Guys, I wanna share with you one talk between a mother and her son that I heards some days ago.
It's connected with unschooling.
My HiveFam knows my son is unschooled for the 3rd year already, he never visited schools, it was our choice from the very beginning.
I never make a show using this decision. It means I never go and shout that all parents should choose unschooling, and schools are hell for kids.
NO.
It's a choice of parents, and I never judge them. We all have our own ways. But when I am asked about my son and his school, I never hide our choice, I say sincerely that we have chosen unschooling.
As a rule it causes great shock, misunderstanding and even judging but I don't care and don't pay attention.
Most of parents know NOTHING about it but breaking common rules cause great outrage.
My son visits gymnastics training for 3 years. There are kids who visit them 2-3 times a week. It's our way and way of most kids there. We go there for 3 times a week for 1-2 hours.
But there are kids who are professional sportsmen, and they spend there 6 hours per day 6 days a week!!! Can you imagine it?? That's the price of golden medals...
They have no time for anything else because they have only school and sport. NO time for life!
One of this boys asked me about my son's school, and I told him about unschooling.
He was shocked, surprised but happy because he saw a chance to be free from school and have more time for life. Sport + unschooling + free time = an ideal scheme.
But then his Mom came... She heard our talk. She knew nothing about unschooling, but the possibility to break the system was impossible for her. She didn't want to know anything! Just didn't want to hear anything about it.
She stopped my words saying:
- Nooooo! It's not for you. Forget about it!
Pay attention - she even didn't ask any question, her choice had been made automatticale before she started her speech!
- You have to be responsible if you don't go to school. You have no responsibility. No discussions any more.
The boy was sad. He was silent. His hope was ruined.
She even didn't try to know what he wanted, why, was it possible or not. She had traditional tunnel vision for this question and didn't want to change it. She even didn't want to hear what her son wanted. She chose the appropriate variant for HERSELF. He goes to school, and responsibility for his education is on school. Not on her.
So who has no responsibility - the mother or her son?
"But what about socialization?" These were the exact (pre-programmed) words that came out of my mouth when I learned my future wife was homeschooled. "I'm talking to you aren't I?" I thought about it and observed, she's more outgoing than I am!
It’s a difficult one - we should help the kids in some of these things but not everything. We can’t indulge them at every whim because that leads to a poor functioning adult but we do need to give them some autonomy.
I think some parents are scared and overall not prepared so that ends up being the bigger issue.