We have a wedding business that has really gotten busy this month. Fridays are now mostly the “get ready day”. This morning (post was pre-set to publish) I was having this internal struggle about juggling the kids’ school work with the needed preparations for this weekend’s wedding.
Then it came…that inescapable dialogue with myself. (It happens in my sleep, while I wash dishes, and–curse the banter–sometimes while I’m supposed to be having a conversation with someone else!)
“Why do we think that education is only comprised of academics? When we all know good and well that it takes a lot of different traits to make a successful person. Why can’t work be just as important a part of their education as math?”
Then it got crazy.
“Suppose a man gets a job making $100,000, but he spent little time learning any practical skills. He will need to spend a fair amount of his salary hiring someone to fix his plumbing problems, build his deck, repair his car, landscape his lawn, (not to mention paying off his whopping student loan).
He would have come out just as well financially if his parents had incorporated more practical skills into his education, possibly even skipped college because now he can stand to earn half the salary since he doesn’t have to hire out all his extra work.” 😉
(It’s not a college debate–please don’t scold me. It’s meant to border on sarcasm and still spark practical thought. I know we need scientists and doctors and engineers.)
But really, could we expand our idea of what a real education is just a bit? Do you know what the number one complaint of employers is? The lack of employees who are willing to persevere, work hard, be punctual and follow directions (i.e. submit to authority). OK, that’s more than one, but it’s all tied in together. One of our jobs is to teach the aforementioned traits to our children. This should be a very real part of their education if we really believe an education is to prepare them for life.
So, I figured we’ll do math again on Monday. Today, my children worked hard, laughed hard, participated as a team, and learned about staying with a task until it’s done. It was education. (Oh, and they found a praying mantis while working so we had a mini-lesson built in 😉 )
30 comments
That’s one of the benefits of home schooling! Being able to rearrange the schedule and teach when, where, and what you (the parent) deems important! Friday we postponed school until after lunch because we really needed to get the house in tip-top shape. I had been sick the weekend before and really hadn’t felt better until mid-week but then we had two busy days in a row. It was nice, being able to move the schedule around. One child said “But Mom! I have schoolwork to do! Isn’t that more important?!”. My response was “Yes, and some day you’ll have to clean up after yourself without my help and you need to learn that, too!”
Hard work should definitely be in everyone’s curriculum!
Hugs to you!
Yes, by all means yes, it should be included. That work and academic learning are mutually exclusive goes totally against the point of education as I understand it. The people I admire most know the benefit of both.
Excellent point, Kelly!
Actually, what I’d like to see is young people being taught about work
There is nothing like dealing with an employee who goes “above and beyond” to try to help you. I guess at that point work isn’t just work anymore, it’s ministry. But what’s wrong with that???
But back to one of your important points, regarding practical skills. Absolutely! I think that we’ve become so specialized that some of us are actually scared to try to fix/create/build things ourselves. So what it won’t look like the magazine. If we’re not running the risk of causing ourselves or others serious harm and injury, what a great opportunity!
Oh wow, I meant to write:
“Actually, what I’d like to see is young people being taught about work from a servant-minded perspective.”
Okay, now I know I’m sleep-deprived!
I’m 17 years old and I LOVE to work. Cleaning house has to probably be my favorite thing to do. I know it’s weird, but like my mom says, “It;s something I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.” And since I have an IPod I have the opportunity to listen to sermons and history lectures while I work! 🙂
P.S. I’m a new reader and was wondering what your wedding business was?
Look up “comprise” and use it correctly next time, “word warrior.”
I completly agree! An educated and “skill-equiped” Christian is a two edged sword.
Joyfully,
Olivia
Good morning, I am also new to your blog and wondered what is the wedding business? I have enjoyed reading your blog and would like to add your button to my blog!!
Dlfdd (Rachel)…thanks for pointing that out.
I completely agree with this! You can be “super” smart, but have a terrible work ethic. And if you are lazy and have a whiney-attitude about getting things done, how useful are you really? And working produces character. We had a Mayor of our town a few years back who lost re-election. He was so mad that he refused to show up for the grand opening of a new marina that he helped spear-head. Character anyone? So who cares that he held a high position and had a great education, when he behaved like an embicil? That experience showed me that true education is so much more than math, writing and reading. We definitely cannot look to our school systems to set the standard of what we should be teaching in our homes. This is something I feel passionate about.
