feeling inadequate
Lately I've been wondering if I'm smart enough to be a parent. I know Asher is going to have all these questions about the world and truthfully, I'm pretty ignorant about a lot of stuff. Geography and politics for example...totally inept. My animal knowledge could use some brushing up and don't get me started on my mathematical skills. ugh! I want to be able to give my children everything they need to succeed. I want them to be inquisitive and know that they can count on my answers. I never want to lie to my kids or give them an answer I only think I know. I know people who truly believe everything their folks tell them and they end up looking silly when they spout off completely false answers. There has been a few times recently where Steve has corrected me or I have corrected him while trying to explain something to Asher and then we both wonder who's right. Thank goodness for google!
I've never had a problem telling someone that I don't know the answer to a question. I have no problem researching it and getting back to them...but how many times can I do that to my child before he thinks I'm just clueless? We're thinking about trying to homeschool him for the first few years, but honestly it's daunting to me. I feel like I need to go back to elementary school to learn all the things I need to know to prepare myself for all of Asher's questions. If Asher is anything like Steve and I, mentally speaking, home school and Montessori schools would be the best options for him...It's all just so daunting. I want to arm my child with everything I can, so he'll grow up to be this amazing knowledgeable man. Thinking about it all makes me feel ignorant...as if I'm not smart enough to parent a child. It's scary when you're reading an toddler book to your child and can actually learn from it!
I need to start researching homeschooling techniques and brushing up on my smarts...because of course we all know that Knowledge is Power!
I've never had a problem telling someone that I don't know the answer to a question. I have no problem researching it and getting back to them...but how many times can I do that to my child before he thinks I'm just clueless? We're thinking about trying to homeschool him for the first few years, but honestly it's daunting to me. I feel like I need to go back to elementary school to learn all the things I need to know to prepare myself for all of Asher's questions. If Asher is anything like Steve and I, mentally speaking, home school and Montessori schools would be the best options for him...It's all just so daunting. I want to arm my child with everything I can, so he'll grow up to be this amazing knowledgeable man. Thinking about it all makes me feel ignorant...as if I'm not smart enough to parent a child. It's scary when you're reading an toddler book to your child and can actually learn from it!
I need to start researching homeschooling techniques and brushing up on my smarts...because of course we all know that Knowledge is Power!
Comments
I understand how daunting it can be to sort through all the things you want your child to learn. Though I'm not yet a mom, I can relate in that when I taught middle school, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material my students were expected to learn in the course of the year. It's absurd! On top of that, content standards, curricula, teaching methods, mandatory testing... all these things are changing ALL the time.
A couple of things helped keep me grounded:
1) Information changes rapidly as new knowledge is constantly discovered. It is highly likely that what I taught my middle schoolers last year will be outdated by the time they graduate high school, if it isn't yet this year. Therefore it's not as important how much content they master as it is to teach them how to learn.
2) My middle school students were constantly reflecting my moods and emotions. I realized that one of the most essential things that I was teaching them (however consciously or willingly on my part) was how to interact with and respond lovingly to others.
3) When I was especially not feeling up to the task of managing classrooms of adolescents, I had to come to grips with the fact that I actually was never in control of any of my students. Ultimately, I could guide students and try to shape the classroom environment but I couldn't make decisions for any of them. I had to let go of my desire to control my students (even if I thought my control was for their own good!) and surrender them, myself, and the classroom into the hands of the One who is in control.
4) God uses the foolish to confound the wise, and displays His strength in the weak.
I wish you wisdom as you discern how best to sort through Asher's education. It is a complex decision! One last thing: if I didn't know the answer to something in class, I would often ask them, "How would _you_ find the answer to that question?" That put the ball back in their court, so to speak, and helped them to take control over their learning instead of seeing me as some sort of magic knowledge fountain. :)