Originally published on a third party website, May 12, 2016
My morning begins like any other, with breakfast and (black) coffee. During my brief study period, in which I am reading various Political Philosophy, sociology, educational pedagogy, and other texts, I feel moved to text my friend A. We discuss ideas and quotations from some of my recent readings which include Leo Strauss, German philosophy, Nihilism, Narcissism, and political philosophy in general.
I also find a few minutes to respond to an HSC legal inquiry email from a parent. (I am a volunteer member of the Homeschool Association of California Legal team).
During this time, my kids attend to their studies. For my oldest, for example, this means Math, Latin, Language Arts, Science (which right now means the Earth & Solar System), etc. She later tells me that she just couldn’t resist reading further than the assignment called for in her D’Aulaire Greek Myth book! She loves it so much! (Greek Mythology is her favorite topic, next year we will excitedly add Greek into our studies).
Next, I gather up the kids, and quickly pack lunch as we head for the double group park day. As we get into the car I ask my 6-year-old (the most discerning) whether she would prefer Latin or History as our audio CD. She selects History, so I put in the Story of the World, Middle Ages disk in. Today’s topic is about the Byzantine Empire and Justinian. The children hear the origin of the Justinian Code and some representative examples of his decrees (one example being the right of the public to access the shoreline and ocean), in addition to one or two related stories.
As we get closer, the time arrives for a phone call I have scheduled with another lawyer. We discuss the current status of the legal effort in California, as well as what we have been up to since the last time we talked. I notice that Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing is on the radio. I write this down, noting the irony.
At some point, I get lost in, as often happens when I am trying to navigate towards a new park. As our phone call nears the end and drops 4 times (and I am now parked) I decide to email my friend and let him know my intention to finish our talk later. Thereafter, my 6 year old hops out of the minivan with a jumping rope she pulls out of nowhere.
I supplement the lunch I have packed with the dried apricots, kale chips, and applesauce that I have stashed away in the trunk, and we cross the street with all of our things to the park.
Once we arrive, I notice the great turnout! As the kids get their bearings and run off to play, I get the cherished opportunity to talk with the other homeschool moms. We discuss homeschooling and unschooling, what is going on with some of our other friends who are not in attendance, articles and books we have read or are currently reading, society in general, and lots of other compelling topics. The topics of conversation at homeschool park day could easily fill an entire blog post of its own, and then some.
My 2-year-old delights in the elaborate table of shared snacks. He gorges on fresh grapes, strawberries, and black berries, as my 6-year-old follows him around half doting and half ordering him around.
Somewhere during that time, I finally become convinced by my friend B to try out their weekly homeschool co-op. I am intensely excited to potentially put some of my hundreds of Pinterest projects to work. The thought of what to contribute remains stuck in my head for several hours thereafter.
After several hours in the sunshine, I finally convince the kids that it is time to head home, in the futile attempt to beat rush hour traffic.
After we pull onto the main road, I notice that I’m running low on gas, and pull into a gas station.
I seize the opportunity to recycle the mineral water cans my kids have just consumed, and I then struggle to figure out the gas pump. The attendant eventually approaches me just as I figure out that I need to lift up the nozzle rest.
Once I get back into the car, my 6-year-old inquires as to what the attendant asked, and then without taking another breath, asks what the gas does in the car anyway. I give her my best explanation of a combustion engine, and text my husband to let him know that he’s up as soon as we get home. I make a mental note of incorporating YouTube videos of how engines work into our upcoming days.
Next, my 6-year-old asks me how the music got into the radio: who made, it, who is singing, how the picture got into the radio, etc. as we near a bridge. I explain the concepts of recording, WiFi, satellites, Pandora, etc.
Later, as we pass a prison, one of my girls asks whether and what the prisoners eat. This leads to an in depth discussion of the Constitution and the 8th Amendment, as well as how some countries do not have constitutions, and in some cases not even state sponsored food programs for inmates. (It is my understanding that in certain countries prisoners have to rely on family members or friends to bring them food).
An intense discussion of how unfair that is leads to a discussion of the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments in further detail. I then, for good measure, explain in simplified terms the three branches of government, as well as their functions.
Then, my oldest asks about Senate Bill 277 (aka “SB 277” as they exclusively refer to it as), and what type of law that involves. This prompts a discussion of the 14th Amendment and the concept of Liberty. In addition to the children collectively remembering having once viewed the PBS series “Liberty Kids,” we also discuss the Declaration of Independence, and as she remembers the significance of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, I tell the children that these men, as well as others such as Benjamin Franklin, are referred to as the “Framers” or our “Founding Fathers.” I explain what it means that they created the Constitution and helped found the United States. At some point we also discuss the First Amendment, including specifically freedom of speech, of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of association, in terms that they can understand.
