My children are 16 and 14. They follow their own passions for most of the day, after we finish school essentials. When I hear complaints about public school, they usually go along the lines of, “It’s such a waste of time.” So true. Homeschooling surely is efficient, so it allows children time to study what they really want to focus on.
My son, building a computer from scratch
For instance, my son decided to build a computer from scratch this semester. At co-op, he took a class in Computer Architecture and Design. Under the guidance of his teacher at co-op, my son worked on this project so diligently, he got an award for “Above and Beyond” from our co-op. My husband, who is very techy himself, helped guide our son with this project, as well.
Our daughter playing harp while her teacher is taking notes
Our daughter, on the other hand, has been dreaming about playing the harp since she was 7. I had her in piano and violin lessons at the time, so I did not want to switch to harp or add a third instrument. Fast forward five years and she was in tears. She wanted to stop piano and do harp. I finally listened.
She continued with violin for one more year, while learning the harp. That was last year. This year, she dropped violin altogether and is focusing on harp alone. That gives us a chance to bond, as I take her to Knoxville for her lessons and we add fun shopping sprees to the trips.
When they get to a certain age, children must be allowed to pursue their interests – no matter how much of a change from our original plan is. That’s my lesson and I hope it helps somebody out there. Drop your own agenda and listen to the child.
