Life Nurturing Education

It is hot and I am trying to teach Bug and the little girls are fighting. What are Sunshine and SweetPea going to do? They have already put on every frilly dress and sequined costume in the dress-up drawer. Now they are wearing swimsuits. There’s an idea! While repeating to myself, “It doesn’t matter what the neighbors think,” I ask the girls,

Would you like to go swimming?

We don’t have a pool, but buckets will work just as well, if not better. This toddler friendly pool is chemical-free with very little maintenance. Five gallon buckets can be set up anywhere, including the playhouse. My mermaids are completely concealed until the neighbors hear the squeals of laughter.

Peace and happiness can be found in the simplest, sometimes creative, sometimes desperate, acts.

My intentions were always to home school my children at least through the beginning years. I attended Teachers for the Nations to equip me for the task, but faced with the commitment and understanding required to teach my son I was fearful.

I kept thinking, “Should I send Bug to Christian Heritage School?” They had a loving reading class teacher with years of experience. I had never taught anyone to read, couldn’t remember learning how to read, and lacked discipline. Maybe we should have prayed for the funds to pay tuition. Or, maybe individualized education could be more effective even without any expertise.

Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. Webster’s 1828

Education has a purpose. A teacher with twenty students may do her best to see the each one is enlightened, corrected, formed, and fit, but appealing to the heart of a child is best accomplished individually. The teacher must do what is appropriate for all of the children in her classroom. She cannot spend every lesson dealing with only one child.

If wisdom dictates the necessity, home educators can spend days teaching one concept to one child. Parents motivated by love will do whatever it takes to prepare their children for the future. Lectures Lessons from all of life are used to “enlighten the understanding.” Attitudes are dealt with daily to “correct the temper.” Successes are celebrated and chores are given to help “form the habits of youth.” All these things fulfill the purpose of education and can be done by a prayerful mom whose qualification is knowing and loving her child better than anyone else.

Reason 1, Reason 2, Reason 4, Reason 5

This week’s magical Carnival of Homeschooling is at Homeschoolbuzz. I never considered myself a magician but I can make dinner seemingly out of nothing. The result may not be gourmet but it will disappear before your very eyes.

The Blogger Reflection Award was given to me by the marvelous Dana of Principled Discovery at her recent blogger banquet. My acceptance speech was given just outside the ceremony in the comment box. It was preceded by the powerfully pensive Thinking Blogger Awards and followed by thunderous applause for the Rockin’ Girl Blogger Awards. So many wonderful websites were honored. Honestly I am humbled to be included.

Now I am blessed to bestow this award on a few worthy bloggers who are invited to proudly display their medallion and pass it on to other reflective writers.

• I will begin with the first blog I ever read. PrincipledMom, Anna Marie, encouraged me for two years with her gracious words before I was inspired to begin Life Nurturing Education.
• Mandi at Under His Construction has great insights. Of course, individuals from Idaho are very gifted so it is to be expected.
• Reading Honey from the Hive by Melissa always gives me something to ponder.
• It is a joy to visit Rebecca at Little-Homeschool-on-the-Prairie. She first invited me over to reminisce about the life of Rich Mullins. I was thankful for the tissues.
• Deidra has just changed the look and focus of her blog, Loving Him 4 Ever. She has my attention as she seeks wisdom for her life and lessons.

Thank you celebrating with me. I look forward to discovering many more deserving blogs as the festivities continue. Enjoy the afterglow and don’t worry about the paparazzi. They won’t even recognize you all dressed up.

Update: I hope that you can still recognize me. I decided to change my theme because I like this sidebar better plus there is a home tab so you will never get lost in my blog. Thanks for the new options, Andrea!

Who is responsible for education? I begin my answer with a simple fact; children are given to parents. It always takes a mother and a father to create life. The obligation to nourish and care for helpless, dependent little ones belongs first to the family. The state may step in only if biological parents give a baby in adoption or if a child is being harmed. So if God gives children to parents, why is the civil government in charge of education?

According to the United States Constitution the purpose of government is to

establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.

It can be argued that education promotes the general welfare of this country. Welfare is defined in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary as “the enjoyment of peace and prosperity, or the ordinary blessings of society and civil government.” Ignorance does not lead to civility, peace, or prosperity, but I do not think that government mandated education will either.

The state uses force and coercion to protect its citizens, but how well does that work in the realm of education? Promising that a degree equals a good job, threatening suspension, or paying students to stay in school seems to miss the point. Isn’t education about preparing to live in the blessings of liberty secured to us in the Constitution? In Life Nurturing Education I wrote,

Children may know how things work, have all the facts memorized, and graduate when they’re sixteen, but it’s more important for them to know how to live.

Children learn how to live from their parents. That is why God commanded parents to teach “diligently…when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 In all of life, every day, everywhere, we are to instruct our children. This does not mean that parents are the sole teachers of their children, just the primary ones. It is easy to criticize the school if our children are not learning, but the responsibility for education is ultimately up to us.

Reason 1, Reason 3, Reason 4, Reason 5

This week the Carnival of Homeschooling is at Dewey’s Treehouse where you can “stock up on school supplies and other necessities for the children…and their teaching parents.” I don’t know about you but I always like new goodies to help with lessons. That explains why we have a closet full of beads, buttons, markers, paint, paper, stickers, and unfinished craft projects. I need to refrain from buying anything else until we use what we already have but that doesn’t stop me from looking. Have fun shopping!

I was usually bored in school. I finished my lessons quickly then talked to my friends. The teacher would move my desk to the front of the classroom or send me to the hall. Isolation shut me up but it didn’t cure the problem. I kept busy making glue fingernails and bookmarks but felt like school wasted a lot of time.

In fourth grade I figured out it was not “cool” to be smart when kids teased me for being teacher’s pet. I stopped raising my hand to answer questions in class and tried to hide so Mr. V. wouldn’t call on me. There was so much pressure to fit in and that was only elementary school. High school was almost unbearable.

The same problems exist in schools today. Students do not learn at the same pace. The No Child Left Behind act cannot change that fact. Social pressures continue to be obstacles for most children. Many schools have implemented dress codes and uniforms to curb the strain. Teachers and administrators are also faced with growing threats against their safety and the safety of their students. Educators now need training on cyber safety and possibly the correct use of bullet proof backpacks.

Am I sane for wanting to exclude my children from this? I want something different, better, safer, for the precious ones entrusted to my care. Hopefully this goal is being fulfilled. In our school sitting by the teacher is not punishment, my children do not think being smart is stupid, and we have no need of armor unless you count bicycle helmets and shin guards.

Reason 2, Reason 3, Reason 4, Reason 5