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Homeschooling Vows

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 
The idea of a homeschool ceremony got me thinking about vows. Which I don't think was the focus of our ceremony. It is fun to think about. What vows would you and your kids make to homeschool or education? What do you wish you had addressed with your kids, or they with you before homeschooling.
post #2 of 10

The idea of a vow seems really odd to me in a homeschooling context because it has such a ... I dunno ... institutional and immutable feel. Maybe that's because of why I chose to homeschool, which was to avoid fixed rules, to avoid boundaries between roles, relationships, subjects, grade levels and living vs. learning. I wanted my kids' learning to be a collaborative, organic, flexible endeavor, not a case of them promising to abide by some specific set of expectations.


I talk to my kids constantly about their own expectations for themselves, and how they would like me to support them, and how those align with my expectations. We're always tweaking things, adjusting roles, adapting approaches. It's a fluid thing, and that's how we all need it, because kids change, their needs change, and their ideas and mine change over time. I would think a vow would have been at odds with that adaptability. 



post #3 of 10
Thread Starter 
I feel really misunderstood here.
I have heard some wonderful vows and some not so good ones. I'm wanting to include some spirituality to our journey and have a ceremony. I'm not wanting to take on rules as vows. I was thinking more on the lines of being flexible and collaborative and making sure that the "school" didn't get in the way of the relationship.
post #4 of 10
I'm sorry to have missed your gist. I actually looked up "vow" in the dictionary because I thought I must be missing the point, but it simply said "to solemnly promise to do a specified thing." Or "a pledge," "a promise, "a sacrament." Can you explain further what you mean?

post #5 of 10
I took the OP to mean a mission statement of sorts. Dd's science planner has a quote on the cover ~ "to promote a spirit of inquiry and investigation, to develop a sympathetic appreciation of nature and her workings". Maybe something in that vein?
post #6 of 10

Well, it's not exactly a vow, but an internal statement of intention for me to Combat Parental Torpor and create the kind of space that is conducive to our homeschooling, and just family life in general.  I don't see them as much different, if at all, but it provides a little extra motivation to get off my keister a bit more.  A big part of that is finding ways to decompress, because my kids  are with me 24/7 and I don't have the school day to gather myself together.  I am available all that time, unless I am working and then dh is.  It's a big commitment.  I don't have the start of school to look forward to as a break from the energy and chaos.  


Parental Torpor can also affect my spontaneity, enthusiasm for projects, etc.  Sometimes I do have to actively (mentally) dedicate myself consciously to each day.  Wow.  I sound tired.  (I am tired)  But it is not once-a-year, and I don't involve the girls in it.  I do ask them what they want to do, and sometimes they set their own intentions about various things.  


So, not quite what you are looking for, but closer?

post #7 of 10

The closest thing to a "vow" for our family is that we decided that we do our best to make this work, and if it isn't working (for someone), then she can go back to public school without guilt/blame.  For the kids this means that they try, they participate, they help around the house, and they get along (or realize that they need space and find a quiet place).  For mom, this means that I try to be patient, dependable, somewhat organized, and flexible.  My husband has found that he needed to lower his expectations of how clean/organized the house would be on a regular basis.  He also accepted the fact that I won't be going back to work full-time like he always envisioned.  


We all try to help each other take care of themselves.  I don't know if that makes much sense; here is an example: my oldest two can stay home by themselves and my youngest can be home with either one of them--this is great because I have the opportunity to have a morning (or two) each month in which I go to coffee with a close friend.  The kids support it because they know that by having this break, they get a much more centered mom.  With a centered mom, homeschooling can continue. 


However, I do have goals for each year that change as our needs change--none of these would be serious enough to be a "vow".  Also, I love the idea of a nice mission statement, but alas, we don't have one. 



post #8 of 10
Thread Starter 
I'm looking at vow as a personal mission statement that I can say in front of those I care about so they can help to hold me accountable. Not rules but a general direction I want to go and others can pull me back if we're getting way off course. I'm not sure what my son can do for a statement at this point but maybe a willing attitude and honesty would go a long way.

Miranda- I like your phrase collaborative organic flexible endeavor.

Storm I really like the spirit of inquiry...statement.

Sweetsilver I understand where you're coming from with combat parental torpor, but we need a positive spin on this and a plan in place to make this a vow in front of friends and my children.

Amy-Doing our best and flexibility seem like a good place to start for a mission statement.

Thanks everyone.
post #9 of 10
Hi farmermomma. I know you are after ideas, and I am not much good for that. I am really of a mind with Sweetsilver, about it being a process I need to work on in me,nand moominmamma about the beauty of homeschooling for me being all about adaptability and development and flexibility. There is a side of me that homeschools mainly because I love seeing what people can get up to when they have as few academic constraints and as much freedom - in a context of respect for others, of maximising freedom for everyone - as possible.

But what I wanted to say is that notw sure how how your kids are, but if they are young, it is specifically imporwtanto to you that you have some kind of ceremony? The reason I ask is that with kids, we don't often have proper ceremonies. We are Waldorf influenced, I guess, not really because I am a huge fan but more because that is what I grew up with. In the Waldorf tradition you wouldn't tend to have a ceremony with young kids that involved speeches, but rather you'd do something that brought about the correct mood. So tbh, a ceremony about support and friendship might translate into a day at the beach with a picnic and a story consistent with the values. I am NOT trying top push Waldorf, I am not a huge fan, but they are good on child development.
post #10 of 10
Vow is such a strong word. I made marriage vows. I vow to do the best I am capable of doing with the knowledledge, materials, and resources I have for my children. However, I have goals for their education and I can see us having a vision and/or mission statement that discusses or explains the goal(s) for their education.

In light of that, I assume the OP means having some kind of set goals or achievements for the year?
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