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Today’s topic is NOT for the weak or closed minded. I will always, ALWAYS be open with my thoughts and do my very best to offer them in love. I will also always come back around and find the good in some way. That being said, I am flabbergasted by what I read this past week. I cannot believe anyone would say the things or think the things that I read. I happened to be on twitter and was reading about a political debate. Now, it wasn’t about my own state’s governor, but I admit the quote totally click baited me. One of the participants stated that “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” I was floored. I thought, “surely this is not the full picture of how this man thinks?” So I clicked over to read and have since seen several articles that addressed it. I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed, so I went ahead and started scrolling the comments.
I’m just going to read a few to you, ok?
One said “Parents aren’t in the classroom, so why should they decide what their kids learn? Why should they decide what goes into their kids’ curricula?”
Another said “Parents are not trained educators…don’t censor education.”
And I’ll stop with one more that said “Parents should not be in charge of the curriculum any more than they should decide how to treat their children’s illnesses.”
Now…
I know that we have some really wonderful teachers out there. I have even had some of those really wonderful teachers. In fact, at our home school Co-op we do not call those who lead classes teachers, we call them mentors. But they are technically teaching the class. They are absolutely fantastic at what they do. Some of them are formally educated on the topic that they are teaching and others have educated themselves in a topic and sharing with others. That being said, they do not in fact decide what my children learn. I choose to put them in the classes that I feel they should be in. Granted, they as in the kids do pick out the ones that they would like to take based on interest and then we decide from there. And yes, the mentors leading those classes decide what they're going to share as far as information. It is up to me as the parent to decide if I am comfortable with my child being in the class. When I started home schooling my oldest, I really doubted my own ability to teach him past a certain point. I oftentimes wondered if I would be able to teach him once he got to certain levels of math or science. It wasn't until I really looked into the resources that are available for homeschooling families that I realized I could do it. In fact, the spelling curriculum that I used for him at a young age was one that I tried to word it in my own way to him in order for him to learn. When he started crying and getting frustrated because he wasn't grasping what I was trying to say, I turned and read exactly, word for word, what the curriculum said to say. At that point it was like a lightbulb went off and he got it! From then on, I strictly read off the page. Our current math curriculum is in a story form, and we read it together followed by each child doing the questions at the end. Those questions are called your turn to play because math should be fun right? I always thought math was absolutely awful. There was never a time in my life in which I thought math was exciting period that is, until I started doing this specific math curriculum with my son and now my daughter. The way that the author tells the story, shares other information outside of math, and then creates fun in learning just draws us all in. I have learned how to do math alongside my kids and it makes sense!
I tell you this because there are so many parents, whether home schooling or just simply raising their children, in which we feel incapable. We feel lost. And about the time we feel we’ve gotten a handle on raising these humans, there’s a sharp turn in the road and we have to figure out how to pivot, right?
I get those feelings. I do.
But I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…just because you FEEL you are not capable doesn’t mean you actually aren’t.
I’d like to ask you something…
Who was it that told you you were not capable or worth to parent your children? Who was it that make you feel you were unable to make decisions for them when it came to their health, education, social life, or what-have-you?
Don’t you find it funny…ironic…that the same system you were educated in now tells parents they aren’t educated enough to have a say in their children’s education??
The system…the WORLD’S system…would want you to doubt yourself and your worth. As much as society spouts off about love is love and how we need to be kind above all else…they sure don’t take kindly when parents begin to question how things are run, do they?
I was a daycare teacher for over 10 years. I loved it. My primary class was 3-4 year olds and they were SO much fun. I enjoyed teaching them things like letters, numbers, days of the week, months of the year, shapes, how to spell their names, etc etc.
I always made sure the parents knew how their child did that day, what they learned about, and did my best to have a good relationship with them.
Right now, I am mentoring 2 classes for our homeschool co-op. It is primarily about nutrition. Each parent has my contact info and I make sure to have good communication with each one because they have entrusted me with their whole world that is packed into this tiny body in my class.
