Things Change
I was a part of a conversation today that caused me to think about how homeschooling has changed. It used to be homeschooling parents found support in one another because homeschooling was not popular. There were so few people doing it and so much worry associated with it, they truly created a community - a village - for the much-needed support and understanding. Homeschooling was just being recognized as legal. It was more underground. It was almost a renegade movement.
Now homeschooling is more popular. Chances are, nearly everyone knows someone who homeschools. That's a good thing. Those pioneers of homeschooling paved a rough road for parents today. Even though homeschooling parents still get the age-old "What about socialization" question, and the movement will always have its critics; homeschooling is more accepted. It's closer to "the norm" than in previous generations.
Because this is the case, parents' needs have changed. They do not need the same type of village parents in the past have needed. Now parents are more understanding that not all families homeschool the same way. They're okay with that. They're okay with having events for their kids to get together with other kids and having some time just to talk with other homeschooling parents. Then they're ready to go their separate ways and live their own homeschooling lives.
Things change. And that's good. Things should not stay the same, because society does not stay the same. Staying the same produces stagnation. It results in sameness.
I think we, as a society, can learn a lot from this homeschooling illustration.
Now homeschooling is more popular. Chances are, nearly everyone knows someone who homeschools. That's a good thing. Those pioneers of homeschooling paved a rough road for parents today. Even though homeschooling parents still get the age-old "What about socialization" question, and the movement will always have its critics; homeschooling is more accepted. It's closer to "the norm" than in previous generations.
Because this is the case, parents' needs have changed. They do not need the same type of village parents in the past have needed. Now parents are more understanding that not all families homeschool the same way. They're okay with that. They're okay with having events for their kids to get together with other kids and having some time just to talk with other homeschooling parents. Then they're ready to go their separate ways and live their own homeschooling lives.
Things change. And that's good. Things should not stay the same, because society does not stay the same. Staying the same produces stagnation. It results in sameness.
I think we, as a society, can learn a lot from this homeschooling illustration.
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