Parenting is a multifaceted and irreplaceable function in the lives of children. It seems tragic to me that parents so undervalue the role they play in their children’s health and happiness that they intentionally sabotage themselves by taking on the additional role of educators.
The fundamental question, it seems to me, is “who will parent if parents abandon their role to become teachers?”
While one aspect of parenting obviously includes teaching in an informal setting, it is also true that a formal education both requires and deserves professional educators. Much in the same way, parents routinely deliver first aid and nursing care to their children, but (ought to) rely on medical professionals to diagnose and prescribe treatment.
My point is this: being a child’s parent makes one (nearly) irreplaceable to that child. Parenting responsibilities are therefore a higher priority than any other. It is an unwise parent who would allow their desire to teach to impact their parenting in any way. It is a compromise that is not worth making.
A child will have innumerable teachers in their lifetime, and it serves the best interest of the child to learn to adapt to many different learning environments. A child will only have two parents, however, and it’s misguided to attempt to fill another role. Parenting is too important to shortchange.
There is such a thing as great homeschooling. One test to distinguish the good kind is, are the parents happy - eager - to take advantage of opportunities offered by other adults, outside the home, that give the kids more diverse exposures.
Parents who choose homeschooling because they sincerely want a *better* education than local public schools may provide, and who do the work to be good teachers of the academic basics themselves, tend to also recognize the limits of the home (+ home church) classroom setting. Also, they're working hard enough that they're glad to have a break once in a while.
The paragraph about just wanting to be normal... I could have written that myself. And the pressure to be a positive example of homeschooling - it was hard.
Parenting is a multifaceted and irreplaceable function in the lives of children. It seems tragic to me that parents so undervalue the role they play in their children’s health and happiness that they intentionally sabotage themselves by taking on the additional role of educators.
The fundamental question, it seems to me, is “who will parent if parents abandon their role to become teachers?”
I don’t think parenting and teaching are mutually exclusive, but too often I see parents struggling to do both.
While one aspect of parenting obviously includes teaching in an informal setting, it is also true that a formal education both requires and deserves professional educators. Much in the same way, parents routinely deliver first aid and nursing care to their children, but (ought to) rely on medical professionals to diagnose and prescribe treatment.
My point is this: being a child’s parent makes one (nearly) irreplaceable to that child. Parenting responsibilities are therefore a higher priority than any other. It is an unwise parent who would allow their desire to teach to impact their parenting in any way. It is a compromise that is not worth making.
A child will have innumerable teachers in their lifetime, and it serves the best interest of the child to learn to adapt to many different learning environments. A child will only have two parents, however, and it’s misguided to attempt to fill another role. Parenting is too important to shortchange.
There is such a thing as great homeschooling. One test to distinguish the good kind is, are the parents happy - eager - to take advantage of opportunities offered by other adults, outside the home, that give the kids more diverse exposures.
Parents who choose homeschooling because they sincerely want a *better* education than local public schools may provide, and who do the work to be good teachers of the academic basics themselves, tend to also recognize the limits of the home (+ home church) classroom setting. Also, they're working hard enough that they're glad to have a break once in a while.
Sure, but that’s not what I’m describing here.
Uh... I know?
The paragraph about just wanting to be normal... I could have written that myself. And the pressure to be a positive example of homeschooling - it was hard.
Right? We were expected to be perfect ambassadors.
This