What I Would Say if These Parents Had Called Me to Chat→

A friend sent me a telling article from the Guardian (UK newspaper) on home-education in the UK. Whether it's the UK, the USA, or Europe, it doesn't matter. Parents are parents and the concerns are similar.

I will say that while reading this article, I felt a little frustrated by what I was reading. With homeschooling, when it is thrust upon us from a lack of other options, it comes down to how we choose to look at it. Do we embrace the challenge or resist it?

So, here's what I'd say to the parents in this article if they had shared their concerns with me.

(The quotes are excerpted from the Guardian article.)

Julie

"My child had been struggling with the school environment from the start,” Julie said. “She’s autistic, has sensory difficulties, finds noise and lights difficult, but is academically clever. She found it so hard to navigate relationships with peers and her anxiety was so intense she was mostly mute at school.” —Julie

“Julie’s daughter, now nine, has been home educated since, an experience Julie describes as “distressing” due to her lack of knowledge about teaching and home learning, and a lack of support.” —Guardian

The Support I Offer Julie

Julie, why do you think you have no knowledge about teaching? You are your child's first teacher; you have been teaching her since the day she was born. All parents are teachers of their children.

While moving into academic teaching may seem daunting at first, there isn't anything during the elementary years that, with a few tools under our belts, we can't tackle. I agree that you need to know what you are doing, but there are resources available in the homeschooling community to give you the understanding and confidence to homeschool successfully.

An academically clever child is a joy to teach. If you have a child who is eager to learn, as you indicated your daughter is, then you are doing better than many parents whose children are plugged in and disengaged. Consider this a huge plus when homeschooling, because it makes your work so much easier.

As for support, if you join local homeschooling social groups for your children, you will also find companionship and support amongst the parents.

Mathew

“After the switch to secondary school he started having anxiety attacks that slowly escalated,” Matthew said. “They were mainly related to tests, homework demands, and managing expectations. The chaotic and uncertain environment of frequent supply teachers, constantly shifting timetables and bullying made it very difficult for him to cope.”

“Our son’s panic attacks have mostly disappeared, he’s gained confidence and has been making better progress academically, because we’ve been able to tailor the topics more closely to his interests and ability. But much of this success is down to the fact that we were both working as qualified teachers in the past. I worry about all the people in a similar situation who aren’t teachers, and don’t have understanding employers – mine has allowed me to work flexibly from home.”

Quelling Mathew’s Concerns

You did the right thing by removing your child from a distressing environment during the years when every experience is magnified and contributes to the formation of his character and personality. And I'm so happy to hear he is doing significantly better, though, I'm not surprised!

Mathew, while it's kind of you to be concerned about homeschooling parents who aren't certified as teachers, I would beg to disagree with you. Your success is not because you and your wife were former teachers; it’s because you are homeschooling.

Studies show that parents—whether professional teachers or not—are just as qualified to teach their children and do a very good job of it, and that children learn better at home. While being a professional teacher may give you a sense of confidence, initially, it really will make no difference in the long run.

Catherine

“Catherine, 50, a teacher from Brighton, who also said that she took her daughter, who has ASC [autism spectrum condition], out of school to avoid fines for poor attendance, is one of many parents who switched to online school.” —Guardian

“She started just on two subjects but now does a full eight and is choosing options for GCSEs. She’s engaged and enjoying her learning, it’s been wonderful.

It is a struggle financially, though. The online school costs £300 a month. I’m a single mum and had to give up working outside the home. I get by on whatever remote work I can find and benefits. I also worry that if my daughter wants to go to university or work in an office environment she will have had no exposure to that kind of thing.” —Catherine

Some Suggestions for Catherine

Catherine, your concerns are valid. Your daughter needs to be engaged in the real world with real people, so she can better develop the social and emotional aspects of her character and personality.

While sitting in front of a computer to learn may seem easier, it is not going to give her the tools she needs to function well in the world, especially if she is already struggling with an autism diagnosis.

It's much easier to homeschool using real books, it costs far less, and your daughter will have time for more social engagements, which will help her develop better social skills. As you said yourself, she needs to be engaged so when she is ready to go out on her own, she can manage.

The 300 sterling you save each month by getting her offline, you can put towards extra-curricular studies for your daughter, such as piano lessons, tennis lessons, or learning French.

