We need to move away from the idea that teaching is something separate from parenting, and can only be done by someone who is trained and qualified.
To be a parent is to be a teacher.
We teach our children how to walk, how to talk, to sing the ABCs, to write their name, how to count, how to tie a shoe, how to cook eggs, how to care for a pet or younger sibling, how to clean up a mess, how to dress themselves and about personal hygiene, how to ride a bike, how to safely cross the street, what to do if there is a fire, how to apologize, the difference between right and wrong, what constitutes good manners, how to make good choices, about the circle of life, how to love others, and how to be a good friend.
We don’t need to stop there! We can teach them what sounds the letters make, how to write, what makes up a sentence, how to memorize, how to observe, how to ask good questions, how to research answers, how to choose reliable resources, how to debate, how to use logic, how to wonder, how to get lost in books, how to try something new, how to listen, how to sketch, how to follow instructions or a recipe, how to seek answers to questions we don’t know the answer to, and how to never stop learning.
Sometimes we outsource some of our parental duties, whether it is to a private or public school, an online class, a tutor, a college course, a co-op, a sports team, music lessons, an art class, and even a Bible study.
All parents are teachers, but not all teachers are parents.
Homeschooling is just an extension of parenting. As parents we are qualified, we are capable, and we get to choose what we teach and what we outsource.
