Ok, just so you know, I'm not good at blogs. Blogs require daily attention and regular maintenance. Suffice it to say you probably won't be getting daily updates here. Between my ADD tendencies and my "P" personality trait on the
Myers-Briggs index, I just don't do "regular, routine" all that well. But, anything to produce traffic on my main site,
Wild Blue Heaven. So, here goes...
The title of my blog is somewhat revealing. We believe in homeschooling! In fact, with the exception of one brief school term our 3 children (ages 15, 12 and 11) have been home schooled from day one. It is one way my wife and I felt that we could give our children the best academically, which would be within our financial means. With the exception of the heavy financial strain, we have not regretted one day of this decision. Even knowing the cost of living off of one income and the financial pressure that comes with this choice, we would still choose homeschooling again and again.
Why choose to home school. Primarily because of the myriad of benefits associated with self-education. First and foremost, you get to keep your children with you. Now, I can hear some parents already saying "and this is a benefit"? Yes, it is. I am quickly approaching 50 and I am blessed to still have my children at home. I could have an "empty nest" by now and be playing with my grandchildren. But as it is, I still have the benefit of spending time with my children. Time, which even at our age, moves way too quickly. I am not regretting time that my children spent away from me and precious moments that someone else was able to enjoy with my children in my stead.
During specific times of frustration or financial strain, when we considered putting our children back in public school, one of the thoughts that kept me on course was; "What if something were to happen to my child at the beginning of the school day, and s/he had to carry that around all day long? Would s/he tell me about it or would it go for days or even months before I found out about it?" That would be the end of the debate and on we would go with our home education. Now some would suggest that this may be some sort of unhealthy attachment or enmeshment, but my response would be that this is the "norm" which is becomming more and more uncommon every day. In my 15 years as a mental health and substance abuse counselor, it has been my experience that a lack of healthy familial bonding is at the core of most mental health and substance abuse disorders.
Homeschooling allows one to "tailor" a child's education specifically to that child's educational needs. In todays schools, children are often diagnosed and 'labeled' with numerous dysfunctions and difficulties. Quite often, children are placed in a group of "slow learners" or even alternative classrooms because they cannot keep up with the pace of the majority of students. This has a devastating, long-term effect on the life of an individual. Not only does it wreak havoc on one's self esteem, but it shortchanges that individual from receiving the proper tools necessary to navigate through life. For many, it isn't the trauma of a bad family that caused problems later in life, but the trauma of getting through the public school system.
In fact, this is probably the major reason for considering a home education.
Public schools are fundamentally detrimental to the learning process. While this statement can be rather shocking in its brutal honesty, little thought is needed to reveal the truth of the arguement. For one reason, public schools are, by nature, compelled to use strict guidelines and procedures in order to maintain control. This creates a certain amount of "group think" which must take place in order for everyone to be on the same page. This means, of course, that your child becomes part of the "collective". If everyone assumes that Evolution is proven fact, then that is what is taught. No questions asked. Hopefully
Ben Stein won't show up with his movie,
Expelled and introduce chaos! Individual needs, views and beliefs must be suspended for the 'greater good'. Much uproar was created recently when part of Obama's now famous "stimulus package" included funds to learning institutions with the stipulation that taxpayer dollars could not be used to fund activities including religious or faith-based themes. Individual intolerances cannot be tolerated in an pseudo-inclusive, highly censored, controlled atmosphere.
Perhaps the largest foe to proper education in the public school system is peer pressure. The temptation to mingle with friends, compare notes, share toys and avoid the ever-present threat of being pounded into the pavement or being ridiculed by the campus bully is simply too great to overcome for the average student. Think about it, where do the book-reading, math whiz, history-quoting, spelling-bee students usually fall in the socio-cultural structure of a public school? It would be funny if it weren't so tragic. In fact, it is this arguement, social aptitude, that is used against home schooling more than any other. However, the typical home schooler is forced to communicate as much with adults as with his peers; whereas, a public school student is overwhelmingly barraged by peer influence and exposure. Which would explain why, for the most part, home schooled students display more maturity than public schooled students their own age.
There are many more reasons why a home school education would be considered. It seems like a new reason gets put on the list daily as sex scandals, shootings, drug deals and accidents show up in the headlines pertaining to some school in some city in America. Home schooling may not be for everyone, but everyone is certainly responsible for his or her own self-education.
