Simply Teach It...
10:08 AM Posted In hometeaching , love , simply teach it Edit This
Have you ever wondered why people choose to homeschool their children? Some people have very evident reasons. The main group of people who choose to hometeach their children are those who are affiliated to 'religious' or 'faith-based' groups. To simplify that, I'm referring to one you may think of right away. People of "Christian" faith. We are Christians (so if you're faith-phobic you'd better grab your gear and run far from here, change the page, before you read something that might challenge your thoughts and beliefs-or lack thereof).
However, our initial reasons for making the decision to 'homeschool' was not based upon religious or faith beliefs way back 17 years ago. Nope, it was based on love. Or lack, of it in the school system. Not to mention some pretty inconsiderate power tripping teacher that made up our minds one day to homeschool. The rest as they say, is history. I'll share some of that history with you. When our son was just knee high to a grasshopper-nope, oak was more like it (he is now 6'3") he started kindergarten for all of a couple of weeks. He was pulled from my arms kicking and screaming (great first memory of school-and they wonder why adults have anxiety and separation issues that stem from early childhood memories, hmm). He adjusted and had a great time with the sandbox, paints and duplos. Just what the doctor ordered. Fun. Still a healthy thing to do at eighty might I remind you. Lawn bowling, well, not exactly my speed right now but some day who knows? Then grade one, uh-oh. The respiratory issues began. Smart, yes, he could multiply when the other kiddies were just beginning to add. He was and still is above average in intelligence and is light years ahead of his peers when it comes to the 'spirit'. That genuine part of ones' self that makes up the true person that starts in the womb. Well, when we were onto our second bottle of dimetapp (you know the one pulled off the shelf maybe 8 yrs ago because of it's damaging effects on children, yep that one) in a week we knew there was a problem. He couldn't sleep at night because he coughed and coughed until he threw up. The doctor wasn't all that helpful. When our young boy developed pneumonia in grade one and missed over a week of schoolwork we decided to let him go back to school with the doctors' recommendation of 'no physical activity' and 'plenty of rest in between'. If he overdid it the coughing would worsen and he would be hospitalized. We let him go back because we caved from the pressure of the teacher telling us he was going to have to miss his lunches for a while to catch up. The sitting still part was good, but the over working the mind of a young boy of 7 with pneumonia was not healthy. Even with a healthy child it's not healthy! But, he had to catch up, I mean college would be starting next week, he couldn't be left behind because of getting sick. We couldn't have that. Like I said, we caved. We sent him back to grade one with a note from the doctor that said "he was to refrain from all physical activity" so as not to worsen his healing respiratory system. It was our daughters meet the teacher day and we strolled in to meet with the junior kindergarten teacher. We walked by the gym and peeked in..to what to our wonderous eyes did appear but our young, not well little boy running around the gym with 25 other kiddies. Well, that night the coughing returned, this time codeine cough syrup from the doctor and no more school until he was completely well. Oh, my, he will miss his college entry exam next week! This is life or death, or was it? We were very upset with the teacher for playing doctor or God, not sure which one she was trying out for by flatly refusing to listen to the real Doctor's instructions. He has to go and catch up, he has to be in school with all the other children. This what society told us to do. We had to listen. There was no other choice. Not if we didn't want to fall out of the 'normal' category there wasn't. What were we to do? We weren't Christian, we couldn't homeschool our children. After all, at that point we thought they were the only people who did. Then the 'clincher' came. When our little boy told us "there's not enough love in school". It all fell into place. That was the missing part of the puzzle we were looking for. Love. After all, anything is possible with Love.
I shifted my gears from "I'm going to have my career when these children are both in school full time and make lots of money!" after all, isn't that what life is about? Money, stuff, travel and a 'name' for yourself, letters after your name, or is it? To, I'm --hmm, we (hubby wasn't on board right away until I read him the book "Dumbing Us Down" while he was installing an engine in his Camaro.) are going to give our children just what they need, what our little boy was able to verbalize for us at such a young age---LOVE.
So, that journey began. One of living life to the fullest, laughing at ourselves (so we wouldn't get mad when other people did it), and loving- to the max. When something is done with Love and out of Love it becomes easier. Our hometeaching journey certainly hasn't been 'easy' but is anything nowadays? The correct answer is...'anything worthwhile does take effort and hardwork' It was definitely worthwhile when we saw it through the eyes of love.
Here we sit 17 years later. Our daughter just started highschool and has found the next piece in her puzzle. She was well prepared for life and the school system. Armed with an Omnipotent God, the faith of a mustard seed, a family who loves her and the ability to Live, Love, and Laugh she was ready for the world and is doing marvellously. She is off to a fantastic start on her way to becoming a Speech and Language Pathologist. Our son is marching to a different drum, actually shredding one of his many guitars while he marches. He has a heart of gold and a soul for God. He has no desire to join the highschool institution. He is preparing himself for a great career in Psychology. He has another year or so of home highschool. Then it's off to join the ranks of higher education of his choosing with others of like mind. That's okay for him and it's okay for us. Above all, it's okay for God. Both our children are listening to their leader. They are both exactly where God needs them to be at this time in their lives. Huh, I guess that means we are too. "Right where we need to be, at this exact moment in time".
