“What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children’s growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn’t a school at all.” ―John Holt
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a child in possession of a good instructor must be in want of an education.
Alas, kids don’t care.
It’s impossible to demand inspiration, passion, or self-discipline without affinity for learning.
Let me rephrase that: You can’t coerce caring!
Though adults try. We use grades, little statues, and ice cream sundaes to prod kids into reading, diagramming sentences, and practicing piano. Meanwhile, that same child will stand in the hot sun for five hours shooting free throws to break a personal record.
No reward except satisfaction.
How do we get more of that into traditional school subjects?
A happy house for homeschool is one where every inch is used for learning, messes are welcomed, people are more precious than furnishings, and household maintenance is a varying standard with fluctuating amounts of help. And we’re all okay with it most of the time.
To have more effective home education, I realized I needed to abandon the trappings of school and harness the energy of home.
