Assessment of school by children & their “nanny”

September 3, 2006 by gloria.

I talked with my little grandchildren by phone yesterday, and asked them how they like school this year. One is in third grade and one is in first grade. The third grader said, ” I like third grade better than second grade, but just a little bit better.” Then he went on to say, that he “loves math, science and reading” and is learning how to divide. Thank GOD for that! The most essential elements of a good education are those for certain. My little ballerina granddaughter, lover of pink and purple, who is the first grade said, “well, I like recess and lunch” after much thought to come up with something she likes about school. It is an adjustment for her, real school, not kindergarten–the long days and the timed activities. She got held back from lunch because of not finishing her work.

Why do schools make a punishment of eating? Why don’t they find some appropriate way to handle dawdlers and those who long for the freedom of summer? Why don’t the teachers teach in the classroom, instead of expecting the students to teach themselves via assigned tasks to work on at their desks? Why don’t they assign homework for the dawdlers so the parents are able to see the problems and help adjust the child and help with difficult assignments? What is gained by making a six year old child suffer hunger pangs because the teacher did not teach but instead expected the child to teach herself? Doesn’t taking away meals sort  of smack of totalitarianism and propaganda efforts

Someone once told me that the real rewards of parenting are the grand-children because when one’s own children are little there are so many child-raising tasks that define the home–homework, bedtime, teaching responsibility, assigning appropriate chores and following up to see if done, disciplining the children, etc; but grandchildren are pure fun. It is true too.  I love to talk to my grandchildren and even better yet is to visit with them and take them to get ice cream on hot summer days and to swim in the pool, and to sing with them, and play patty-cake with the baby, and see the “pictures” made by the three year old as she definitely does not color in the lines but shows creative energy on paper. To see the characteristics of one’s family on display by tiny children is amazing to me. My grandchildren have manneerisms similar to mine, and that is astonishing to me. My daughter pointed that out to me once as she said, “watch her, she tosses her hair just exactly like you do” and then again, “mama, look at her holding her hands like you do when you are anxious”, and lo and behold, a very familiar image of myself in so many ways. How is that so many women in the world have decided erroneously that they don’t need children? What is the matter with them? Are they so depressed that they cannot function? Are they so materialistic that having things is more important to them than having a line of descent, grandchildren, heirs, pure pleasure of children in their lives? If you are thinking of not having children, please rethink the future years and see how wretched and miserable your life will be without children. I have done a lot of things in my life * but the greatest defining moments of my life were these: 1) coming to the saving knowledge of The Lord Jesus, and 2) having children, 3) having grandchildren.

*More on this subject at http://real-women-have-babies.com

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