So, as I said in my first post, hometeaching is a labour of love that begins when our children take their first breath, it ends for us when we take our last breath and is filled with moments in between that take our breath away. I am talking about teaching to love. It is the most wonderful vocation because all the while you are teaching, you are actually learning. until next time Simply.Marie
However, our initial reasons for making the decision to 'homeschool' was not based upon religious or faith beliefs way back 17 years ago. Nope, it was based on love. Or lack, of it in the school system. Not to mention some pretty inconsiderate power tripping teacher that made up our minds one day to homeschool. The rest as they say, is history. I'll share some of that history with you. When our son was just knee high to a grasshopper-nope, oak was more like it (he is now 6'3") he started kindergarten for all of a couple of weeks. He was pulled from my arms kicking and screaming (great first memory of school-and they wonder why adults have anxiety and separation issues that stem from early childhood memories, hmm). He adjusted and had a great time with the sandbox, paints and duplos. Just what the doctor ordered. Fun. Still a healthy thing to do at eighty might I remind you. Lawn bowling, well, not exactly my speed right now but some day who knows? Then grade one, uh-oh. The respiratory issues began. Smart, yes, he could multiply when the other kiddies were just beginning to add. He was and still is above average in intelligence and is light years ahead of his peers when it comes to the 'spirit'. That genuine part of ones' self that makes up the true person that starts in the womb. Well, when we were onto our second bottle of dimetapp (you know the one pulled off the shelf maybe 8 yrs ago because of it's damaging effects on children, yep that one) in a week we knew there was a problem. He couldn't sleep at night because he coughed and coughed until he threw up. The doctor wasn't all that helpful. When our young boy developed pneumonia in grade one and missed over a week of schoolwork we decided to let him go back to school with the doctors' recommendation of 'no physical activity' and 'plenty of rest in between'. If he overdid it the coughing would worsen and he would be hospitalized. We let him go back because we caved from the pressure of the teacher telling us he was going to have to miss his lunches for a while to catch up. The sitting still part was good, but the over working the mind of a young boy of 7 with pneumonia was not healthy. Even with a healthy child it's not healthy! But, he had to catch up, I mean college would be starting next week, he couldn't be left behind because of getting sick. We couldn't have that. Like I said, we caved. We sent him back to grade one with a note from the doctor that said "he was to refrain from all physical activity" so as not to worsen his healing respiratory system. It was our daughters meet the teacher day and we strolled in to meet with the junior kindergarten teacher. We walked by the gym and peeked in..to what to our wonderous eyes did appear but our young, not well little boy running around the gym with 25 other kiddies. Well, that night the coughing returned, this time codeine cough syrup from the doctor and no more school until he was completely well. Oh, my, he will miss his college entry exam next week! This is life or death, or was it? We were very upset with the teacher for playing doctor or God, not sure which one she was trying out for by flatly refusing to listen to the real Doctor's instructions. He has to go and catch up, he has to be in school with all the other children. This what society told us to do. We had to listen. There was no other choice. Not if we didn't want to fall out of the 'normal' category there wasn't. What were we to do? We weren't Christian, we couldn't homeschool our children. After all, at that point we thought they were the only people who did. Then the 'clincher' came. When our little boy told us "there's not enough love in school". It all fell into place. That was the missing part of the puzzle we were looking for. Love. After all, anything is possible with Love.
I shifted my gears from "I'm going to have my career when these children are both in school full time and make lots of money!" after all, isn't that what life is about? Money, stuff, travel and a 'name' for yourself, letters after your name, or is it? To, I'm --hmm, we (hubby wasn't on board right away until I read him the book "Dumbing Us Down" while he was installing an engine in his Camaro.) are going to give our children just what they need, what our little boy was able to verbalize for us at such a young age---LOVE.
So, that journey began. One of living life to the fullest, laughing at ourselves (so we wouldn't get mad when other people did it), and loving- to the max. When something is done with Love and out of Love it becomes easier. Our hometeaching journey certainly hasn't been 'easy' but is anything nowadays? The correct answer is...'anything worthwhile does take effort and hardwork' It was definitely worthwhile when we saw it through the eyes of love.
Here we sit 17 years later. Our daughter just started highschool and has found the next piece in her puzzle. She was well prepared for life and the school system. Armed with an Omnipotent God, the faith of a mustard seed, a family who loves her and the ability to Live, Love, and Laugh she was ready for the world and is doing marvellously. She is off to a fantastic start on her way to becoming a Speech and Language Pathologist. Our son is marching to a different drum, actually shredding one of his many guitars while he marches. He has a heart of gold and a soul for God. He has no desire to join the highschool institution. He is preparing himself for a great career in Psychology. He has another year or so of home highschool. Then it's off to join the ranks of higher education of his choosing with others of like mind. That's okay for him and it's okay for us. Above all, it's okay for God. Both our children are listening to their leader. They are both exactly where God needs them to be at this time in their lives. Huh, I guess that means we are too. "Right where we need to be, at this exact moment in time".
So, as I said in my first post, hometeaching is a labour of love that begins when our children take their first breath, it ends for us when we take our last breath and is filled with moments in between that take our breath away. I am talking about teaching to love. It is the most wonderful vocation because all the while you are teaching, you are actually learning. until next time Simply.Marie
