Give a full life…

For those of you that have been hanging around here for a while, you will see that today’s topic is a little different… or is it?

You know that I’m am against “bright shiny objects”. The things that everyone in marketing makes you believe that you “absolutely have to have this magically wiz-bang gadget or gizmo to really be successful”. I agree with all the great minds, that true progress comes from changing your thinking… “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

Along this lines, this article fits brilliantly. It is written by my sweetheart and my wife, Naomi. She is truly gifted.

Whether you are for or against homeschooling, that’s not the point. What’s important is how you think and not getting sucked into as Naomi describes “The Phantom Holes”.

… here’s the article, enjoy….

Have you ever worried about the phantom “holes” in your child’s education? You know, the important lessons, connections, and facts that we might miss by not using the nationally sanctioned public school curriculum?

I especially worried about these “holes” when I realized my six year old didn’t know the days of the week in the right order! What else was I missing? What horrible damage was I doing to my child?

The feeling only intensified when I talked to people entrenched in the educational system. There was always worry, concern and anxiety surrounding their talk of education and the importance of consulting with “experts” on all matters. It’s the same tone I used to get from my teachers in public school: Sure, you have great ideas and thoughts, but these things are decided and determined by the experts, and really it is above your head. You only need comply and acquiesce to get along well here and get ahead in life. Just follow the system and everything will be just great.

Ugh! Makes me want to grab my kids and run for the hills.

But what of that seed of concern they planted in my mind? What of the phantom holes? Are they really a concern?

Charlotte Mason, a British educator whose philosophy and methods are growing in popularity with homeschoolers and educators alike in America today, in Vol.3 of The Original Homeschooling Series wrote:

“Our aim in Education is to give a Full Life.––We begin to see what we want. Children make large demands upon us. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Thou hast set my feet in a large room; should be the glad cry of every intelligent soul. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking––the strain would be too great––but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest. We cannot give the children these interests; we prefer that they should never say they have learned botany or conchology, geology or astronomy. The question is not,––how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education––but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”

So what do we want for our children then? What is our aim? Is it to cover every topic, read every book, and get involved in every program? Is it to make sure we ‘get it all in there’?

Or do we want our children to know how to think and also care about the things he learns?

I read somewhere that Henry Ford once filed a libel suit against a newspaper that had called him ignorant and uneducated.

After being embarrassingly questioned on textbook facts like the fundamental principles of government, the dates of the Revolutionary War, etc. Ford grew tired of this line of questioning. He explained that if he wanted answers to those questions he could summon any number of men who could answer them by simply pushing a button on his desk.

He then said, “Now will you kindly tell me why I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge for the purpose of being able to answer questions when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?”

I guess my question is, in this day and age when any and all information is readily available at our fingertips; does it really matter if we miss a thing or two?

We’re not talking about the three R’s here – that’s covered. And obviously I’m not talking about specific conditions that would need outside expertise like dyslexia, autism, etc.

What I mean is, won’t a child, with your help, or the help of another, be able to figure out the days of the week when they become necessary to her? If we can’t answer yes to that, there’s a problem.

So back to the question, what it is you truly want for your children? Is it to fill every hole with bits of information? To pack it all in and make sure nothing is left out, nothing is missed?

Why not set aside the fretting and instead give your children the chance to dwell in great literature, to think on the ideas of great minds, to share what they have learned using their own voice, and enjoy them in the process?

I think I opt for a child who knows how to think for himself- one who has been given the freedom to discover, whose desire to learn hasn’t been squelched. A child who has feasted on a banquet of living ideas, not a child stuffed from without on what a panel of so-called-experts who don’t know my child, who I’m almost certain I don’t see eye-to-eye with, who are more concerned about a politically correct and socially acceptable curriculum than they are about valuable ideas for my child, has decided was good education!

To have a fresh idea is novel. And in our decision to homeschool, we have the opportunity to allow them to have real ideas and to follow their passions, to investigate their curiosities. It’s not our job to worry over what they miss, but to pray over what to include. So as you’re planning this new season of learning, pray over your child’s education, and don’t fall prey to every “good” thing on the market. Save some time to explore those holes!

Post your thoughts below.