Home ed or just parenting?
When one chooses to home educate for philosophical reasons, how does one separate the parenting from the educating. The obvious answer is, of course, you don't. That is what parenting is. It is educating your children to live in the world.
There are problems, naturally. The generation gap, the technology gap. I grew up in a world of MTV and VCRs, which was much different from my mother's childhood, and my children are growing up in a world of Facebook and mobile phones. These things seem normal for them, whereas I worry about them.
I worry about brain cancer and online grooming, as well as the time that these things take away from other activities. But I try to realise that this is just a 2012 version of playing football in the street. They are socialising, albeit without the fresh air and exercise. (Whole other worry!)
So now I have a 2 year old and I guess we are starting on the whole journey again, and I can't help thinking that even between my 21 year old and my 2 year old, there will be a generation gap. They are growing up with different parents really. My 21 year old had a young, energetic, well meaning but slightly neurotic mother who was busy with other kids as well. Whereas my youngest will have an older, more relaxed, but slightly harder to impress mother who won't be worried about targets and achievements so much. Although both of them will have a mother who is tired. (Why am I always tired?)
I am just rambling, but I will probably return to these thoughts soon. I have just been thinking about them since I am only home educating the Boy for another 6 months officially, and then I will just have a toddler. But that doesn't mean I won't be a home educator anymore. The Babe will still be learning things from me, as I set out on the parenting journey yet again, with ideals and optimism, and hopefully, a good night's sleep.
There are problems, naturally. The generation gap, the technology gap. I grew up in a world of MTV and VCRs, which was much different from my mother's childhood, and my children are growing up in a world of Facebook and mobile phones. These things seem normal for them, whereas I worry about them.
I worry about brain cancer and online grooming, as well as the time that these things take away from other activities. But I try to realise that this is just a 2012 version of playing football in the street. They are socialising, albeit without the fresh air and exercise. (Whole other worry!)
So now I have a 2 year old and I guess we are starting on the whole journey again, and I can't help thinking that even between my 21 year old and my 2 year old, there will be a generation gap. They are growing up with different parents really. My 21 year old had a young, energetic, well meaning but slightly neurotic mother who was busy with other kids as well. Whereas my youngest will have an older, more relaxed, but slightly harder to impress mother who won't be worried about targets and achievements so much. Although both of them will have a mother who is tired. (Why am I always tired?)
I am just rambling, but I will probably return to these thoughts soon. I have just been thinking about them since I am only home educating the Boy for another 6 months officially, and then I will just have a toddler. But that doesn't mean I won't be a home educator anymore. The Babe will still be learning things from me, as I set out on the parenting journey yet again, with ideals and optimism, and hopefully, a good night's sleep.
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