BTW – my 7 year old can prepare, serve and clean up a meal for our entire family with a happy heart. We have put such an emphasis on service and work that she is a true blessing in this area. Yes, I’m bragging! Have a great day!
I think you have the right idea here. And I’m glad your wedding business is doing well!
I so agree. We do need practical life skills as part of our learning. When I began thinking about homeschooling, I didn’t want to conform to a cirriculum and go exactly by the “book” because I noticed that our children were learning math, letter recognition, measuring, and so on just from helping around the house.
smooches,
Larie
Last night my almost 4-yr-old daughter willingly and cheerfully cleaned off the table after dinner _quickly_ so that I wouldn’t “run out of dishes” to wash and put in the dishwasher! Yes, I am thrilled that she is learning to read three letter words already. But it cheers my heart SO much more to see her learning her routines and chores with a happy heart.
I came from a home with little-to-no character building but a huge emphasis on academics. And with my scholastic gifts (esp in math and sciences), my academic abilities were made much of and bragged about and put on display. But I received no character training and felt the loss greatly, even as a child. I knew, even at 16, that my brother had a leg up on me because he had been required to work hard for his B’s while I breezed along and got A’s. I knew one day I would max out and be unable to get along on natural talent alone. At that point, would I have the character to work hard? I did not know.
It’s more important to me for my daughter to learn a good work ethic and to live and work cheerfully than to start calculus in the 10th grade. Yes, I will have a strong emphasis on academics, but I hope to balance that with a slightly stronger emphasis on character. How many times to prominent people fall based on academic ability? Tabloids don’t report on math mistakes. They report on moral failures.
I completely agree. Around here, chores are usually done first thing and then the academics.
Love those beautiful, helpful grandchildren!
I love this! People go to college today because they think it has the best chance to get them a job, but they never learn business fundamentals of finding customers, meeting their needs, doing a good job, and understanding risk. These skills are best learned first hand and their lack makes students even more dependent on college.
Just as a side note to my earlier comment. We had to run to the store this morning with our two younger children right at lunch time. The two older ones (7 and 9) stayed with our house helper (remember, we live in Peru). I called them and told them to make their own lunch once they finished their school work. I came home and they had made Ramen Noodles (yes, in a pot with a fire stove) for the entire family. They said they figured we would be hungry once we got home. WOW! The house helper said she could not believe that they could make lunch (although it is simple) and clean up their mess. She said her daughter is 12 and still doesn’t even know how to make rice. I have to say that I felt happy inside that I am teaching them more than math at home. 🙂 Just wanted to share. Real life skills are essential and if you start them young, they WILL rise to the task.
Thank you for this great post! Like Carmen said, I also think this is one of the benefits of homeschooling. I think there is a huge difference between “head knowledge” and “heart knowledge”. A child can learn the definition of the word ‘servant’ (head), but by doing for others you know it made it’s way to the child’s heart. (There is probably a much better way to say that, but hopefully what I meant is understood.)
My husband was out of work for a little over 18months and during that time we were able to keep the bills paid and food on the table because of all his “practical skills”. As a child he spent his summers and weekends on the construction site with his father, who framed houses for a living. His dad always had him come along because he said he wanted him to value hard work. When my husband was laid off he put up signs around town that said “laid off, need work, ph#” and listed all the things that he could do…plumbing, electrical, roofing, yard work, repairs, etc… God provided everything that we needed during this time, and I’m thankful that my husband is knowledgable and willing enough to take any work that he was offered. (He even scooped cow poop for a whole week on an 18acre farm!:) It’s nice to not have to take the family vehilce in for any minor things like oil changes, tire rotations, brake pads etc, because he does all these things as well. I know I’m bragging, but I have the best husband:) We want to raise our children to work hard as well, and provide them with the skills to do it.
