We were joined in Swaledale by Kate's cousin and her two children, aged 5 and 3. As my youngest would be, the little boy of 5 is in his first 'proper' year of formal education. As five-year-olds do, they fell to chatting and naturally the topic of school came up. He was astounded to discover that my daughter does not go to school at all, that she is, in her own words, "educated". However, she explained to him that she, and her brothers, would have to go to school if they were badly behaved. He went to his mum and asked it he, too, could stay at home and only go to school if he was naughty!
Oh dear, I have some unpicking to do! Clearly, I have lost my temper too many times and threatened them with school. To me, this has never been about punishment but about the only alternative if what we are doing is not working ("If you're so miserable here with me, you might as well be at school!") but the subtlety of this argument does not seem to have penetrated! It's time to remind myself that I am privileged to Home Educate my children.
It also makes me wonder if my little girl thinks that every other child she knows is so naughty that they have to go to school every day!
Photo courtesty of Google Images
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