Thoughts on Homeschooling

We didn't know what we were in for - years ago, when the Machinist and I made the decision to homeschool our children.  At the time, our eldest child was in first year high school.  The other two were in Kindergarten and year one - at our local village school.  We hadn't gone to great lengths to actually research homeschooling either, and nor were we then, or now - qualified or professional teachers.

We were moved towards this decision, from a variety of sources - all confirming that we were doing the right thing for our family.

It really doesn't matter why parents decide to homeschool their children.  We had our own personal thoughts, views, reasons which were then and even now - ours alone.

Every family is different.  What is right for one, may not be for another.

The most important thing that matters is that there is a love and vested interest in offspring.  It's not even about education, but rather - to instil a love of learning in each child.

What we know, without doubt, is that if a child loves to learn, delights in every new snippet of discovery, is happy and well balanced - knowledge and understanding will follow.A child can be trusted to learn, as it is in their nature.

We have no regrets about taking our children out of mainstream schooling - to the learning environment of their home.... Absolutely none.

Non je ne regrette rien

And nowadays we continue in the tradition of instilling the love of learning in our grand-daughter and those still to come, whom we love already....

** We now have another three grand-daughters, and the tradition of  encouraging joy, a love of and interest in life and learning continues.

A Life Work

I am convinced that we need to morally correct our children -  constantly and relentlessly - from teeny tiny tots to  when they are 'all grown up' and become Young Adults.  Directing them and returning them to the right path never stops.  We will always be parents of children.  No matter their age, nor ours.

Then we become parents to others and nothing really changes, other than the fact that we have a new "import" (as the Machinist and I fondly call the in-law children).  We learn to love the new addition to the family and they become our own.  We gain more love, and it increases and we desire to guide them, too.

Grandchildren arrive.  They remind us, take us back to how we were, how we felt when we were raising their parents.  Sometimes shuddering when recollecting those early years and all the mistakes we made.  We don't want that for our children and our children's children.

And so it begins again.  The guiding, the directing.  We now have wisdom and experience.  We know that they will never turn back from wrong if we never show them.

We have to show them.

If we aren't intent on showing them the way, why are we parents?

How are we parents?