So, when I read that parents aren’t in the classroom so why should they have a say in what their children learn…I truly felt like I was reading satire. Why WOULDN’T parents have a say?? Now, do they need to be the ones to sit down and create the curriculum we use in our classes? No, of course not. But should they be aware of what is being taught? Absolutely.
When someone says parents aren’t trained educators so shouldn’t have a say? Wrong. Sorry. That is INCORRECT. Just because a parent did not go through hours of sitting in a classroom, reading books, taking tests, and learning the latest learning tool for kids doesn’t mean they are not capable of educating their children NOR does it mean they are too ignorant to know what is appropriate or not for their children to be taught.
And when someone says parents shouldn’t have a say in curriculum any more than they should have a say in how to treat their child’s illnesses??? Are you KIDDING ME?!
If you’re going to bring that into the conversation, then I’ll just say that just because I am not trained in how to perform cardiac surgery on my kid doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have the right to have a say so in which surgeon does the procedure, refusing to allow any type of off the wall treatment that I haven’t approved, or allow a surgeon to perform surgery if I didn’t feel he met the standards.
Let me tell you: A parent is a parent is a parent. Period. The End.
Are there parents out there who are abusive or neglectful? Yes, unfortunately. I am not talking about them today. I am talking about the fact that there are people in this world who have the audacity to think it is the right of the government, the school system, “trained educators,” and the like to make decisions as if they were the one who conceived, bore, and raised these children! And that is NOT ok!
Just because a parent is not the trained educator doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to an opinion about what should or should not be taught to their child.
And when systems get defensive and try to say the opposite, or try to HIDE what they are teaching, it really makes you wonder WHY, yes?
While I’m at it, I did see a few comments on that twitter thread about how if parents want a say then they can just homeschool.
Telling someone to “just homeschool” feels so icky. Almost as icky as when people tell infertile couples they should “just adopt.” It isn’t that easy to just snap your fingers and make it happen.
Do I think anyone can homeschool? Yes, if given the right resources. But is everyone able to do that? No. And many do not feel the conviction to do so. For those parents, it is still 100% their right to have a say in something being taught to their children that they feel is inappropriate.
I’m just wondering when things changed that schools went from teaching things like math, science, history to forcing agendas down young minds? Yes, children need to know how the world works and how to survive in it. They need to learn about topics that aren’t always comfortable or easy.
But when grown adults begin taking their own skewed beliefs, opinions, and non-trained educated thoughts and share them in a classroom setting without the knowledge or consent of parents, then they are in the wrong. You won’t change my mind on that.
The belief that parents can’t educate their own children is sad, frankly.
So again, who is it that has made you feel you are not capable of leading, guiding, teaching, educating, and training your children?
Homeschooling is not always easy. There are many days when I want to throw in the towel and send them off to regular school. But I am positive there are days in which teachers wish they could throw in the towel, too. The difference is that I am my child’s BIGGEST advocate as most parents are.
Life isn’t made to be easy. That option was tossed out the window back in the Garden of Eden. It doesn’t mean we just lay down and take it, either. It doesn’t mean we don’t stand up and take back control of our family.
Did you know that the attorney general is initiating strategies to combat “violent threats against school officials and teachers”? I admit I have not seen anything reported lately by the news media in which violent threats were happening, but I do hope and pray it is not. Unless, they are including parents standing up to what is being taught to their children without consent or maybe they are including student recording teachers blatantly bashing their parents or anyone else, including THEM, if they disagree with the mainstream opinion.
Because if THAT is considered violence…well…may the Lord have mercy on us all.
Do you ever wonder where we all went wrong? Because, after all, this can’t be pinned on just one political party or person. This is generation upon generation of wrong decisions. Over the years I have seen, read, heard people make comments about fighting for their rights, their freedoms, and not backing down. I’ve seen, read, and heard comments about when the time comes they would stand up.
