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There is a question frequently asked about unschooling: how on earth will these children ever learn that life isn't all fun and that there are things they just have to do, even if they're not interested in it? I hear this a lot lately for some odd reason. So I thought I would share a few examples from my almost 15 year old daughter's life.
We are not morning people. At all. Especially my oldest. We tend to stay up late and we get up late. And yet, she will plan her night and rise early (ugh, too early for me) in order to get ready for her summer job - walking fields picking up huge rocks for a local farmer. 4 to 5 hours a day of hard work when they call her in. Monotonous work. Dirty work. And that farmer pays her and the other rock picking teens pretty darn well. :)
I also watch this daughter of mine push herself beyond what I'd think her humanly capable - for basketball. Camps, practices, games, conditioning, training, summer leagues, tournaments, back to back games. In my opinion, anything that brings me to the point puking repeatedly into a trash can in front of a bunch of people is NOT on my immediate to-do list.
As we enter the high school years, I am so proud of her as she begins to focus on her plans for the future. She has no clear idea of what she wants to do yet other than play basketball at the college level, but she is partnering with me and making sure she has all her bases covered. I truly admire the diligence she is showing in this area.
People make this assumption that years of forced schooling is necessary in order for kids to grow up and take their place in society. That without it, they just won't be able to function. They won't be prepared. Pish posh and a big load of hooey! They will grow up just fine. They will seek out jobs and careers in their fields of interest and meet goals to achieve that along the way. Even if it's not fun or interesting.
And when it comes right down to it, they'll work whatever montonous, mind numbing, physically challenging jobs they need to in order to achieve their goals...but here's a key factor - someone will pay them MONEY to do it. Nobody pays you to drudge your way through hours and hours of uninteresting, arbitrary schoolwork. Hmmmm...maybe that's where the schools should try putting their money. :)
Well Done!
ReplyDeleteDo you know what? Yours is the first response I've ever read to this claim.
Thanks for taking it on!
Peace.
Thanks. :) A very sincere and thoughtful question was asked on my facebook group and this was part of my response. For some reason it has come up a lot lately. A little clarification can go a long way sometimes in shifting people's perspectives!
DeleteGreat post. Our daughter is the same, and she's also 16. We all go to bed pretty late and rise pretty late in the morning. Not morning people at all! We're fine with it now. It took some time, but I finally came to the realization that busy work and getting up early does not a smart kid make. Learning happens at all hours of the day in many different ways. Our daughter will also get up early for things that she is interested in, like going to the ranch to groom or ride horses. And she's not entirely sure of what she wants to do with her life for a career...but neither did I at that age. Now that she's nearing the end of her high school years, we're beginning to consider college and transcripts and all these other things that just make my head dizzy when I think about it. I'm so thankful for the internet and sites like letshomeschoolhighschool to guide me through the preparation necessary for high school and college.
ReplyDeleteJanet - it's amazing what our kids will push themselves to do for their interests and goals!
DeleteWe've started researching colleges and such even though we have time still...and you're right, it can be dizzying thinking about all the options out there. :)
I am struggling with the same issues, concerns, questions. We tend to be toward the unschooling side of the spectrum, even though I do insist on some "necessaries" like math, Bible, etc. My 15 year old son loves anything having to do with aviation. He lives and breathes it 24 hours a day. The questions I get are- how can he succeed in college if he doesn't "know how to take a class" or "hasn't written a long research paper" Much of college was quite monotonous for me, and I dreaded having to take the courses that they pile on as requirements since high schoolers tend to come in unprepared. I just wanted to have the classes in my major. But, I did it, survivied and excelled, so I'm sure he'll do just fine, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteLisa, my sister and I were both homeschooled using an entirely interest-led approach. We had no issues transitioning to the structure or schedule at college.
DeleteI think it's difficult for a lot of people - they know of only one path. They have difficulty seeing that there are many paths to accomplish something, to get a desired result. Finding that out shifts your whole perspective and makes you question. :)
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