Because I have an amazing boyfriend, it'll be much easier for me to be the stay at home mom I want to be (along with pursuing other things such as reiki and being a doula). He is 100% willing to bring in all the bacon so that our baby can be near exclusively breastfed for the first couple years of life, and even so that I can home school our little tiger. This concept is still very new to me though, so I am on the fence and plan on doing all the research I can (off to the library! :D).
It is true that I feel our political views and beliefs about life are in conflict with the way the school system operates, unfortunately. I see the benefit of learning in a one on one familial setting, where the methods of teaching and learning can be much more personal and diverse. I envision us venturing out to a near by park or some nice outdoor setting for a day of "class" on a sunny day... I see that having the potential to be very laid back and FUN for both parties. Not to mention there is the benefit of more fresh air and exercise. The opportunity to use the outdoors as a classroom setting is immensely appealing to me... I know I would have loved it as a child. Perhaps I would have been more interested in learning from my surroundings (which is what teaching is all about), than I was being immersed in a dull classroom full of rules I didn't understand, where I was forced to sit still and listen to an uninterested teacher drone on for a whole hour and a half. My butt would get so numb sometimes!
It is true that I feel our political views and beliefs about life are in conflict with the way the school system operates, unfortunately. I see the benefit of learning in a one on one familial setting, where the methods of teaching and learning can be much more personal and diverse. I envision us venturing out to a near by park or some nice outdoor setting for a day of "class" on a sunny day... I see that having the potential to be very laid back and FUN for both parties. Not to mention there is the benefit of more fresh air and exercise. The opportunity to use the outdoors as a classroom setting is immensely appealing to me... I know I would have loved it as a child. Perhaps I would have been more interested in learning from my surroundings (which is what teaching is all about), than I was being immersed in a dull classroom full of rules I didn't understand, where I was forced to sit still and listen to an uninterested teacher drone on for a whole hour and a half. My butt would get so numb sometimes!
Imagine a classroom in the woods on a day outing for homeschooling, where the only "rule" was to be open to learn. The difference is that in this setting I see for my child, the methods of learning can be uniquely individual and immensely diverse. There is choice, and opportunity for spontaneity. There may be more time for personal exploration, and a more encouraging atmosphere for self expression and individual opinion forming (without the pressure of mainstream programming).
To wake up in the morning and have breakfast in leisure, with no need to go anywhere for the day of learning to begin... To maintain a strong familial bond and to learn respect by being unconditionally loved and respected, instead of being demanded respect and expected to follow inflexible rules because the adult is the authority, end of story. I understand I may be making a wide generalization, as I am mostly basing my opinion on my experience in that system. For some people it works and they fit in well.
Some of the homeschooling benefits that appeal to me are that parents can control what the child learns, how, and when, that it can build a more intimate parent child relationship (and that relationship allows the parent(s) to know and be involved with their children on a deeper level), that parents can tailor their teaching to match a child's dominant learning style, the advantage of a more personal one on one setting for learning (and the ability to give more attention to the subjects which may be more challenging for the child), the flexibility of class scheduling (and the ability to take vacations during the school year), more opportunities to incorporate personal/familial beliefs and values into another aspect of family life, protection from violence and negative influences in public schools, the opportunity to nurture the child's innate talents more fully (such as art, music, physical activity, math, etc...), and to be more present for them during the difficult periods of development.
All of that being said, it makes my job a lot more challenging and I never really did very well in school to begin with... But I am considering all of my options. One of them being that I could home school our boy for the first few years of elementary, during a time when his mind is still very open and quite susceptible to extreme influencing (especially by a system that children are a part of almost all day, almost every day from age 4 or 5 onwards).
Anyhoo, this is where I'm at now. Maybe it'll change over time, maybe the school system will begin to see some good changes. For now I'm perfectly content helping my little guy learn about smiling and being loved. I love seeing him grow <3
To wake up in the morning and have breakfast in leisure, with no need to go anywhere for the day of learning to begin... To maintain a strong familial bond and to learn respect by being unconditionally loved and respected, instead of being demanded respect and expected to follow inflexible rules because the adult is the authority, end of story. I understand I may be making a wide generalization, as I am mostly basing my opinion on my experience in that system. For some people it works and they fit in well.
Some of the homeschooling benefits that appeal to me are that parents can control what the child learns, how, and when, that it can build a more intimate parent child relationship (and that relationship allows the parent(s) to know and be involved with their children on a deeper level), that parents can tailor their teaching to match a child's dominant learning style, the advantage of a more personal one on one setting for learning (and the ability to give more attention to the subjects which may be more challenging for the child), the flexibility of class scheduling (and the ability to take vacations during the school year), more opportunities to incorporate personal/familial beliefs and values into another aspect of family life, protection from violence and negative influences in public schools, the opportunity to nurture the child's innate talents more fully (such as art, music, physical activity, math, etc...), and to be more present for them during the difficult periods of development.
All of that being said, it makes my job a lot more challenging and I never really did very well in school to begin with... But I am considering all of my options. One of them being that I could home school our boy for the first few years of elementary, during a time when his mind is still very open and quite susceptible to extreme influencing (especially by a system that children are a part of almost all day, almost every day from age 4 or 5 onwards).
Anyhoo, this is where I'm at now. Maybe it'll change over time, maybe the school system will begin to see some good changes. For now I'm perfectly content helping my little guy learn about smiling and being loved. I love seeing him grow <3
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