Big Sister It Into Being
I read a story years ago about Steven Spielberg. He used to practice filming special effects in the desert in Southern California when he was in high school. His mother let him play hooky from school and served as his driver and enthusiastic fan. She told the interviewer: “Whatever Steven wanted, we did.” Steven told the interviewer: “She was more like a big sister than a mother.”
That was language I wanted!
Homeschooling is a collaborative project. It’s not education done to the child. It’s education co-created with a partner. You are that partner. You’re the partner with a driver’s license, some money, and the ability to do research.
You are the partner who can see a bigger view of the world. You know stuff your child doesn’t know yet. But the goal isn’t requiring the child to know that stuff for no good reason. Rather, you want to be the “big sister with access.”
Your goal isn’t “shoulding” the child into an education.
You get to be the person who plucks that kid out of school and into a powerful interest. You get to the be one who creatively problem-solves so that your child can go to space camp or attend a vintage dance ball.
When you show up as having the energy to fuel a child’s curiosity and interest, your child experiences you as a partner. If you wonder how you will get “math” into that mix, take that as your personal challenge.
How will you make math meaningful to this child?
Can you “big sister it into being”?
You can! That’s what we’re all about in Brave Writer and the Brave Learner Home.
This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!
