Tuesday, April 15, 2008

2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th- Guessing Myself!

How often will I do this?! I'm once again dissatisfied with the education my son is receiving at my hands. I'm going back and forth with this one because of history. Always history. I know he's 'behind' in that subject and I feel I should be pushing more. When I imagine him in public school next year, I'm worried that he won't already know what he should by this age. Then I remember that he's been in school since second grade and never learned history there either!

It's difficult to explain to him why it matters in life to know the subject, however, he IS male and needs to be prepared to deal with political and spiritual issues as a leader in his family someday. (More women say they vote however their husband does than men say they just vote however their wife does.)

While still in public school at the beginning of this year, 7th grade, the kids were required to watch the news nightly. He wasn't at all ready for it - am I treating him like a little boy by not insisting he get involved in these things? Watching the news just horrified him about human nature and made him hate being human. The news I see makes me not want him in school anyway. If I keep him home another year, I can spread this American history class out over two years. Wow, it's really only 1 1/2, we didn't move here until November so he missed Aug-Nov already. Not as bad as I thought.

I'm seeing him mature steadily (with a lot of jumping back and forth!); I can introduce him to things without overwhelming him. Something about pulling a kid away from playing with his K'nex to discuss genocide seems wrong...