Whenever I meet someone new, it starts . . . the beginning of the choice to find things in common, or find things to divide us. With my recent posts about homeschool, I want to be careful not to divide. We have so much in common.
We value a parent’s role in education.
We love spending time with our children.
We appreciate great teachers.
We understand the value of play.
We both spend a ton of time in the car.
We love to see our child buried in a book.
We want our children to love learning.
We want the best for our children and we don’t make decisions lightly.
We both wish we could be more for our children.
We both want our children to be responsible, loving adults.
With all that we have in common why do we tend to focus on the very few ways we are different? What is different? Where our children sit while they learn, are graded and are tested? Can you really think of anything else? Are we really that different? Does it matter so very much where or how our children learn? Isn’t it more important that they learn? Every parent knows that children are unique; can’t we also recognize that families have different ways of being as well?
When I write about my philosophy of education and what I feel is right for my family, it’s not because I want you to be me . . . I’m hoping to inspire you to be more . . . you. Please don’t be me!
When I read the scriptures I’m frequently struck by the boat-building prophets. In the Bible we have Noah. In the Book of Mormon, we have Nephi and Mohonri Moriancumur.
In my mind I see the boat-building prophets together with Moses. I don’t imagine they’d waste time gloating about their superior skills in crossing large bodies of water. They had similar hardships . . . God asking them to do seemingly impossible tasks. They all had blessings, miracles and many struggles.
I believe that God has a plan for every family.
I have been reminded this last week of just how much God likes variety. I believe a God who created 260,000 different kinds of
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flowers would prefer His highest creation . . . Us . . . to celebrate our uniqueness.
I will celebrate your child’s good grades and test scores, and listen to your frustration over homework, or schedules.
Please celebrate with me my children’s’ successes and empathize with our frustrations.
We are far more alike than we ever could be different.
Britt grew up in a family of six brothers and one sister and gained a bonus sister later. She camped in the High Sierras, canoed down the Colorado, and played volleyball at Brigham Young University. She then served a mission to South Africa.
With all of her time in the gym and the mountains and South Africa, she was totally prepared to become the mother of 2 sons and soon to be 9 daughters. By totally prepared she means willing to love them and muddle through everything else in a partially sleepless state. She is mostly successful at figuring out how to keep the baby clothed, or at least diapered, though her current toddler is challenging this skill.
She feels children naturally love to learn and didn’t want to disrupt childhood curiosity with worksheets and school bells. She loves to play in the dirt, read books, go on adventures, watch her children discover new things, and mentor her children. Her oldest child is currently at a community college and her oldest son is going to high school at a public school. She loves to follow her children in their unique paths and interests.
She loves to write because, unlike the laundry and the dishes, writing stays done. Whenever someone asks her how she does it all she wonders what in the world they think she’s doing.
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