Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to want most parents to consider themselves home educators?

181 replies

Butterpie · 21/05/2010 15:01

At least part time, anyway? I think you would find it very hard not to educate your child in any way yourself. I HE. My children are six months and three years old. It happens that we are not intending to send them to school for part of their education, but even if we were, it's not like when they were at home they would be sat in a darkened box is it?

Why doesn't every parent (especially of preschool children) say they home educate, at least part time? School is just another tool that some parents choose to use alongside their home education. You would hope.

Sadly, I hear too many stories of parents refusing to be involved in any way (not even reading bedtime stories or talking about the world) and maybe this more enpowering approach could help. Plus as soon as I started seeing myself as a home educator, I felt a lot better about myself. No longer was I a part time worker/unemployed, hardly any qualifications, with two unplanned children, unable to afford various things. I suddenly became the main educator of two beautiful girls who were growing and learning every day. I read up on various activities and learning methods, I made a special effort to be active parent and so on.

I might be talking rubbish (quite possible as I am typing whilst supervising Art, Technology, Science, Literacy and Numeracy-otherwise known as decorating gingerbread men) but wouldn't that approach enpower parents and help children, as well as making the school's job easier?

OP posts:
helyg · 22/05/2010 12:07

Butterpie I do kind of know what you mean, but I do think that it is just part of being a parent. I don't HE, but I do read with my DC, take them to museums, take them on nature walks, cook with them, grow vegetables with them etc etc. I have just helped DS1 find something on the internet about the Titanic (which he has suddenly become interested in). To me, this is just normal. My job is "teaching", my role at home is "being a mum". Although there are many areas where it overlaps, I rarely get up in the morning and think "today I am going to teach them xyz". It just kind of happens. Which, it could be argued, is the best way to approach early years education... but it is rarely feasable in a class of 30!

LynetteScavo · 22/05/2010 14:54

By pigletmania Sat 22-May-10 00:01:23
"I am not responsible for my dd formal education nor would I want to be, but will be there to help her and to teach her things about the world and her environment etc."

But parents are responsible for their children's formal learning...most of us choose to send them to school and let someone one else actually do the hard work, but it's our parental responsibility to find a school which will teach them well. I don't know any parent who would sit back and do nothing if their child was making no progress with reading/writing, etc.

twopeople · 22/05/2010 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

twopeople · 22/05/2010 15:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pigletmania · 22/05/2010 15:37

Of course Lynette it is my job to find the right school for dd when the time comes, she will hopefully go to the school that her nursery attatched to it links into as its a very nice school and right for her. I dont feel that I could do as good a job as a teacher in providing formal education so have chosen not to home school.

I totally agree with helyg she sums up the situation very well.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 22/05/2010 15:38

I agree with twopeople. OP. I don't mean to sound patronising, but I wonder if your zeal will die down when your DCs are older?

And I don't think you sound smug.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread