Ok so the first egg cost $250? What?! But the rest are free! And so are the myriad of lessons learned, knowledge gained, joy and fulfillment had by our kids and ourselves. I knew it was going to be good. But I never predicted how many aspects of our lives it would benefit. It’s incredible.
The labels we use to categorize children in the school system are just that, by-products of a system that has no capability to deal with diversity. Instead we classify the children that can achieve “good” grades as “gifted” and therefore apparently worth giving a better education. Then alternatively, we classify those that get “bad” grades as somehow deficient and in need of better skills in focusing, listening, etc and furthermore diagnosed with constructed illnesses such as ADHD and learning disabled and then prescribed drugs to make them fit in. Then there is is middle group who just silently move through the conveyor belt of education system. Where in all of this is the analysis of our criteria that define these valued hierarchy. It’s criteria is based on how good or bad you are at getting good grades, or towing the line. It is never a question of the individual, it is always a comparison. Really, how irrelevant?! Now the gifted get more interesting and self guided opportunities and the lower down the grade scale, the less enjoyable it is!!! Wtf
It’s not the children that are in need of change of course, its the system. Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy learning freely, to explore the world, to be inspired, to get off the conveyor belt. It’s sometime afforded to the lucky ones, the “gifted.” In an unschooling environment, children are given the most precious and true gift, the gift of time to explore, relate, discover and ultimately find the real world in all of its beautiful and undefinable complexity. They are given the gift of context and time. They truly are gifted.
My brother died at 26. In his prime. And yet he had lived 2/3 if his life struggling and much of the time suffering through school. From physical and mental abuse in first grade at the hands of an insane teacher, to the constant misunderstanding of and thus difficulties with learning differences throughout his schooling years, he could not have been more out of place at a desk. But school was the only way, we thought. It just was. Right?
Well change is afoot. Everything is coming into question. We are in the early stages of a revolution, an awakening. We have accepted the authority of the establishment for long enough and begun actually taking responsibility for our reality. And we are realizing our time on earth not only as individuals but as a species may be up at any moment. These times are more uncertain than ever before and in our newly spun worldwide web where we connect to people around the globe on a daily basis, we are more aware of how finite this planet truly is. Every day is a gift. Why ON EARTH would you want to spend it bored in a schoolroom?! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a classroom when I choose to be there and my anthropology studies at university were some of the most exciting and mentally fulfilling times of my life but it was torture sitting for years waiting to get the f**k out of highschool! There were moments that were good, but so much time was wasted too just doing time to satisfy my required attendance quotient and to be there to know what hoops I had to jump through. I’m sorry but no. Our kids deserve better. Wouldn’t it be mindblowing to watch their minds flow and their passions grow as they emerge and witness them live each day as if THEY owned it?! IMAGINE!
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