Grandparents and Unschooling

What is it about our parent’s generation? It almost seems as if to curse the public education system is to curse God and country. Like you’re committing high treason by going to the Homeschool mom’s night out instead of the PTA’s mom’s night out. Like you are turning your back on mom, apple pie, and baseball if you choose to keep your kid’s out of school.

Grandparents make peace with this by saying to themselves, “Well, school isn’t the way it used to be. Maybe they aren’t making such a huge mistake.” We all know the good old days never really existed, but if it makes them feel better… So they accept the homeschooling decision, until about the second grade and they realize, after a couple of dozen morning visits that you aren’t at the table doing school. Or they wonder why their lovely granddaughter isn’t reading yet.

‘Well, (much clearing of throat) we unschool.”

Once the smoke from the nuclear mushroom clears, you have a set of completely bewildered grandparents who are convinced that their grandchildren are heading for a life of poverty, crime and tent city under the Morrison Bridge.

Be patient. Learning about what you’re interested in is a foreign concept to a generation forced to memorize the periodic table of elements and every battle date of the civil war. That was education! My husband’s parents have gradually come around to the point that they stopped testing my children at odd moments of the day.

Grandparent: That coloring picture reminds me of the Battle of Gettysburg… do know when that took place?

Or

Grandparent: Oh, thank you for the flowers, sweetie. Look at these lovely leaves; do you know what photosynthesis is? Can you spell photosynthesis?

Now my father is apt to look at them sadly and sigh at the waste. My mother on the other hand is getting it, really getting it. I think it has to do with the proof being in the pudding and that sort of thing. My son has turned into an avid reader and his knowledge of science is amazing. My daughter loves painting and artists and revels in color, shading and light.

And while my mom is still concerned that they might miss out on some magical social situation, she has begun to understand that they really are getting a first class education.

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