Charity,
Isn’t it great to have a husband with such great work ethic? I can related to the cow poop story 😉 When we went through our hardest financial time after my husband’s business folded, he would get up at 3 or 4 in the morning to pick up dead chickens at a chicken farm before his regular work. That’s just one of many stories I could tell about his willingness to do what it takes. He is so gifted and has so many skills. (He’s the guy who fixes our vehicles, plumbing, repairs, etc)…I admire him so much.
Kelly – in your hardest financial times, was it ever tempting to work outside the home? Or did you already have so many children that it was out of the question?
Christie,
I brought it up a couple of times (we had 3 or 4 children) but my husband never even slightly entertained the idea. He was fixed like flint that he would do what he had to do to keep me home–it was hard on everyone for a season, but we would have not done anything differently. AND, we learned SO much about contentment, simplicity and the providence of God. Lessons I wouldn’t trade for all the comforts the world.
Dlfdd,
Just so you know, my user name “word warrior” doesn’t have any grammatical implications.
I was given a tour of a Korean public school 25 years ago when we were stationed there. It was a middle-school, and the children, boys and girls, did ALL the janitorial work after school — and I mean ALL! They scrubbed the toilets, washed the floors, dusted, polished, swept, etc., etc., etc. They didn’t just clap the chalkboard erasers!!! I was impressed. Yes, I think education should include work.
Faith and Tina,
We have a banquet room built onto our house (long story–it was already here 😉 and then we (my husband mostly) landscaped a courtyard in front and we have weddings and receptions here. We are hoping it becomes our primary business and my husband can quit his job fully. He is already taking off on Fridays to prepare for the weddings. It’s pretty busy!
But it’s such a great opportunity not only for our children to learn to work and serve, but we are able to get to know so many people and we pray God will use that opportunity as a ministry. Most people who get married here don’t have a church and more often than not are unbelievers. Evangelism has many faces.
“…we (my husband mostly) landscaped a courtyard in front and we have weddings and receptions here.”
Okay, absolutely amazed over here now! That is positively awesome!
I agree that work is even more important than academics. Many people today are highly academic but lack the motivation and determiniation to work at something until its finished(myself included).
Being alone right now, I have had many things break around the house, and had to learn to use different tools…it is a good feeling of accomplisment when one self-teaches or is taught by another, so that they can be self-sufficient…not in a ‘independent’ way, but doing what one can for themself, so as to not be a complete burden on others.
I am not the best at teaching my children to work, but at tiems they surprise me too. My oldest goes to public school and dances two nights a week, but still does all the wash for a hosuehold of 5. I think that is pretty good, considering. If she chooses to skip doing wash a day or two, she pays the penalty by having 3 loads the next day.
I caught two of my girls this week doing chores that I hadnt even asked them to do. I have my days of frustration. But overall I think it is going ok for us.
Sometimes I bag the chores on a saturday and we all just work on one job altogether, such as dusting. That way there is 5 of us dusting and we can do a few rooms in a short time.
Oh, Kelly-we once kept a praying mantis as a homeschool thing; the kids loved finding bugs around the hosue and outdoors for it to eat. We read so muich about them, so we knew the signs before it was about to lay the egg sac, etc. Your lil ones should love this! My egg sac never hatched, so we didnt get to watch all the babies come out, and begin turning on each other (little cannabalists!)
auth. me,
That’s good stuff!
By the way, I think this dovetails nicely with the conversations a while or so ago about “unschooling” (which as one helpful lady pointed out dosen’t mean non-ecucation, but a curriculum built – scaffolded- around the child’s interests and tendencies). One of the common concerns was whether the child would learn the character to push through life difficulties that they would like to avoing. Like having to math lessons every day builds the character they need to tough it out and do their job every day whether they like it or not.
Well, I have nothing against math, and am not an unschooler myself, but it seems to me that having to muck out animal stalls and milk the goats every day (as two girls I knew did), or having to maintain some part of the house maintanence consistantly and well would do the same thing, esp if the parents give the child age-appropriate (not too easy), challenging duties.
There are lots of reasons to teach math or higher sciences, but if you’re arging from the standpoint of just pushing through difficulty/monotony, then work would fit the bill beautifully.
And speaking of beautiful work, this photo reminds me a lot of some of Winslow Homer’s paintings. 🙂
AMEN – that’s all…just amen.