Oh, one last thing, you mentioned you worked remotely. When you homeschool using real books, your daughter's homeschooling day is much shorter, too, so you will still have time to work. 

Liza

“While many parents praised the advantages of online schooling, some were less convinced, among them 46-year-old Liza, from Walsall, who said her daughter had struggled with online lessons after she left school at the end of year 10 due to bullying.” —Guardian

“I’ve spent over £2,000 on tutors since September, and £1,000 so she can sit exams. She’s better now, however socially it’s been very hard. She’s very isolated, my husband and I both work full-time.” —Liza

An Idea for Liza

Liza, kudos to you for removing your daughter from the world of screen learning and back into the world of books.

I’m sorry about the tutoring expense, as it is a lot, but one of the things you might consider doing is to hire an undergrad college student instead of paying full price for a professional tutor. Also, can your daughter join any extra-curricular clubs for social interaction?

She does need to socialize, especially at her tender age, as friends are very important for teenagers.

Anonymous

“One parent, who wanted to stay anonymous, said they had taken their child out of year 6 last September because of unmet needs in school, and desperately hoped they would be able to return as soon as possible.” — Guardian

“The experience [of home education] is not great, my child is now struggling to leave the house and is missing out on socializing with peers. She’s too anxious to attend home education meet-ups. We need the correct support so she can attend school. It’s so unfair.” — Anon

My advice to anonymous

(I have to assume the child is in front of the computer all day because of the socialization issue)

Naturally, she will long for her peers because she has already established a relationship with them. This is a good sign because we know she is capable of establishing good social relationships, but she's probably become socially anxious because of the excessive screen-time use and lack of social contact. 

My first plan would be to get her off the screens and get her learning with real books. You might consider starting a book club or some kind of a program in your home with other homeschooled children. 

Instead of having to go out and meet people, your daughter could meet them while feeling safe at home. Once she gets used to socializing again and has a few new friends, she'll be better able to venture into new social situations without panicking or refusing to leave the house.

My Thoughts on This Article

What is concering to me is that as parents, we want what is best for our children, and we will do whatever it takes to provide it; yet, too many parents feel dis-empowered when it comes to their child's education. 

After 22 years of working with parents of school-age children, I know that this mindset is not uncommon. 

We have to remember that our children’s education can make or break them. Not a single government in the entire world is providing a sound education for children. It's up to us to make sure it happens.

Together, we can do it.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

5 Ways Schools Kill Your Child's Love of Learning→

Children come into this world curious and ready to learn. They have just enough hearing and sight to kickstart the wiring of their brain. 

They are born to know. Literally.

It's a profound characteristic because it begs the question, know what? And in that lies the secret to life. 

If the desire to know is how we tackle the mysteries of life, including who we are, why we are here, and where we are going, then shouldn't we protect our children's desire to know at whatever cost?

Shouldn't it be our #1 priority? I take the position that it should be which begs another question: Well, how do we do that?

One of the ways we do it is by not putting our children into school because, ironically, schools will kill our children's curiosity and love of learning.

John Taylor Gatto, an award-winning teacher and author of the best seller, Dumbing Us Down,  said that schools are dangerous places for kids. That was his conclusion after teaching for 30 years.

And John was right. 

1.  The Confining of the Child's Mind

Children are taken out of the home and put into schools at far too early ages. Even Harvard studies show that children do not benefit from early education. 

Instead of feeling safe and loved while exploring, moving, and exercising their curiosity and desire to know, children are put into organized programs where they are confined to a classroom and told what to do and when to do it. 

The cuter the classroom, the more deceptive are the dangers of school.

What we know through research is that children enter preschool with their curiosity intact (as long as they are coming from the home and not from two or three years spent in daycare). 

Somewhere around kindergarten and first grade, their curiosity begins to wane. That little light in their mind begins to dim. 

The curious child learns that school is a place where you sit still and listen. Too many questions are not encouraged; and he learns to be quiet.

The more he suppresses his desire to know, the more dwarfed his curiosity becomes.

“The children are teach have almost no curiosity, and what little they do have is transitory. ”

— John Taylor Gatto, author of Dumbing Us Down

It's like a Bonsai plant. When you clip the child's curiosity, his mind is hindered from growing. 

As a school teacher has 30 other children to contend with, she can’t handle a lot of questions because  she  needs to stick to her schedule and get on with the day's lessons. 

