The Purpose of Motherhood

I never thought that I'd say this, but I was wrong. Homeschooling is better than public/private education.

There, I said it.

I live in an affluent area of Northern Alabama; my son attends one of the best schools in the state (which basically means it's about an average school in a state with a decent educational system) and is taught by some of the best teachers that the South has to offer. They try their best to make learning fun and to give the kids a well rounded education. They are failing. I blame other parents more than I blame the school. I believe that most teachers really want to teach, they are just so bogged down in maintaining order that there isn't much time left over for anything else.

I blame the parents that had children and only then considered their role in raising them. Parents who consider it vital that their children like them and want to be friends with them; that want to be considered "cool" by the friends of their children. Parents who turn on the TV or buy the latest gadget to entertain their child so that they don't actually have to (gasp) talk to them. Parents who are lazy.

I may get lynched for saying this, but I'm going to anyway.

As mothers it is not our job to be our children’s friends. Sure, that should be part of it, but parenthood should never be turned into a popularity contest. You have the right and the responsibility to be obnoxious to your kids, to demand that they learn responsibility by doing chores and then actually making them follow through by checking their work. By making them do the same chore over and over again until it's done right. By demanding honor and honesty and respect from them everyday. By teaching them the value of working hard and being self sufficient. To accept that your kids may not always like you, but chances are, it just means that you must be doing something right.

Mothers of the world, I suggest to you that you can control your children. They are not "bad", they are not simply "spirited", they are undisciplined and desperately trying to get your attention. Step up to the plate, get off your ass, and ask yourself what you want to teach your children today. What are you going to work on with them, and how are you going to do it. It's your job, and it's the most important one you'll ever have.

Until you do, I'm going to continue to look into ways that I can hold down a full time job and homeschool at the same time. The Brain needs a decent education. Your kids do to. It is after all, their job.