Social interaction, or the lack thereof, is usually most folk's biggest concern with homeschooling. Homeschooled kids are weird and nerdy and sheltered, they say. The sad truth is, they aren't all weird and nerdy and sheltered, but I want my kids to be.
I want my kids to be weird. I want them to like doing weird things, trying weird food, going to weird places, wearing weird clothes because weird is the opposite of boring. It is the opposite of ordinary. It is the opposite of afraid, and so I want my kids to be weird.
And I want my kids to be nerdy. I want them to love learning stuff and to get so into it that it's pretty geeky. I want them to love reading books and to get excited by solving problems. I want them to research things that they are interested in and to spend time in the black hole of obsession from time to time. I want them to enjoy having their brain and to value thinking and questioning and analyzing.
And, finally, I want my kids to be sheltered. I want them to be sheltered from meanness and hate. I want them to be sheltered from name calling and peer pressure and feelings of inadequacy. I want them to be sheltered from small people and small ideas. Yes, they will have to face those things one day, but I don't want those things to form them, to mold them. I want them to face those things once they are strong enough to fight them and change them, and I will shelter them until they are ready.
I sure love these weird, nerdy, sheltered people of mine.
Read Part 1 here.
Haha, so sweet how your kids play so well together. My older brother and I didn't get along until we reached our 20s!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, as always :-).
They really are best friends and it makes me happier than almost anything else in this world.
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