While it isn’t the teachers’ fault, the child quickly learns that his desire to know is not socially acceptable in the classroom.

2. Failure to Read

Most children are taught to read before they are developmentally ready. While some kids can manage, some can't, and some will even fail.

The children who struggle will begin to think they are not very smart, and their self-esteem will decline and their confidence will grow weak. 

If school is where they go to learn things, then they conclude that they’d rather not learn anything. At least then they will not have to suffer through the frustration and embarrassment of not being able to keep up with the rest of the class. 

3. Textbooks that Kill

Have you ever read a real science or history book, one that wasn't a textbook? It's a totally different experience because science and history are fascinating subjects, and if the author is a good writer, you won't be able to put the book down. 

But we don't teach our children with well-written books in school. We bore them to death by imposing textbook learning on them, replete with the endless list of proscribed questions

I hated science and history in school. Juxtapose that to my  homeschooled children who read quality science and history books for fun, and you'll begin to see the problem. 

“The children I teach are ahistorical; they have no understanding of how the past has predestinated their own present, limits their choices, shapes their values and lives.”

— John Taylor Gatto, author of Dumbing Us Down

Put a child into school, hand him a textbook, and threaten him with a test; and you are about to destroy any interest he had in that subject. 

4. The Tricky Test

And let's not forget the exams. After reading the boring textbook, a child now has to have an exam on something he was completely uninterested in. 

Not only that, but he has to guess what questions the teacher might ask, so he can memorize the answers.

And how much information will a child retain? Probably not as much as he would have if he had been interested in the subject. And he will proceed to forget most of it once the exam is over.

5. The Reward and the Punishment

And then come the grades. It doesn't matter if a child does well or he does poorly because he has studied for an exam, not for the joy of learning.

Whether he is rewarded with an “A” or punished with a “D”, he still loses. 

Schools are dangerous places for kids because they destroy the one quality it takes to get a real education; the desire to know. 

The Crisis in Education

We are in a crisis in education, and we have been for a long time. There is nothing to reform, because the system never worked.

As long as education is in the hands of the government, an education will never be had. 

Children received a real education when the parents were in charge of the schools, prior to the 1850's and before the government introduced mass schooling. 

Before then, America's parents dictated what their children learned, how they learned, and when they learned. They even dictated who they would learn from. 

Fortunately, American’s have retained the right to educate their own and educating our own is exactly what we need to do. 

“That certified teaching experts like me are deemed necessary to make learning happen is a fraud and a scam.”

— John Taylor Gatto, author of Dumbing Us Down

Unless you want the government's dumbed down version of an education for your children, you will need to keep them out of school. 

At home,  you can preserve their love of learning and desire to know about the things that will matter to them in life. 

And, following sound principles and methods, you can give them a stellar education. 

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Don't Say the "B" Word!→

There's a word that should not be used by children. Instead of forbidding it, adults are indulging the “B” word, too, which is not helping matters.

For example. the other day a kindergarten teacher was boasting about having a  "boredom" hour for her students. It goes something like this: "Ok children, it's "Boredom" time!”

During "Boredom" time, the children need to figure out what to do with themselves. While this is all fine and dandy, it's also counterproductive. 

You see, the point to the use of the word "boredom" is that children should not be allowed to speak, think, or entertain the word under any circumstances. 

“It turns out that bliss — a second-by-second joy and gratitude at the gift of being alive, conscious — lies on the other side of crushing, crushing boredom.”

— David Foster Wallace

How did the boredom epidemic begin in the first place? First, children are being raised in ways that don't allow them the opportunity to self-direct their engagement in life. 

When they are young, instead of playing outdoors, they are put in front of screens. Instead of having a childhood, they start school too early. Instead of exploring their environment, they whine that they are bored and their parents scramble to find things for them to do.

But our job as parents is not to entertain our children or come up with ways to alleviate their perceived boredom. 

People who get easily bored tend to be boring people, at least that’s been my experience. They are people who lack hobbies and interests and need to be entertained much of the time.

In other words, they’re a little empty on the inside.

Waiting for the next Netflix series to hit the screen…

Who amongst us wants to raise boring children? There should be absolutely no room for the "B" word in the life of a child.

The world is too fascinating! To raise children who are engaged in the gift of life and the act of living, one cannot allow a word such as boredom into their vocabulary. 

