My kids
Warning: I’m about to brag. If you are already dreading the Christmas letter season wherein families trumpet their exceptional children, skip this post. I can’t help it. Sometimes my own children stun me (just like yours stun you).
I did not teach music. I was not against music. I played CDs, we listened to some classical when my kids were really little (without any attempt to explain or teach it), and I offered voice/piano/musical instrument lessons to my kids once we could afford them (meaning my children didn’t start piano or saxophone or singing until they were teens). Somehow, all of my kids love music, and a couple of them are truly devoted to all genres, including classical. I woke this morning to this discussion between my oldest (Noah, 24) and my third child (Jacob, almost 20).
Give your kids the gift of learning and they will outlearn you for the rest of their lives (at least, that’s the idea and it seems to be working in their 20s).
P.S. Jacob is a resident assistant in his dorm at Ohio State and those are residents kissing him. 🙂 He looks happy about it.
Yes .. We give them the tools, we strew their paths, we encourage passions and have passions ourselves.. And they out learn us! Great post!
I want to point out, too, that Jacob’s love of music started very early (he was 6 or 7 when he asked for all percussion instruments for his birthday). His knowledge of music grew considerably when he joined the bands at our local high school and took music theory as a class. Noah’s journey was much less about classrooms and more about personal journey. Both of them continue to enjoy music!
Learning comes from a variety of sources—once you’ve got the passion, many venues can lead you to the next level!
Stunning! Thanks for sharing this post. Makes me breathe a bit easier.
Great encouragement. I feel frustrated sometimes about obstacles in our homeschool journey – be it money at times or limited opportunities from small-town living. I appreciate the encouragement, though, that one of the greatest gifts we can offer our children is the enjoyment of learning and the fortitude to pursue their own dreams/interests.
learning1…
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Julie, this post encourages me so much! I know I’m not the target audience for your blog, but I love stopping by from time to time anyway, because I believe in what you’re doing. 🙂
I’ve often thought about this as it relates to our daughter Keisha, who was born hard of hearing. We didn’t find out until she was about 2-1/2. Nevertheless, we’ve been helping foster her enjoyment of music since she was a newborn, and it’s been evident as she’s grown older. This child’s favorite class is chorus. She loves music and loves expressing herself through song. And she’s hard of hearing! 🙂
Daniel, every parent is the target audience! Homeschool is just one way to educate. Our main goal in all educational choices ought to be the welfare of our kids and developing empathy/cultivating a culture of consideration in our homes.
Love what you shared!
Julie