Here's some of what she wrote:
One of the trends that I most enjoy studying is the educational changes that people make. I watch the trends of public schools, national education, homeschooling methods and general parenting trends. One thing that has really picked up speed in the last 5-10 years, is the pace at which people are trying to educate their children. We are no longer spoon feeding information, it is like a full feast, being shoved down a throat at the earliest possible movement of the child. (Sorry a little harsh) I am a huge believer in helping children find JOY!
Brian (Tokyo) and I (Osaka) , both spent a couple of years living in Japan, (We didn’t know each other at the time) on service missions, I watched some very disturbing trends that followed a very strict regimented lifestyle. Children as young as 2, were being pre-qualified to attend elite preschools to help facilitate their educational status. Many children attended after-school tutors late into the evening, attending high school and an elite one at that, was the most important decision that they would make. High school classes and curriculum, required more study than college. Many students studied 7 days a week. College was considered a vacation or a break for the student.
Sadly, suicide rates were high for children in this country. The loss of childhood was replaced with books and schedules. As a young adult, I vowed never to enter into that arena with my future children. Now in America two decades later, I see many of these trends. Parent pushing aggressive preschool curriculums, baby Einstein dvd’s being shown right out of the womb (which have never produced any positive tests for increased intelligence), parents scrambling to find the best method to educate their children. (Always a consideration in the homeschool arena). Public school parents fighting for new facilities programs (although I believe kids learn better in a great environment) and dozens of enrichment activities filling free-time (what's left of it). Homeschooling doesn’t even guarantee that you avoid this.
The homeschooling community is equally, if not more passionate about what their children study. Trends in methods monopolize community discussion. In either forum-public or private, searching for the best curriculum, program or ideal plagues parents. I too, have joined in the discussion. (On the flip side, I agree one hundred percent that you have to be informed and up to date on how and what curriculum you choose and the methods you elect to teach.)
What I find very interesting is that one of the ways in which Angela recommends we start being a "less is more" family is to not get the kids involved in travel sports (and her husband played NCAA football on a full scholarship, and coached high school sports for years!)
She has some great ideas, and a wonderful way of putting them into print. Check out the entire blog entry here.
Over the years my husband and I have seen many families following the burn-out route in the hopes that their kids would gain an educational edge. Many times the families were hoping, too, that the busyness would keep the kids out of trouble. Overall, we've not seen this to be the case, neither with friends nor when my husband was a youth pastor.
We humans are interesting beings, aren't we? We have our to-do lists, our life maps, our day timers, goals, expectations, but life is rarely how we planned it out to be.
No wise answers or witty sayings from me. I'm learning as I wander along life's paths, too. There are so many variables in each family, marriage, situation that I think Angela really is onto something when she talks about general values of time and joy. It seems to me that peer pressure extends late into our adult years. Was it Mrs. Reagan who quipped "Just say no."? Amazing wisdom there!
This is a huge reason I am grateful for rural living. We have very few home schooling groups and even less activities. Makes it easy to not join everything.
ReplyDeleteHaving a hermit for a son helps too :)