As Mike and I start planning for our firstborn's schooling, lots of thoughts are bumping around in my head. Do we want to wade into the craziness that is the Chicago Public School system? No. Can we afford private tuition? Maybe, depending on where/how much. Could I home school? I'd like to, but don't know if that's the best fit for Micah. How about public schooling in the suburbs? Sure, but the housing market is rotten and I don't want to risk carrying two mortgages.
Regardless of where we end up sending Micah to school formally, I really do believe that parents are a child's first, and oftentimes best, teachers. I know everything about him; I know what he's capable of; I know what motivates him. As parents, we teach our children from the time they are born. Not only do we cheer our kids on through the milestones of babbling, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, cruising, and walking, but we also teach them through our actions, attitudes, and priorities. For me, that means it's my (and Mike's) responsibility to create a home environment that encourages and nurtures intellect and stimulates curiosity. Raising my boys to be lifelong learners begins with me. That's my stance, and I'm sticking to it.
Because, after all, this is not an uncommon attitude in America these days:
Well we got no choice
All the girls and boys
Makin' all that noise
'Cause they found new toys
Well we can't salute ya
Can't find a flag
If that don't suit ya
That's a drag
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Well we got no class
And we got no principles
And we got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more rule-books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Out for summer
Out till fall
We might not go back at all
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely
Quite sad, if you ask me.
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