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Let’s Stop Chasing Educational Utopias
When we obsess about finding the perfect way to educate our children, we get lost in the search. In the meantime, our children’s education is less than it could be, not because we didn’t try our best, or because we chose the wrong educational philosophy, but rather, because we were so obsessed with theories we forgot to look at our children, to listen to our children, and to create an educational environment in which they will thrive.
When we get lost in arguments about how to educate children, we lose our educational freedom.
Comparing educational theories and philosophies can be a lot of fun, I love a good book that dives into the richness of how children learn. But I find many of these theories leave much to be desired when they hit the road of real life. And all of them seem to think they have discovered some great secret code that everyone else needs to follow, which at this point in my life gives me the same visceral reaction as a toddler sneezing all over my face. Yuck.
Freedom can be overwhelming
When you make the choice to homeschool, you open yourself up to a million more choices. That is a good thing, we humans are made for freedom. But sometimes we get so lost in the choices we create a storm instead of pulling up a lounge chair and enjoying the sunshine.