"My child has perfect attendance at (fill-in-the-blank) School"
I find myself surprised every time I see that bumper sticker. I can't believe someone is actually bragging about that. Don't get me wrong, I understand why it's important for kids to attend class regularly... But, some of my favorite memories as a kid are when my dad would come pick up my sisters and me early from school, and we would go to the park or somewhere fun like that and just hang out together as a family. Somewhere along the line, it feels like we've gotten things a little twisted up. It seems like school attendance has become the be-all, end-all...the best thing you can do for your child...the unpardonable sin if not adhered to. I believe in education for sure, but I'm not sure I believe school attendance is the miraculous wonder many people seem to believe it is... I actually believe the family unit is where the best things can happen in a child's life. And, I resent the way many school officials make it seem that a parent's role is secondary to the school's role in a child's life. Now, I know full well there are exceptions to that, but in my experience as a parent, I've seen far fewer exceptions than I care to admit. There is this subtle, yet pervasive, philosophy in our world that education is god, and while I believe education is vital, I also believe the scales have tilted far too heavily in that direction. My kids have been in every kind of school environment -- public and private -- but ultimately that's one reason we went the home-schooling route. I am the first to admit home-schooling can be greatly abused, just as any other form of schooling can be, but at least for us, for now, it's the best choice. I also have to laugh when someone voices concern about the "lack of socialization" for kids in home-schooling. Any sane individual would have to acknowledge that much of the "socialization" that goes on at school -- public or private -- is challenging at best, downright dangerous at worst! So, the obvious question is, do I think every child should be home-schooled? Absolutely not. I simply believe we, as parents, should be in the driver's seat when it comes to our children's educations. We should evaluate constantly what is best for our child and be willing to make changes if necessary. Sadly, much of the issue is with us as parents. We give up control too easily. Let's face it -- parenting is hard, and it's nice to have "a break" for several hours each day; not to mention, in most households both parents work. In the end, though, our kids are our responsibility, and the sooner we face that and jump into the driver's seat, the better off our society will be.
Today, when I saw the bumper sticker again, it was my least favorite of all: "My child has perfect attendance at such-and-such Pre-K". Pre-K?!?!?! All I could think was, "Poor kid...".
c2009 Lorenda Houston
