This evening my eight year old daughter and I had a conversation while driving to meet a friend. I asked her about her conversation with her mum she had earlier where she fully expressed herself and how she felt about learning and schooling. I asked her about her learning experience and what she felt about school (she is being home-schooled). She clearly expressed how she felt about on one part she wished she could experience what school is like and on the other how she is currently enjoying her home school learning process. I could understand where she was coming from and what she would like to have. I understand that these thoughts were the cumulated of her interaction with with her friends who are attending public school.
I told her that we were proud of her ability to express herself. She was trying to understand why we were proud – and the questions started coming – why dad? I explained that the level of social maturity of an individual lies in his or her ability to communicate. This is one of the things that I have told here that what this ability separates the adults from the kids. She felt satisfied.
I then asked her what she felt about school – her answer, almost before thinking she replied “why schools cannot make learning more fun?” I asked why she said that. Her reply was that her friends (at least some of them) hated school and are bogged down by homework. She then went on to talk more in depth.
I now sitting here trying to understand and appreciate that our daughter is growing up and beginning to have thoughts of her own and we will need to respect that. Sometimes, we get so involved in too many things and impose too many of our values to our children that we have little of no time to listen or reflect on what our children say.
I guess, this little conversation was a reminder that I need to sit up and spend more time to listen more – our children are going up so fast and we may not know what went past us only to regret we miss them.
KayVee
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