the past few days have been a flurry of thought for me, amidst our adventures (such as sand-dune sliding!). going on adventures, even if they are simple ones, always pushes me further – makes me want more. it’s so easy to fall into a slumber of the soul – to just get by instead of pursuing life. and so often, it only takes one conscious decision. like whether or not we were going to go to the beach (it was zero outside and very frosty). i started um-ing and ah-ing, thinking of reasons not to go… eden was in bed, what about meals, costs, etc…. laziness!!! and then i realised that it was saying ‘no’ that was making our lives what it currently is.
so i said yes.
boy am i glad i did!!!
the whole time i watched eden sliding down the dunes, and standing, & falling and loving every second of it I kept thinking of how much it is experiences like that that teach us about life, and the world. he would of learned SO much more there than in his bedroom, or at the wacky warehouse… because we just let him get on with it. i was slightly nervous the first time he went head first down, but as soon as i saw that it was on purpose, all was ok. He could go wherever he wanted. there were no walls.
that is what education is all about – giving the mind and soul room to wander. because minds WANT to learn.
having done my graduating thesis on montessori’s educational revolution, i’m obviously partial to her way of thinking. and yet someone recently commented that it is really hard for kids to adjust to ‘normal’ school if they attend a montessori preschool – it was their advice not to send a child there. I don’t know how i feel about that. even if mainstream education is the way you’re going to go forward (with a teacher for a husband, i’m not sure how many other options i’ll get!!!) surely letting your child have an alternate beginning is the best start? why send them to preschool that is just like school? home isn’t like school…
and homeschooling. there’s a volcano of opinion. i don’t know mine. i love the idea of ‘unschooling’ but i couldn’t cope with it, not really. and socialising is so important…so i would only do it if there was network of homeschoolers around me. *i think*.
all i know for sure is that we went to the beach and it was good.
...shye wonder... 