The other evening, I went to visit a close friend. Near the end of my visit, her daughter, my heart's niece, got home from daycare. She's three years old and super smart. She's been reading and counting for a long time now, and it seems she's developed an interest in geography lately. Africa is her current favourite.
So during dinner, I mention port, and tell her that it's a type of wine made in Portugal. Her mum asked her "Do you know where Portugal is?" And answering so immediately that you could tell she didn't have to think much of it, she replies, "Portugal is beside Spain!" I don't know that I was so familiar with European geography at any point in early schooling. And she has a globe that she loves to play with. Not because her parents forced it on her, but because when Santa asked what she wanted, she said she wanted a globe.
Damn.
I hope that she never goes through a stage where she downplays her intelligence because she thinks boys will like her better for it.
Showing posts with label Parenting from a non-parent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting from a non-parent. Show all posts
12 January 2012
8 January 2012
Home schooling
I'm sure there are good reasons for home-schooling in some situations.
But a big part of what going to school does is socialise the child. Parents of home-schooled children must have to put a lot of extra effort into helping a kid meet and spend time with their peers. Ideally.
Someone started chatting with me in WoW tonight. For once, I was friendly and chatted back. He started off with "Will you be my friend?" like kids do in grade school. Turns out he recently turned 16, and wanted a girlfriend. Asked my age (more than twice his age), and then asked if we could date. I let him down nicely, and asked about what he liked in a girl, and what the ones in his class are like, or where he hangs out with friends. If he told me the truth, he's home-schooled, and has no access to any girls at all. Doesn't know what he likes in a girl. Not sure where they hang out. So he wanted the next best thing and wants me to help him find a girlfriend in-game.
I enjoy MMORPGs. Would go so far as to say that you can learn a lot through them, and gain some valuable lessons. But separating a young teen from other kids his age, and then leaving him to play as he wants, late into the night, seems irresponsible. I'm baffled as to why any parents would let a child learn peer interactions from a game like this. On the internet, the anonymity tends to make a lot of people nastier, and different from their usual selves. Maybe that's why he's spending time in an area many levels too low for him, looking for people who he can help?
Yes, I'm making some assumptions. But from what little I saw, I found it tragic. He wants me to be his friend in-game. I hope I'm not the only friend he makes who isn't a jerk to strangers for the heck of it.
But a big part of what going to school does is socialise the child. Parents of home-schooled children must have to put a lot of extra effort into helping a kid meet and spend time with their peers. Ideally.
Someone started chatting with me in WoW tonight. For once, I was friendly and chatted back. He started off with "Will you be my friend?" like kids do in grade school. Turns out he recently turned 16, and wanted a girlfriend. Asked my age (more than twice his age), and then asked if we could date. I let him down nicely, and asked about what he liked in a girl, and what the ones in his class are like, or where he hangs out with friends. If he told me the truth, he's home-schooled, and has no access to any girls at all. Doesn't know what he likes in a girl. Not sure where they hang out. So he wanted the next best thing and wants me to help him find a girlfriend in-game.
I enjoy MMORPGs. Would go so far as to say that you can learn a lot through them, and gain some valuable lessons. But separating a young teen from other kids his age, and then leaving him to play as he wants, late into the night, seems irresponsible. I'm baffled as to why any parents would let a child learn peer interactions from a game like this. On the internet, the anonymity tends to make a lot of people nastier, and different from their usual selves. Maybe that's why he's spending time in an area many levels too low for him, looking for people who he can help?
Yes, I'm making some assumptions. But from what little I saw, I found it tragic. He wants me to be his friend in-game. I hope I'm not the only friend he makes who isn't a jerk to strangers for the heck of it.
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