Are we teaching our children to be robots or are we teaching them to be functioning adults in society?

When looking at my children and their education, I begin to question what’s missing from it.

When you deal with adults today, as a parent, you begin to notice everything you don’t want in your children.  The more adults you deal with - let’s NOT mention when you supervise them - the more you begin to notice the additional qualities and values that you want and need to instill in your children.  Looking at the education system’s setup, one must ask, “What’s missing?”

If you cannot rely on a school system to teach your children those missing links, then we have to do it in the home.  For instance, my eight year old daughter edits my blog submissions.  Why do I have an eight year old editing? Simply because, she needs to start learning the concept of a team.

I’ve noticed that from time to time, sibling rivalry kicks in with my two older children.  They pick on each other, they fight, they argue, etc. so I decided to incorporate the concepts of team building and working as a team because far too often, we see adults on a team who cannot function within the team. **Raises my hand*** I’m included in this pool at times. 

So I began to talk to my children and tell them that they are part of the GEORGE enterprise, and if they are going to be a member of this team, they have to be able to put aside their differences so that we can push the same agenda. 

I’ve even warned them that if they can’t be a functioning member of this GEORGE enterprise, focusing on the agenda without bickering and fighting, then they have to get off the team!  Yes, I threaten to kick my children off the team!

So my daughter is my editor.  She mostly just reads over them, but it’s teaching her the foundations of reading, writing, understanding, diction, grammar, putting thoughts together, forming her own style, and other language art skills. Sure, she gets some of these in school, but who has given her such a responsibility to know that what she is editing will be seen by the world? No one! Who is teaching her that her written words have power and that she, as small as she is, can make a significant difference in someone’s life? No one.

So she thrives to make sure every ‘t’ is crossed and every ‘i’ is dotted.  She is learning to value her representation and input in the GEORGE enterprise. She is learning that her opinion matters when she recommends a change.  She is learning that the basic concept of building a team, is to ensure whatever your contribution is, whatever your role is, do it and do it well.

I have my son (I WISH he would read it, but I’ll conquer reading with him via other means) doing the creative work.  He’s my Creative Designer.  Primarily, my daughter comes up with the art concept and ends up doing them because the time that is required to do the art is too long to just sit without some type of work that requires him to build something with his hands.  He needs to do something that allows him to create with his hands…otherwise he is annoyed and loses interest and focus, but they are working together.  My daughter even took it upon herself to show him how to do the things in our graphic software that she’s picked up from me.  When they get annoyed, I tell them they have to work as a team. (He will soon start learning to design homes and building and have his own assignment to produce and create, at age 10.)

They are living this scripture:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV

Via this team building exercise of this piece of art that I am posting here, they are receiving a solid foundation of building and working on a team. They know what one another strengths and weaknesses are and they pick up the slack where they can.  They are learning to communicate better with adults and their peers alike. But not only are they getting these concepts, but also learning the skills needed behind the scenes to run an organization…another skill missing in many adults. They see what it takes to produce this piece and launch it live.  Through this small venture, my children are witnesses what could easily become, a large production. I truly believe this is valuable in their developing minds and lives.  (I have chills even as I type this!)

On my small team of four (baby just likes to swipe the screen and hit the keys so he isn’t quite included), my husband is my final editor, we collectively come together and do our part to produce this entry that you are reading.  And I think that’s something pretty amazing.

If we would all take a little piece of this and apply it in our lives, then we will ensure that we have children who can actually think for themselves and be productive in society as opposed to robots who do only what they are told.  Never once thinking.  But not only that, we won’t have people who won’t allow people to think outside the box. Or color outside the lines.

Robots tend to want everyone to be a robot.  Only their agenda matters.  Your input is not welcomed.

So take a minute, sit back and ask yourself, “What is my child learning?”

Love,

Just Me
Keiyia JOYet George

Have you noticed this robotic invasion?

I would love to hear from you in the comments, and I am sure others will benefit from your comment as well.

Artwork designed by my children.