So…when EXACTLY is that time? And what does standing up actually mean? I believe that until someone is personally affected by something – be it a disease, a mandate, whatever – they won’t typically do anything about it. After all, it’s easier to take the easy road, isn’t it? When we face diversity, isn’t it a nicer outcome when we can all play pretend and spout about loving each other no matter what. Afterall, I hate confrontation, I really do. If I am in a situation that appears to be going down that road, then I will do everything I can to avoid it.
I also believe it is important to pick your battles. We’ve all been told that at one point in our lives, right? Asking ourselves if an argument is worth it in the end. Aaaand typically it isn’t. Typically, it is better to walk away.
But I AM wondering, what is YOUR line that you won’t cross? What is YOUR line that will bring you to your knees and say enough is enough?
When a baby is born…how much do you think he or she is worth? Can you put a price tag on that? I would be willing to bet that you may say a newborn baby is priceless.
At what point does that baby lose it’s worth? Toddlerhood? School-age? Teenage? Young adulthood?
At what point do we think, or rather get told, that WE are no longer priceless, and neither are our children?
At what point do we stop loving our children enough to let someone else decide what is in their best interest?
I’m just going to pause there for a second and let that sink in…
No matter what you’ve been told…no matter what your own childhood was like or the decisions you have made…there is no moment in which you are not allowed to change your mind and speak up for yourself, your kids, and your family as a whole.
Give yourself permission to face diversity head on, knowing you ARE strong enough to do it. The path of least resistance is not the one where warriors are made. If you’ve been convicted about homeschooling, DO IT. I am telling you RIGHT NOW, you ARE in fact smart enough to do it. Your children are worth that and so is your peace of mind. Does that mean the decision to homeschool will come without consequences or frustrations or doubters and haters? Nope, I will guarantee there will be all of that.
However, no matter how stable things seem to be by simply leaving someone else to educate your child seems…you are not beyond being affected by what is currently happening in our world.
If you feel your kids need to be educated on certain subjects, guess what? You don’t have to be a trained educator to find resources to make that happen.
If you feel you cannot tackle certain subjects or grade levels, guess what? You don’t have to be a trained educator to find resources to make that happen.
If you are afraid to speak out and stand up for your family because of the fears that the devil has placed in your mind – because that IS where fear comes from, by the way – guess what? You are not alone.
You. Are. Not. Alone.
No matter the age of your child, no matter the job that you have or don’t have, if you are determined enough to fight for your family, you will find what you need. I’ve been doing this for over 7 years now, and there is so much beauty in taking the less beaten path.
Don’t let society and the world eat away at your thoughts. Don’t let them frighten you with threats or making you feel less than.
Yes, society is who has made you feel less than, even though they speak about love. That same society will not fight for your rights to parent as you see fit, I will tell you that right now.
And at the end of the day, they will not be there when you need someone in your corner.
Find your resources, find your people, find your family.
If you are someone who still thinks there is absolutely NO way to homeschool your kids…you’ve done the research…you’ve spoken to other homeschool families that are similar to your lifestyle…you’ve done the details…please hear me when I say you can ALWAYS change your mind.
Also? You are smart enough, worthy enough, educated enough to stand up and be your child’s advocate. Don’t let any amount of bullying knock you off your feet. And if you do get knocked down, get back up. Your family depends on you and you are so much more of a fighter than you may realize. Why is that? Because a TRUE warrior…a TRUE advocate…fights for someone or something out of LOVE.
Love DOES win, friend. Not in the way that society thinks. But in the TRUE way. Love has already won.
I am hoping this podcast finds those needing support or encouragement. If you know someone who needs to hear today’s episode, or if it has spoken to you in some way, would you please share it? This world can be a dark, dark place and I truly believe we can come together and be a light in that darkness.
I hope you’ll keep showing up as we find the good together. Remember, you are loved and I am GLAD you’re here! See you next time!
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Email me: courtney@imperfectlypollyanna.com
