6.13.2023
hello again.
it’s been awhile since I’ve written on this side of the blog and that’s
probably because I’ve been slacking — or have adopted what some people
would call “unschooling.” the thing is, my oldest child is turning 7 this fall and I feel torn between wanting to him relish in his childhood and the urge to have him be able to read.
it’s
the public education system that I went through that has these weird
benchmarks imprinted on my brain and it really doesn’t help that the
people who are asking me if my six year old knows how to read are the
same ones that mock the idea of homeschooling in general.
I’m
coming to realize that there is an unspoken pressure that comes with
homeschooling and no one is really talking about. these pressures
revolve around the idea that people assume that if you homeschool, you
are either going to have socially inept offspring OR your gonna have a
prodigy on your hands– and I’m here to say, it’s okay to reject both of
these narratives when they’re tossed your way.
I’m officially taking the stance which holds the notion that a rushed education is worse than no education at all. I know that it sounds dramatic, but I am also aware that my children learn best when we tackle the topics that they want to learn about. And you know what else I’m holding on to? that the time to learn to read will come, recitations of mathematical facts will come too, but now, we’re encouraging a child led learning model.
So, this summer, you can find us at the river, near the ocean shore line and in the midst of a shaded forest learning about the world around us rather than pounding the books.
I am embracing the art of slow paced learning and refusing all of the narrative of what homeschool should look like. instead, we’re clinging to what works for us and if you’re looking for a sign to do the same, consider this it.
