What is Socialization? Should Schools be Part of the Picture?

I recently made a commitment to myself to make the utmost effort to view each and every person, conversation, and situation as a potential teacher. I just had such a conversation. It's in this spirit that I am inspired to write my thoughts about socialization in public schools. It's best to be clear to yourself (meaning me) why you believe what you do. In that way you can be more clear to others.

First of all what is socialization? Most think of pleasant conversations and fun times. But the actual definition may surprise you. Socialization is the process of learning interpersonal skills that are in conformity with the values of one's society. That's all good and well. Right? It is all good and well as long as who your children spend the majority of their waking hours with are people who share your values and that of your society. You may or may not get that with teachers. You definitely will not get that with 20- 30 children of your child's same age that may have absent parents and little to no wisdom or life experience except what they learn from the media and video games.

Most socialization in schools is unsupervised such as the playground, hallways, and cafeteria. The powers that be may be watching but then maybe not well enough. I've heard tales of 2nd graders kissing behind playground equipment! Now who told them that was normal? My guess is some combination of the 20-30 other kids of the same age in their class. How's that for socialization? And I haven't even touched on other subjects such as drugs, sexuality, etc. that these peers are socializing to one another. And bullying is a another whole subject! Maybe parents are better suited to pass along our society's values.

Since when has spending the majority of your time with people all the same age been considered normal? The "real" adult world isn't like that. So how can we say this is training for the "real" world? The "real" world consists of people older, younger, and of different ethnic groups and religions. And it's not required that we all agree! I just think it's required for our own collective good to get along and live peacefully.

I think we would all be in agreement each and every one of us wants to be happy and is doing our best. I believe that at the core of our very being we ARE joy and happiness! Even those who behave badly are inherently good and bright like little children. But then we become conditioned over time by people and experiences. And that joy gets a bit obscured like dust or in some cases dirt on a mirror.

It's difficult to remain joyful when you can't be who you truly are. It's hard to BE happiness when there's constant pressure to fit in with the "group think." It's challenging to juggle all the roles we play for all the various people we know. The best advice ever is to just be yourself! The famous author Beatrix Potter wrote: Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.

The majority of our free thinking and radical for their time founding fathers never went to school. The public school system is a recent institution designed to indoctrinate and produce cooperative , drone like workers for the manufacturing industry of that time. It was much easier to get things done and run a government if the people didn't really think for themselves. The public school system's use is outdated. Academic education and tutors can be found online now. If anything over time we've made children less productive and efficient with public education. Most children today including my own could not work up to par with a similar aged child in the beginning years of this country. Yes, the work may be different now but the work ethic has evaporated. I can't tell you the number of unkind, unmotivated, nonverbal, unresponsive teens I've seen working in public places. That wouldn't have been tolerated even 50 years ago.

So in my estimation education and true socialization is best left to parents and extended family. If a family doesn't feel equipped to educate then use a school. If you want your kids to join groups, sports, and have dances then organize them as a community apart from the school. Dances, sports, picnics, ice cream socials, and sewing bees were church/community activities in the past. Taxes would be lower, but that's yet another subject entirely. In my opinion schools are best left to academic education only!

HAPPY EASTER !!!

Everyone had a great time! Lots of excellent food as usual. Had an Easter egg hunt for Thomas and Damien. Jesse joined in (after all he's only 11)! Paige made the bunny art from different pieces of colored paper. She also made and decorated the 2 cakes pictured. I hope everyone else in Ohio had a good day too!