To school or not to school....
Emma has always been advanced. She spoke full sentences before one year, and could sing her ABC's and knew her colors and shapes by her first birthday. I remember at her first birthday party, she was showing off her animal sounds. She could tell you what any animal said. And I'm talking odd ones too- donkey, shark, spectacle bear. She has always been unusually ahead of the curve when it comes to all things mental. (Physical, not so much). I've chalked it up to good genes. Her daddy has a photographic memory, and school and learning comes extremely easy to him. He can remember all sorts of numbers, history, and literature without really trying. He can ace a test without studying a single minute. Because his brain is full of all this data, he has difficulty remembering simple things like taking out the trash on Sunday nights, or locking the door when he leaves the house. (But I'm not getting started on that one!).
Well it seems that Emma might have the same photographic thing going on. She can recite the words to songs from movies she has seen once or twice. And not just the chorus- the whole song. She can remember things that happened a year or more ago, and can tell you details like the color of the ball her GG had in his backyard when we went to visit in 2007. She doesn't forget a thing.
What happens when you start to think your child is actually smarter than you are? What happens then? I had planned on schooling her at home, using something called Unschooling. But I am beginning to worry that maybe I'm not capable of meeting her intellectual needs. The question is, if I am not, who is? Certainly not public school. I have serious problems with the forced education system currently in place. So many problems. So what do I do? What are my options? I'm getting nervous.
All I can do is pray that the universe gives me clarity on the issue and carves the perfect path for her. I want her to find joy in learning. I want her to use the things she learns to help clarify within herself who she is and what she wants to do with her life. I want learning to always remain exciting for her. And I want her to be confident in who she is and what she wants to become.
Oh, my sweet little bright light!
Posted in: on 03 April 2009 at at 9:50 AM
