You know how kids pretend to be sick to avoid going to school?
They’re not pretending.
They have fears, discomforts, a sense that their soul is being compromised, or their biology is simply telling them NO.
It’s a gut feeling. It manifests as tightness in the stomach.
Home education is not immune, we all try to lovingly push our children when we feel that the discomfort is worth overriding.
How many times can we afford to override our gut feelings?
How does school teach us that we must do this repeatedly, maybe daily?
How does it train us to normalize discomfort and chronic syndromes?
In my process of deschooling, I have discovered that the body speaks when we cannot/do not speak the proper words.
Delaware Home Education Convention
There are just a few hours left to get discounted tickets for the Delaware Home Education Convention.
A Total Nerd
I haven’t watched this debate between Dave Smith and Josh Hammer on whether the US-Israel relationship is good for America, but I am looking forward to diving into this subject.
It was a busy day, but I did have some driving time to check out a New Rockstars breakdown of the new Thunderbolts trailer. This is my favorite channel for all things MCU, and their breakdowns are incredibly thorough.
Seven Years
I lost Mary, my wife, seven years ago.
I’m not healed. I’m not exonerated. I’m not complete. I am in the process of fulfilling my God-given purpose.
I am ready to be joined again in holy matrimony. I am ready to start the next volume of my story.
I didn’t expect to take seven years to get here, but I needed every minute. I’m grateful for the pain and darkness of this chapter. They have taught me to appreciate the light and to care for all the blessings in my life.
These seven years have completed a difficult stretch in my journey.
St. Paul the Pharisee
Jonathan Pageau continues to make space for some of the most interesting conversations around Christianity and symbolism.
Fun on the Internet
On Worksheets and Unschooling Being “Easy”
For a four-year-old, you’ll see that you’ve already been unschooling for four years, it’s less a change and more of an evolution of your current path.
We need to see our children as distict individuals. Many (most?) kids don’t like worksheets. Zero adults, who aren’t teachers, use worksheets.
I don’t play an instrument, but without coercion, my sons play multiple. If I projected my difficulty with playing on them, they may not have seen their own abilities.
Mandatory kindergarten (which I believe is only meant to train kids to sit still and listen to arbitrary authority), doesn’t start until age 5. You are in a beautiful phase of life. You can enjoy it without the pressures of performance.
Unschooling is not easy. You will always worry about whether you are doing enough. You will be upset when a school friend quizzes them and they don’t have the answer. You will be embarrassed at a family gathering when your child says something stupid.
You will often be put on the spot to explain your choices. You will be unsure.
Confidence and bravery grow along the journey, but it is a difficult process to let go of worksheets and all the schoolish things.
We Knew
A Bubbling Fountain
In a recent Bible class, the leader explained God’s Infinite Love as a bubbling fountain that overflowed to become the Creation we inhabit.
I’ve been caught up in that living water since Christ began to heal my heart.
As His little creators, I believe we are meant to channel His love into the world through our thoughts, words, and actions. We are His tiny fractal fountains in a reality founded on love.
As we devote ourselves to a lifetime of union, Kristen and I are building a fountain together. Our love has already bubbled into a home, a family, and a business, but there is so much more we are destined to create.
Teachers Turned Unschoolers
Escaping the schoolish mindset is a challenge for anyone raised with institutionalized learning.
Hearing the stories of those who chose to reject that system after investing themselves in a career is inspirational.
