Written by Wendy Mewhort, Summer ‘07

It seems to me that all the advertisements right now are pushing kids back to school. Why is that? What’s wrong with having them with us parents? They’re still learning at home. They’re learning a lot.
This fallacy- that children need to go to school to learn has got to change. If we, as a society, continue to believe that knowledge only comes to us when someone teaches it to us, the future is definitely not going to be in the hands of self-starters. When we really desire to do something, we seek it out. We take in, and learn everything we can about it because we want to, not because someone told us to, and definitely not because someone is going to grade us and tell us if we’re good enough.
Sounds harsh, I know. But what part of what I just said isn’t reality?
Sometimes, I believe, we need to take a good, strong, harsh look at what we’re surrounded by- in terms of what we’ve been raised to believe. We follow without thinking. We baaaa because everyone else does.
Your most inspired thought you ever had- did someone teach it to you? Or did you receive it yourself through your intuition?
Our intuition guides us day and night. If we are willing to listen, it is all we need to seek out that which we are meant to learn. The point is, we are all individuals, and we are all here to learn different things. We are so used to being told what is best for us, and seeking the approval of others, that we shut out our intuition and ignore it. And then it goes away. But, there is hope. We can always bring it back again by deciding to listen.
Listening is the key- the key to education- the key to self-directed education. The key to being educated is to listen to your intuition so that it guides you to learn that which you need to learn. How does that sound to you? Scary? Wonderful? Could you trust your intuition? Fully?
This is what I want for my children. I want my children to grow up listening to their intuition, not burying it, and reviving it later on in life. Don’t you?
Choices. Life is full of choices. I think that sometimes we forget that. Or, we feel that if we make a choice ‘out of the norm’ we will be ridiculed. I believe that this belief system stems from the fact that when we are doing for others from such an early age, we learn to dishonor our own needs. We do have a choice. It doesn’t matter how you feel another will respond. And, it doesn’t matter if they disagree. If you make a choice- that you know, in your heart, is best for you, and best for your family- then tell me- why is it not the best choice?
Many people I’ve met took a long time to make the decision to home school. Others, it was instantaneous. Often a combination of the two; lots of intuitive thoughts over the years, and then one situation that caused them to immediately make the decision. I commend them, no matter which way they went about it. They followed their hearts and knew there was a better way. A way where children can decide what they learn, for how long they devote their time to it, and best of all, the satisfaction of knowing they learned it because they wanted to.
Desire. This is learning. When we desire something, we want to learn it. When we’re told to do something, we feel like we’re doing it for someone else. Think about it. When you choose your evening activity, don’t you feel good? And when it is something you don’t want to do- but are told you have to- how do you feel? Why are children any different?
We want to foster learning in our society, not squash it. Let’s allow it to come from the inside, so that our children may shine out. When the outside is judging, how many are going to continue to let their inside shine?