Freedom to be Weird

Last week, there was a big event in Springfield at the Capital building.  Our legislators were looking to make it a requirement that homeschoolers register with the state.  Our senators made comments like, "We are concerned with those homeschooling parents with sinister intentions", and "I don't understand why any parent would want to spend all day with their children".  That second one was from Senator Lightford, the Education Chairperson for the state of Illinois.
Now, I am trying hard to set aside these insulting, irrelevant and/or low minded comments that played out in the Capital that afternoon (after all, just because YOU don't want to spend all day with your children, does that make MY choice suspect?  What is your point?  And what about private or public school parents with sinister intentions?  How does that work?  Egad. ) .
Bottom line was that they tabled the issue, and I'm relieved.  It was a vague bill that could and would be built upon and added to after passage--after people had no choice but to accept the changes--and many who understand these things better than I do have said that it was primarily a way to build numbers in order to pad/increase budgets.  Figures.
I just can't get away from the historical blindness that some people fall into when they think about homeschooling.  Like it is this new fangled "thing" that should be viewed with suspicion ("But why would anyone want to...?"), righteous indignation ("But what about socialization? But are you a teacher?  But do you have a degree?  But how do your kids feel about that??") or a weird mix of pity and awe ("Oh, you are a better woman than I am...I could NEVER do THAT!  I have a life.")   Homeschooling is not new, it is not strange, and it has produced the kinds of hearts, minds and characters that indwelled many great men and women of the past, including our founding fathers.  My point?  Homeschooling is a reasonable choice...a good choice for those who use their freedom to follow its path.
I came across this chart that shows the changing dynamics over the last few hundred years.  There are several things at play here...not just where the kids go to school.  Dwindling reading time, explosive levels of television viewing, decreasing time spent with parents while a clear increase in time spent with peers...all of these should help us to view our current culture in its larger historical context. 

The purpose of this post is not to come down on people who do not homeschool--I will not be like Senator Lightford, and say "I don't understand why any parent would send their child to public school!". We are all free to choose what seems to fit best for our families.  Whether it is what neighborhood we choose to move into, what house of worship we decide to attend (if any), what schools our kids will attend...all are choices that we are free to make.  The purpose of this post is to call attention to certain attitudes that we have that are based on something other than the truth of the matter.  When I look at this chart, I think about the friends of mine* who frequently speak of some "other homeschoolers" (they clarify that they don't mean me...just those "other weirdos") that they know who use homeschooling as "a cocoon...a shelter...a protective covering against the outside world" (said with disdain).  Yes, I'm sure those are out there.  But, when I look at the chart...I feel bad for the parents icon.  I want to reach in to the graphic and help them wrestle their child's time and attention away from peers and television...and bring it back to books, family and family-based learning (NOT necessarily homeschooling, since learning together as a family doesn't have to be that "formal").  I guess that might seem as if I am wanting to cover my kids with a 'cocoon' or 'protect them' from the outside world. If that is what a call back to family, books and learning together is, then I am guilty as charged.  Yup.  I guess I'm a "weirdo" too.  

*these are friends who do not read this blog and don't know it exists...so no, it is not YOU, kind reader.  :)