I’ll confess — I will be the last person on this planet to be awarded the “best parent” or “best father” plaque. Not because I’m evil, but I don’t think parenting is about accolades. It’s a relationship between you and your kids. And like all relationships, a parent-child relationship is just as unique.
While a lot has been happening on the homeschooling front the past few years, the concept gained immense traction in 2020 for all the wrong reasons — COVID. I’ve heard countless parents complaining about the stress related to online classes and conflicting schedules. Yes, it’s stressful and can get hard to manage, particularly if you’re a single parent or have a super-busy, or worse, uncooperative partner.
But I’m sure parents worldwide have managed to get through the initial hiccups and have no getting used to the situation. It’s not perfect yet, but we all will get at that “function” state eventually. One of the key accomplishments I look forward to in 2021.
Besides fixing the “system,” I think parents need to look at schooling from a different perspective. Some of my friends, acquaintances, peers, and others, who’re also parents, have a very different take on the whole idea of schooling. They’re convinced that education doesn’t happen online or that the “stuff” they prescribe at the school is useless.
And here’s the part I’m not too fond of — success in school doesn’t translate to success in life. I hate it not because it’s true, but people have generalised it to the extent that they now look at school as a formality or a necessary evil. That’s toxic.
I understand kids don’t need all stress they have to go through at school but aren’t that a safer way to train for life outside of school? Is “real-life” comfortable or stress-free? If not, how the hell are you going to prepare the kids to face the realities of life?
Yeah, they don’t need to cram theories and concepts to score well, but learning is a process requiring patience and discipline. Kids who get used to the process do well in life. Usually. Why? Because the school system has trained them to embrace the process and developed the patience and discipline to work towards anything significant.
Picture someone who skipped that process altogether. How will these kids cope with the challenges in their pursuit of success in the real world when they never had the training? You and I know the answer to this, right? Or perhaps, we’re at a cross right now, and that is okay.
The biggest challenge we face right now is ignorance. And we shouldn’t impose that on our kids. Allow them to explore what it means to work hard, stay focused, become disciplined, be competitive, and pursue hobbies that taps into their creatives sides. Trust me, that’s a lot for parents to facilitate all by themselves (except the braves ones who’re homeschooling their kids but then, this post isn’t for them, they understand the value of striving for balance).
That, my friend, is why schools exist. To help you and your kids become who they can be. Yes, schools don’t guarantee success, nor does success academically translate to a successful life, but it does have a strong correlation. Thanks to the habits we develop during the formative years of a child.
Don’t kid yourself, do your research instead of generalising or cooking up your theories. It’s your child’s life we’re talking about.