As a mom I want the best for my children. As a mom, I am like millions of other moms through the ages who took then, and, take now, the protecting, nurturing and guiding of their children seriously. As a mom like you, the caring and loving of our children is unconditional and unequal to anything outside the home and the circle of our arms.
Why is it then that some feel that once our children step into a school to learn academics that we have given up control of our children to these institutions?
Suddenly school boards, principals and teachers know what's best for our children on levels way beyond reading, writing, and math. They think we, as moms, fail in so many "life" skills that it is up to the institutions to teach them these valuable attributes along with their math and science.
I hear that there is talk about lengthening the school hours to further erode the time we have with our children because the powers that be think that the academics these institutions teach are more important than family time and other activities that aren't provided by schools. As a mom, you know that ballet, horse riding, skating, badminton, little league, karate, judo, piano and other musical instrument lessons, religious education, baking and cooking with mom, fixing the car with dad, learning people skills with siblings and friends, playing board games and chess with grandma or grandad and learning to lose gracefully, play an important part in the education and wholeness of us as individuals.
Is your education worth naught because you didn't go to school for longer hours?
Now some will say "oh but look at the statistics the academia have quoted about other countries being way ahead in math and the sciences than American schools and they have longer hours" and "we have different responsibilities in the 21st century to stretch our minds" and "we have done experiments with children with longer hours and they do exceptionally well and they love it". (Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" has an example of this regimen but though he told us about the successes, he did not mention the failures nor does the book show stats of what affects "all work and very little family time" will have on these children in later years. I think it’s a good book but I don't agree with this part of it.)
As a mom who knows her children best, I say, if the children haven't learned these math, science and reading skills in the time they currently have at school we should take a harder look at the curriculum (particularly the time spent on training for the FCATS (in Florida) STAR (in California) and other State test scores) and also at how the teachers are doing their jobs. Are they in their jobs because they love teaching children, for instance, or because it's just a means of income? It's also no secret that some deadbeat or inept teachers are kept on the pay roll because of tenure and/or unions. I've had personal experience of that scenario. I also have experience with schools outside the U.S.A.
My children are out of school now. I am proud of the adults they have become. While they were in school, as a caring and loving mom, I was always engaged in their school activities and education. When the school didn't do the right thing I complained. If the principal did nothing I went to the local school board or higher.
Children are a precious gift from God and as their moms we have a right and a duty to speak up for them so they can become well-rounded moms and dads themselves.