes.. I talk about
financial challenges; problems with co-workers, etc with the older
children. Contrary to popular parenting belief, this does not harm them. In fact, my children have a very honest and open view of problems. They can work through almost anything. They can stretch
a penny like rubber glue. They have learned skills of diplomacy
and reasoning with others. They have learned so much that they
have a difficult time tolerating the shallow thinking and childish
reasoning of so many modern teenagers. People are highly impressed
with my children, their speaking ability, their mature thinking and
the lack of "issues" that many teens possess these days.
All in all.. it's an easy road. The only schedules are self-imposed
related to business, meals and such normal things. The children are not glued to a spot in the room where they grow to hate
books and reading and schedules. Why put that stress on them
or yourself for that matter? I tried that route once upon a time.
It made life difficult. My life had to revolve around that "school
schedule".. which meant delaying things, eliminating things.. basically, I stopped enjoying my day-to-day life! It doesn't have to be
that way. Run those errands, do those projects, take those trips.. with your children at your side. Do whatever you would normally
do if the child was not in school because they aren't in school.
They're at home. Home shouldn't be a a mini-school environment.
It's a place of warmth and love and nurturing. It's a place for learning.
Copyright 2005© Michelle Cannon
Michelle Cannon is a mom to 5 children. Since 2003, she has published a natural health newsletter and a primal mothering newsletter, as
well as a primal mothering educational forum and local support/playgroup.
She owns a natural cleaning service and an e-store located at http://www.holistichealthhut.com . You may contact her at michelle@holistichealthhut.com