It's that simple.

There will be transition times from one activity to another, this is normal. But to label this period as "boredom" and allow your child to complain about being bored should be avoided at all times.

“The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom.”

— Arthur Schopenhauer

Finding ways for your child to alleviate his “boredom” is limiting your child's ability to become resourceful in life only adds insult to injury.

Our job is to give our children the freedom to independently engage in their own lives from an early age. 

Children come into the world fascinated by life. It is we who interfere with this fascination by teaching our children to be dependent upon sources other than themselves for entertainment.

We do far too much for our children and the more we do for them, the less children learn to do for themselves.

“I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.”

— Thomas Carlyle

Let them be is all we need to do when our children are young. Keep them off of the all-pervasive screens, and let them figure out what to do with their own time.

My children never once complained about being bored. At some point, the word was introduced by one of their friends, at which time I told them they were never to use it again. 

Do not tell your kids it is "Boredom" time now and then tell them to figure out what to do during "Boredom" time. Calling free time "boredom" time puts the thought of boredom in their minds.

Scourge the "B" word from your and your children's vocabularies and instead raise interesting children who are fully engaged in the experience of life.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

7 Reasons Homeschooling Kids Have More Opportunity→

According to the research on homeschooling, homeschooled children are ahead of their schooled peers intellectually and socially. They learn more and they engage in more social activities, which would presumably put them ahead emotionally too.

If you are homeschooling using sound methods, you know this is true because the proof is in the pudding - you can see it for yourself. 

But if you aren't homeschooling, here's 7 reasons to consider  the fastest growing educational option today.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

— Nelson Mandela

1. Share in the Habits of the Top 1%

People at the top of financial earnings have one thing in common, they read books. They usually write and sell their books too.

Yet, only 14 out of 100 children read for fun. 

Only 14!

By homeschooling, you can raise children who, like the top 1%, also enjoy reading books. Reading is the key to knowledge and regardless of what professional field  your child enters, reading will only improve his understanding. 

2. Personal Development

Homeschooling children have more time to develop skills and hobbies. A child who grows up to become a skilled ice skater,  musician, or writer can turn these hobbies into a profession either by performing or teaching. 

We never know what life might bring us, and raising our children to have a skill they can fall back on monetarily, whether it becomes their main profession or not, is always prudent. 

3. Intellectual Precocity

Children, who are homeschooled independently, surpass their schooled counterparts on exams. 

They also have a better chance of getting into more impressive colleges, if they should choose that route. However, some parents fear their children won't get into good colleges if they homeschool them.

This may be true if you put your kids into virtual schools or a public school homeschooling programs (a bit of an oxymoron, no?), but it isn't true if you homeschool independently using methods that are time-tested.

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

— Oscar Wilde

If you are homeschooling independently, rest assured that your children's chances of getting into a good college should be higher, not lower.

It isn't just SAT scores colleges look for; they want people who are above average in their accomplishments too. It reflects well upon the schools and helps to maintain their prestigious reputations. 

4. More Socially Adept

Homeschooled children score above schoolchildren in social competency, which makes sense. Children who don't spend 8 hours in school will have a lot more time for socializing.

Practice makes perfect.

Eventually, with more practice, homeschoolers will exceed their schooled peers who spend their school days in classrooms. What little social interaction schoolchildren do have is usually with children their own age.

Spending the majority of time with one’s peers is limiting to their social skill development. and personally and professionally, good social skills will always be critical to one’s ability to get a long with others.

5. Makes for More Interesting People

With more time on their hands, homeschooled children are able to develop a stronger sense of self and engage in all sorts of learning adventures from family travel to starting home businesses. 

And this is on top of the hobbies and skills they are engaged in as well. 

People who have more interests and who have had more experiences in life, especially of the unusual sort, tend to be more interesting people. And like attracts like. 

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

— St. Augustine

The more interesting the people your children engage with, the more unusual the opportunities will be that come their way. 

6. Independent Minds

Homeschooled children, taught at home (not in co-ops or on computers) tend to have more  independent minds. An independent  mind is a quality of leadership, whether of self or others, and people who can think for themselves will always be of more value than those who can't. 

Independent minds are difficult to foster when children are taught in groups and expected to conform to the group thinking. Obviously, this isn't the case in a homeschool, where children are taught independently and encouraged to think more deeply. 

