“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "[...]But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Thank you for your writing. I just found your substack. We homeschool our kids, and all of the things you’re saying are things I noticed from an outside perspective. For example, we had our kids a little late, and so I had a few years to watch what happened when my peers pacified their kids with devices. It also really wigged me out when we were considering public school and even pre k kids on screens so often. Our public school bragged about how great their social emotional learning program was, and how easy it was to digitally track your child’s SEL progress… it didn’t seem that it was troubling to anyone else that this was recorded and tracked??
It’s nice to read someone with direct personal experience put it so clearly. Homeschooling seems like it’s getting more popular, but still feels like an outsider choice a lot of the time, and I appreciate reading things that remind me it’s the right decision and to keep going.
Also, the kids are still fairly young but I’ve been wondering what kind of split there is going to be between the kids that spend so much time on screens. Thanks for the heads up on that.
Well said; this is the best discussion of the disappearing art of reading that I have heard in a long time. And it's such an essential one!!! Get them addicted to reading, and it is a huge support in getting and keeping them grounded, on track, entertained, wise, and able to read, write, think and communicate. (always useful skills to excel at.)
Reading is the foundation. Without it, whatever you try to build is sitting on quicksand. I am so, so grateful that my parents were open to me reading just about anything.
Thank you for your writing. I just found your substack. We homeschool our kids, and all of the things you’re saying are things I noticed from an outside perspective. For example, we had our kids a little late, and so I had a few years to watch what happened when my peers pacified their kids with devices. It also really wigged me out when we were considering public school and even pre k kids on screens so often. Our public school bragged about how great their social emotional learning program was, and how easy it was to digitally track your child’s SEL progress… it didn’t seem that it was troubling to anyone else that this was recorded and tracked??
It’s nice to read someone with direct personal experience put it so clearly. Homeschooling seems like it’s getting more popular, but still feels like an outsider choice a lot of the time, and I appreciate reading things that remind me it’s the right decision and to keep going.
Also, the kids are still fairly young but I’ve been wondering what kind of split there is going to be between the kids that spend so much time on screens. Thanks for the heads up on that.
Well said; this is the best discussion of the disappearing art of reading that I have heard in a long time. And it's such an essential one!!! Get them addicted to reading, and it is a huge support in getting and keeping them grounded, on track, entertained, wise, and able to read, write, think and communicate. (always useful skills to excel at.)
Reading is the foundation. Without it, whatever you try to build is sitting on quicksand. I am so, so grateful that my parents were open to me reading just about anything.