Feb. 12, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by PumpkinsMomma

I get nervous that I will feel very disappointed if my dds doesn't want to go to college - it seems it can be a bit harder for girls to make a decent living without a college degree. it seems to be easier for guys to have more options. my hubby thinks it would be fine for whatever occupation the kids do. I hope when that time comes I won't have put too much stock in it. I can see how spending all the time to teach the kids day in and out might feel wasted if they don't get in a job where they are using the knowledge. but developing well rounded kids is supposed to be the best thing. that's what i'm tellign myself anyways. marie

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Feb. 12, 2009 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by tiarali79

Honestly, I am quite upset that my parents forced me to go to university. I wanted to be a mother, and if I had simply gotten a job after school or done a quick tafe course so I could get out into the workforce sooner I would have saved some money and had some real world experience behind me. Oh, and I was public schooled :) Now I am homeschooling my kids. I expect at least some of them will go to university. But you know what? I'm going to be happy if they don't want to. AS LONG AS they are seriously thinking about what they want to do for the rest of their lives and making responsible decisions in that direction. I can't see many people wanting to keep working as a dog washer for ever. My husband is currently working stacking shelves at a supermarket while working part time as a sports teacher at a school while finishing off his education... sounds like a handful I know :) He was so happy working at the supermarket, but after his first day at the school he realised he didn't want to keep doing supermarket work when there is 'real work' out there... Now he's motivated to get his education diploma so he can work full time in schools. So yeah. I don't want all my kids to go to uni unless they want to. But I do want them in some sort of job that suits their personalities. And if that means doing relatively easy to get into work while they are waiting or preparing for their dream job (like part-time dog washing while going to uni, or whatever) then fine... People can do very well with a trade and if that's what a kid wants to do then go for it! I know I sound like I'm wishy washy - that's because my eldest is currently six so I don't know where she wants to head yet. I see the worth in university, many people can get a good start in their professional lives there. But for others it's simply a waste of time and money, and I would never force all my kids to go to uni just because I think that's where it's at. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's an individual thing :) Oh - I do think that the thing that might make homeschoolers 'push' their kids a little harder is that they spend enough time with their kids to know where their kids' talents are, and the kids are given time to start pursuing that interest while they are still school aged, so when you see your kids put that amount of time and effort into an interest, and then accept 'second best', it would be sad. So since you know your son is fascinated with engines, then you want him to be able to get a good job in that capacity, and his reading now is preparing him for that. Right now my 6yo daughter is very interested in art, so I'm trying to make sure we do a fair bit of that - knowing that she'll probably be interested in very different things when she's 16 :) Public schooled kids often don't know what they want to do - they haven't been in the real world much. And their parents often don't know them well enough to intelligently encourage them into a certain field. So if the kids is working, then they are not wasting their lives like some other kids are, so ample room to be proud of them :) Edited by tiarali79 on Feb. 12, 2009 at 4:48 PM

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