And independent thinkers are not a dime a dozen. Think supply and demand.

7. Creativity is the Seed of Genius

Children who are given wholesome childhoods and allowed to begin academic training when they are developmentally ready, and not a day sooner, will have the time in childhood to develop more creative minds.

Creativity is the seed of genius. All new ideas and inventions are born out of a mind who can think out of the box and imagine new possibilities. 

We suffer from a dearth of creativity today because children are not getting the kind of childhood’s they need to foster their creativity.

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

— Robert Frost

We want to raise creative children, so their minds are free to roam the heavens for new ideas and inventions. Why limit our children's intellectual capabilities when we can raise them to be and do so much more?

Therefore, if you want your children to live more fulfilling and interesting lives and with more opportunities awaiting them, the solution is to homeschool your children.

It's the fastest growing form of education today because it works. 

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Is Teaching Penmanship Still Necessary in the Computer Age?→

While some people may argue that good penmanship is no longer a necessary skill in the computer age, this position couldn't be further away from the truth. 

What a disservice we do to our children when we fail to ensure they learn proper penmanship skills! 

While good penmanship skills produce beautiful handwriting, it's benefits far outweigh its aesthetic value. 

Here's 6 reasons why you absolutely must make sure your children learn to write legibly and beautifully:

1. Develops Fine Motor Skills

The more children use their fine motor skills, the better this area of the brain develops, otherwise known as the cerebellum. Penmanship is one way in which children can put their fine motor skills to use.

 Well-developed fine motor skills are critical to a child's ability to become good at many things including, but not limited to,  drawing, painting, sculpting, woodwork, playing a musical instrument, and beading. 

2. Improves the Memory

We need fine motor skills for note-taking. Taking notes by hand helps us remember what we heard better, which, in turn, helps to develop our memories. The more we remember, the stronger our memories become.

“My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.”

— A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

3. Fires up the Brain

According to Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist, writing by hand is one of three activities that stimulates the brain more than any others.

The other two are doing simple math calculations and reading out loud. When children are young, they should write everything by hand so they optimize the use and development of their brains. 

4. Teaches Excellence

Learning to do anything well is critical to a child's understanding of excellence. Becoming good at a skill requires perseverance and diligence, two critical qualities that will help us excel at any skill we tackle.

 It's critical that we hold high standards for our children, so they learn to hold high standards for themselves. Having our children develop good penmanship skills is one of the ways we can help them become good at something and learn to hold a high standard for themselves.

5. More "Screen-free" Time

When children write by hand, they are not staring at a screen with all of the side effects that come from screen use, such as health problems, mental health issues, social awkwardness, and delayed brain development.

6. Improves Writing Skills

When we write by hand, we are forced to slow down which gives us time to be more thoughtful, choose more precise words, and better structure our sentences. 

According to a study in the British Journal of Psychology, students who write essays by hand were found to compose essays of better quality all around. Which also means that they'll do better in school.

“...the beauty and nobility, the august mission and destiny, of human handwriting.”

— George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion

Final Thoughts

Failing to teach our children good penmanship skills is negligent of us, as children need to learn penmanship for all of the above mentioned reasons. 

Start them young, so they develop the proper hand muscles and are in the habit of writing by hand before it occurs to them that they could be writing on a computer.

When my children were young, they wrote everything by hand. When they reached their teens, they asked to use my computer, so I bought them their very own electric typewriter! 

They were thrilled. It makes me laugh now to think about it.

But, yes, they still sell electric typewriters, and I recommend you do the same. 

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

A History Lesson For Your Kids on Valentine's Day→

Valentine's Day is a celebration of love, but it wasn’t always that way.

Early History

On the contrary, it began as a holiday to honor the martyred Christian saint, St. Valentine; and the celebration of St. Valentine dates back to the early Roman Empire!

However, there was more than one saint named St. Valentine, so it is unknown which St. Valentine our holiday is named after.

There are various reasons for our unknown St. Valentine's martyrdom, too. There was one St. Valentine, who was martyred under the law of the Roman Emperor Aurelius in 273 a.d. for illegally helping Christians escape persecution.

For centuries there was discord between the early Roman Empire and Christianity and even amongst various sects of Christianity within the Roman Empire.

The Love Connection

The "love" connection to St. Valentine's Day possibly came from the unconditional love for Christ making one willing to die a martyr. The aforementioned St. Valentine would fit into this category.

