The power in me

"Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behaviour, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organisation or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity, be it 'fate' or 'society' or the government or the corporation or our boss..... In attempting to avoid the pain of responsibility, millions and even billions daily attempt to escape from freedom."

From The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck

Every day we allow a teacher to savage the self-hood of our child, we give away responsibility. Every day we blame 'the system' for things that we allow to happen to us, we give away our responsibility. Then we hurt because someone or something has done damage to us. Yet we are the ones who let them. We are the ones who choose.

Home educators take responsibility for their children, their children's welfare, their children's education, their children's safety, their children's mental health and their children's lives. They do that until their children are mature enough to take responsibility for their own.

With responsibility comes pain, the blame game and being the one in charge, but, I believe, more hurt comes from being let down by the schools, the local councils, the officials, the teachers, the politicians. In short, everyone to whom you delegate your responsibilities.

Home education - painful, effective, helpful, hurtful, exhilarating, joyous, disappointing, wondrous, interesting... and so much more.

Freedom. And all under your control.