Government school in our area starts up again Tuesday of next week. It will be quiet around here. Most days there are not only my kids and the five from next door, but also various ones from all over the neighborhood, mostly boys of Chase’s age.
If your children attend government school and you are easily offended, please do not read any further. Really. I am not writing what I am about to with intentions to offend or even to speak badly about other educational choices. So please acknowledge your own level of analytical thinking and determine for yourself if you should stop reading. Thankyousomuch.
I am not a helicopter parent, so many times I watched some things go on that caused me to bite my lip and just quietly watch. Most times I ached to intervene, but chose instead to observe and then use the situation as a learning experience. And, believe me, my children have learned a lot.
Anyone who has been concerned about my home-schooled children receiving proper socialization skills, need not fear any longer!
They have learned survival skills through receiving intentional physical injuries. They have learned multiple swear words, how to form teams for the sole purpose of combative aggression, and the art of cruel taunting. They have learned that not everyone plays fairly, and sometimes the underhanded, below the belt participant actually ends up winning. They have learned the thrill of peer-driven friendships, which brought along the skill of treating siblings and parents like lesser citizens.
My children have fleshly hearts prone to sin just as much as any child, and they certainly don’t need the encouragement brought on by the antics of public school children that most of their parents view as normal. I’ve struggled more this summer with eye rolling, bickering, whining, and sneakiness than ever before.
So, it’s been a learning experience, for ALL of us.
It brought back so many memories of my own government school experience, most of which I would have preferred to forget! When we move away, how will my children continue to properly receive such peer-related socialization skills? Robb and I are considering ways in which we can further this important aspect of childhood. Maybe we could use the supper meal as a time to make fun of our children’s physical traits and clothing, or teach them obnoxious rhymes. A couple times a week we could come up with cruel nicknames, or grab something of theirs and dance around while holding it out of their reach.
Or just give them a wedgie.
Tags: children, homeschool, parenting