|
Reflections on My Arrogance as a Homeschooling Parent and Educator
© Beverley Paine
Personal arrogance is a stumbling block I face in my daily relationships with others, as a parent and in my attitude to my work as a home educator.
Often I will catch myself thinking that I am at the centre of the universe as though it revolves around me and my ideas or my current projects, etc. In this I see I behave very much like a child. It's knowing which aspects of my inner child to 'grow up' and which to retain that is often difficult for me.
I never want to lose my curiousity and imagination, and ability to empath. I love how I can easily imagine myself as a child once again and feel like a child, albeit with an onlooking and experience-mitigating adult consciousness. This aspect of my inner child teaches me a great deal.
On other hand my child-like egocentric nature isn't at all good for relating to and with others. I can be demanding, selfish, bossy, dominating and big enough to get my own way by any means. Being the middle child, with a tantrum-throwing older sister, I chose quiet manipulation as the most effective way to be 'heard' in my birth family. As a result throughout childhood and adolescence I closely studied human behaviour. I became quite adepat at knowing the 'right' time to approach someone or 'right' tone to use, for example, to get my own way. In addition I learned from an age to manipulate my environment to achieve my goals.
It is taking me several years of noticing how and why I do this and modifying my behaviour to undo some of these, often quite useful, habits. One habit I'm constantly working on is learning to let others finish speaking before I press my own views. I find I'm in too much of a hurry most of the time...
To help me learn how to be a better listener I try to approach conversations with a blank mind. If I want something, however, I use all the tools in my persuasion toolbox. Trouble is I'm not the all-wise, all-knowing, clever person I sometimes think I am and then I do and say things that make my life very complicated! I have learned to use my tools well but not necessarily wisely!
My task, in this fifth decade of life, is to take four steps backwards and study the wisdom life presents to me, rather than feel in such a rush to make things happen the way I think they should. Humility and acceptance of a imperfect existance are the tools I use most to 'grow myself up'. I am blessed by awareness of self, and of my learning and growing process. It's often a depressing burden, but I wouldn't chose any other way of being.
I thank my children for their patience in giving me and allowing me the time I needed to gently 'grow myself up'. Home education gave us the space to let this journey for this often bewildered parent to finish the process of becoming and behaving like an adult. My children's stubbornness to blindly accept whatever I presented to them when it didn't make sense to them because they trusted their instincts, and my lingering sense of self-doubt as a parent, helped guide me.
Often I would turn to other adults and parents for advice but would come away knowing intiuitively that their approach and ideas wouldn't work for us. My children helped me to trust my own inner child, the child that once was and still is...
Being a parent is hard work. Being a home educator makes it both easier and harder. It's a wonderful learning journey and I feel blessed that I'm lucky enough to have the choice to learn alongside of my children at home.
Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you?
Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating
offering encouragement
and reassurance to families
wanting
better outcomes for their children.
Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.
Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.
"You've been an inspiration to me, I love the way
you really listen to people." Vanessa
"Whenever I read your writing I always come away
with increased confidence in my ability to provide and
share a wonderful learning journey with my family!" Davina
"Your guidance, understanding, support and words of
wisdom changed our lives. We now offer support and
organise many homeschooling events for others." Lesley
"Thank you once again for your prompt and friendly service.
I am convinced that your books are going to add
quality and peace of mind to my journey of teaching my kids
at home! Just from studying your website, until almost
2am
in the morning, I 've been encouraged!" Louisa
"Thank you for all your many,many reassuring words
over many, many years. You probably don't know exactly how
valuable you are to the Australian Home Education community.
I've been reading your stuff for maybe 8 years or more now.
And I'm very grateful." Gythaa
Want to learn how to write your own education plans to suit
your unique children's
individual learning needs?
Looking for quality curriculum and teaching tips ?
Over 1000 reassuring and
informative articles to help
build your confidence as an Educating Parent
|
|
Welcome to the World of Home Education
and Learning without School!
We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine
The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.
The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website.
Over 30 presentations!
2021 Australian
Homeschooling Summit
For $29 you get
lifetime access to recordings
of all the workshops, all associated resource guides, dDownload all video and mp3 files
Amazing homeschooling help!
ESSENTIAL STEP BY STEP GUIDES
Let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration!
|
|
 |
"Your guidance, understanding, support & words of wisdom changed our lives." Leslie
"I feel specially inspired by Beverley's words and, the more I read her comments, the more inspired I feel, since
my need for support, respect for different parenting styles, and information are fully met." Marijo
|
Home education is a legal alternative
to school education in Australia.
State and Territory governments are responsible
for regulating home education and have different
requirements, however home educating families
are able to develop curriculum and learning programs
to suit the individual needs of their children.
Without revenue from advertising
by educational suppliers and Google Ads
we could not continue to provide information
to home educators. Please support us by letting
our advertisers know that you found them on
The Educating Parent. Thanks!
|
About
Planning pages
Thank you for visiting!