Interesting Conversation with the Sears Repair Man...

Today, the Sears repair man came to my home to fix my washer.  He was a frail-looking, elderly man. To get to my laundry room, he had to first pass through my classroom.  When his work was done, he asked me if I homeschooled someone.  I told him that I had homeschooled my children, who are now all grown, and now I am homeschooling my grandson.  This led to a very interesting conversation.  He commented that he had been in other homes where homeschooling took place and he had noticed how well-behaved the kids were.  He also commented that the kids would even converse with him.  He seemed surprised that the kids would want to talk to him.  He said most kids would not do that, that they are usually caught up in their own little world.  While he was telling me this, I thought to myself, 'If my little grandson were here, he'd be talking your ears off! lol!'  I did basically tell him, though, how that homeschooled kids interact with people of all ages on a regular basis - that is why they are comfortable talking with anyone. 

In a round-about way he mentioned peer pressure among kids at public school and how they feel they must conform to the wishes of their same-age group in that environment.  I told him of how homeschooling promoted independence in kids, to be their own person and make their own decisions without regard to what other kids may think of them.

He also asked me questions about my own kids, now grown - how they turned out.  I was very glad to tell him of what they ended up doing with their lives.

The Wonderful Mind of a Child

Young children (preschoolers,especially) are so amazing to observe.  They see the world differently from anyone else.   The way they associate one thing with another, coupled with their impulsiveness, can be both brilliant and quite comical at the same time.

Yesterday, I drove my daughter and her two children to my 12 mo. old granddaughter's doctor appointment.  My role included keeping my 2 yr. 10 mo. old grandson occupied.  When my grandson got antsy in the waiting room, I took him outside to walk around for a bit.  We also rode the elevator a few times (a fun, new experience for him).  At one point, we sat in the hallway outside the doctor's suite.  No one was around at the time, and there were very soft, comfy benches on which to sit.  We sat and looked up and down the short hallway.  It was a very nicely decorated area.   Potted plants sat on attractive plant stands, a beautifully carved table was under the window on which had been placed ornate vases or Turkish-looking jars, an unusual, yet attractive, mirror hung on the wall.  My grandson commented or asked questions on just about every item he saw in that hallway.  When he ran out of questions, we both sat looking down at the absolutely gorgeous, dark hardwood floor. 

I gazed at that floor, thinking how it reminded me of the floors in older homes.  I love antiques and vintage furniture, especially when they are paired with Victorian architecture.  My grandson, though, was having thoughts along a completely different line as he sat there looking at that floor.  Suddenly, he jumped down from the bench on which we were sitting and exclaimed, "Let's EXERCISE !" Then he got down on that floor, laid on his belly and proceeded to do a push-up!   lol!    He was obviously thinking about the "Gym Day" outing of the previous week with our homeschool group.

Blossoming Socialization Skills: First Evidence

Homeschoolers frequently hear the dreaded  "s" word  question from those who have little or no understanding of what homeschooling really is.  "But, what about socialization? You must send your kids to (public) school to be properly socialized,"  we are told by well-meaning friends, relatives, and so-called 'experts' in the field of education.    What these people don't realize is that proper behavior must be taught long before a child reaches school age.  A child who is being raised in a loving home by attentive parents will frequently begin showing evidence of the understanding of proper social skills by age 2  1/2  to 3 years.  If parents don't make an effort to teach proper social skills to their young children BEFORE they reach school age, then they have done their children a great disservice. 

I was especially proud of my little 2 yr. 10 mo. old grandson today while at the park with members of our homeschool  support group.  We were having a playdate for preschoolers.  The kids ranged in age from 12 months to 5 years old.  I had taken a large, light-weight vinyl ball for the kids to play with.  A little 17 month old boy excitedly tossed the ball to a 13 month old  little girl.  It hit her on the head, which did not injure her, but it did scare her a bit.  My grandson saw the startled look on the little girl's face as she ran to her mother for comfort.  A short while later, my grandson picked up the ball and went close to the little girl, and gently tossed the ball toward her, but closer to ground.  The little girl did not startle this time, but gladly accepted the ball.  My grandson turned to me and said, "I didn't throw...I didn't hit..."  He paused to think about what he was trying to tell me.  Then he continued, "I didn't hit her head, Mommaw!" 

How thrilled I was to see proper social skills beginning to blossom in such a young child.  Not only was he displaying proper behavior, but he was actually thinking ahead of time about the comfort and well-being of another person.  He did not learn these skills in a classroom.  He learned them from living and interacting with his family and  from those whom his family associate with.

Robert Frost on education:

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."

THE LEARNING PARENT says:

"Pity the poor kids in classrooms..."  ( I assume they mean 'traditional public school classrooms' )           "... where everybody is taught the same thing, the same way, at the same time, with the same materials. Geniuses are people who have been encouraged to seek their own path."