I then take the opportunity to bring up the Justinian Code that they heard about earlier in the morning, and how many of our laws are based on those original ideas. They listen attentively, but are far less interested because it’s not “theirs” like the Constitution is.
At some point during this conversation, my oldest asks about when she will be old enough to do things related to these legal concepts. She asks when she will be able to vote, etc. I tell her that she does not have to wait until she is 18 to do things, she can start right now! I suggest that she can write a letter or an article for a newspaper about something she cares about or wants to change.
She then declares her intention to write a letter “to the government” regarding the conditions of prisons in other countries, and her belief that every country should have a constitution. I tell her that I will be glad to look up the address for whomever she wishes to write when we arrive home.
The conversation then changes course, as the girls begin to inquire about Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I answer questions about what this process means under Jewish law, what the process entails, whom the girls can invite, etc.
Before long, we are home, amazingly having encountered only light traffic. As we prepare for the end of the day routine, my oldest begins a draft of her letter, asking which countries have constitutions and which do not. I encourage her to look this up in our 1957 Collier’s Encyclopedia, she declares her wish that I could “just ask Siri.”
At some point, I jump onto Twitter, to do some electronic advocacy. I see an updated flier for a rally my friend will be speaking at that week. I re-tweet some interesting articles related to my interests and advocacy, and surf a little bit.
Sooner or later, the kids are all in bed, and asleep, and the day of homeschooling comes to an end.
One of the books that I am currently reading, Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, makes claims in accordance with our philosophy in regards to learning. It states: “There are learning opportunities everywhere you look.” And further, “When we perceive the world as ripe with social and learning opportunities, we will help our children to grow.” Learning is everywhere all the time. Constitutional Law happens to be my passion that I am able to share with my children, but it’s certainly not the only thing that children can be or are interested in. (See also, Learning All The Time, Free to Learn, and Dumbing Us Down).
Homeschooling affords us the freedom to spend both quantity and quality time with our children, as well as showing the world to them, perhaps even learning some things we hadn’t considered to ask about before. In our family, every day is an opportunity to learn something new and interesting together. If you think homeschooling may be in your family’s future, I encourage you to learn more and embrace the freedom that it affords.
Regardless of whether you homeschool or not, one of the most critical things you can do as a parent is to lead by example. In leadership education, we refer to this as “leading out.” Children mimic what they see. Thus, if they see their parents reading books, they will want to also read books. If they see their parents asking questions, they will want to ask questions, and so on.
One of the most meaningful quotes I have come across in regards to what we are trying to achieve as a family, was this one, regarding the nature of character and raising children: “In the midst of America’s endless argument about charter schools and vouchers [etc.], I hear almost no one asserting that one of the things education should aim at is to produce children who have what Aristotle called a great soul.” A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century. It rings true to me because experience, and several other authors (see e.g., Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students), have confirmed this character gap. (For further reading, see How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, and NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children). If the schools aren’t teaching the children moral character, due to value relativity, and the parents aren’t teaching the children moral character because they are too busy and falsely believe that the schools are doing so, then who is?
Related to the notion of character, in this context, is the incredibly cardinal issue of teaching freedom. “Only a nation of people who understand freedom, really understand it, is capable of maintaining it.” The U.S. Constitution and the 196 Indispensable Principles of Freedom. This book was the one that inspired me the most to use my abilities to fight for the cause of freedom. For, “[a]nation of people who know their rights and responsibilities will give everything to establish and maintain freedom, and nothing can stop them.” Id.
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” The Great Conversation, Great Books of the Western World.
Related to this need to maintain freedom, is the concept of mission. Mission means different things to different people. A leadership education supports the notion that every person has their own mission to fulfill in this life. “We believe that a person who fulfills his mission will literally change the world. We believe this is true of every single person who is born and every single individual mission.” Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning.
This is critical to every person, because this means that moms and dads and aunts and uncles and grandparents, and cousins, and literally everyone has their own mission to achieve. By following our own mission, we have the opportunity to demonstrate to our children the importance of following our path. “There are few things more incongruent than someone who says they have an important mission and then lives in conflict with it…The most important thing about mission it to carry out yours and invite your children to carry out theirs.” Id. By choosing to put everything off to another day, that other day is never going to come.
“Modern Americans would do well also to see sacrifice and suffering as part of progress, and independent initiative, ingenuity and vigilance– as opposed to government as the savior of everyone and everything– as vital to maintaining freedom.” The U.S. Constitution and the 196 Indispensable Principles of Freedom. We have seen this maxim prove absolutely true in the health freedom movement. It’s going to take a lot of work to protect our freedoms, but many hands make light work.
“Children should be educated and instructed on the principles of freedom.” John Adams. Let’s start showing our kids what it means to be leaders pursuing our missions, as we work toward health freedom together.
DDC Homeschool Blog 