Growing up, I was a quiet kid who kept to himself and loved to write, draw and found I was really good at playing music. No one ever taught me that I could continue doing these things at a university or that I could possibly make a living doing it.

Instead, I was taught to get a job, maybe with the local Hallmark factory, keep drawing, and maybe someone would notice me. It was years later that I realized what some of my options were but I had put up my pen and paper and chased after a good paying job.

Now, many more years later, I refuse to allow my children to travel a similar path. We are “unschoolers” for the most part and even at a young age, our kids are showing signs of critical thinking beyond their peers. My oldest taught himself to read and his sister is beginning to do the same. We act as facilitators to their curiosity and help guide them (as any parent should) down an educational path that satisfies this and occasionally try to spark new inspirations within them.

It is hard and very time consuming but I can’t see letting the public school system oversee this in a manner that is healthy and right. ~ a reader