A tradition existed throughout the Empire of dedicating certain calendar days to the martyred saints, and on their allotted day, each saint would be celebrated and remembered.

But there were so many martyred saints that by the time we reached the Middle Ages, there were enough saint holidays to fill every day of the year!

First Record

St. Valentine's Day, as we know it, is first recorded as occurring on February 14th, as far back as the 8th century.

The supposition is that the influence of the "courtly" love of the Middle Ages, and the early spring mating of lovebirds, eventually morphed into a holiday for lovebirds.

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”

— William. Shakespeare

England, of All Places

During the 18th century, in England, St. Valentine's Day became designated for people to express their love. You may hear some people say things like, "It's just another Hallmark holiday created to make money."

But the celebration of Valentine's Day for lovebirds precedes Hallmark cards.

(However, the business became successful by introducing Valentine's Day and Christmas cards in the early part of the 20th century.)

Now considered more of a romantic holiday than a day to remember martyred saints, we still can find churches that continue to celebrate St. Valentine's Day as a proper saint's festival, including the Church of England.

Changing Dates Around

But like the Christians would do in the Middle Ages, the churches today have moved the saint's celebration from February 14th to another date for convenience.

A fun question to ask your children is whether or not it was right to change the Saint’s day to another day.

I’m sure they’ll come up with some amusing answers!

The Art Project

Now that your children know the evolution of Valentine's Day, why not encourage them to make Valentine's Day cards for the people they love?

If you have relatives who live out of town, they can even post their cards in the mail, serving as an act of kindness and a grammar lesson, too.

Handmade greeting cards are fun to make and so much more memorable than Hallmark cards.

Homeschool Planning

If you're homeschooling and your kids make Valentine's Day cards, you can check off history, grammar, and art lessons.

Who said learning couldn’t be fun?!

Another thing you could do is to make Valentine’s Day cookies and have your children deliver them to your neighbors as a gesture of goodwill.

Since baking includes math, you have also covered a math lesson too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

One Reading Habit that Will Increase Your Child's Intelligence→

Not just any kind of reading will help develop and strengthen your child's mind.

You want to provide your kids with literature that will challenge their minds and get them into the habit of applying effort when reading.

Because the more your child actively uses his mind when he's young, and the more he continues to use his mind as he matures, the brighter he'll become.

We know that the brain is an ever-changing organ. It can weaken from misuse or neglect, and it can also become stronger from the right kind of use.

“John Taylor Gatto had his sixth-grade class read and discuss Moby Dick by Herman Melville. ”

Parents say things like, "Well, he only reads comic books, but at least he's reading!"

As John Taylor Gatto put it, "Teach your children to grow up to be readers of more than the daily newspaper."

Comic books are fine for comic relief on occasion. Maybe you're on a road trip or flying cross-country; this might be a time to let your child read a comic book or two or three.

☞ It’s probably prudent not to let comic books work their way into your home though.

Comic books will make his mind lazy because they require almost no effort to read. The pictures tell the story, and the dialogues are simple. When it becomes time to read challenging literature, he won't be able to tackle the vocabulary or follow the longer and more complicated sentence patterns.

He'll complain to you that the book is "boring."

It's not boring; he just hasn't learned to read well. Do not let him blame the book!

Great books expand the mind and help us to understand the complexities of life and ourselves. If we replaced the department of psychology with a department of Shakespeare, we'd be off to a good start in improving our colleges and universities.

The inner workings of the mind and heart are there in his plays.

Once you get used to the language, Shakespeare is no more difficult to read than authors such as Tolstoy or Dostoevsky.

The ability to read great literature is what you want for your children. You want them to be exposed to the great ideas of Western thought that take us all the way back to Ancient Greece.

John Taylor Gatto was very in support of reading great books. It's where he got the seeds for many of his ideas. Had he not been a good reader himself, he would not have been able to plow through all of the material he read to uncover the real history of modern education.

☞ It took a competent reader and thinker to accomplish such a great feat.

I said there was one thing you need to do to increase your child's intelligence, but as I was writing this, another occurred to me, so there are now two things.

The second thing is to homeschool your children, so you expose them to great literature. I say homeschool because, sadly, your children won't get the kind of education they need in public school.

☞ And with a lousy education system comes a dumbed-down people. One of the things not taught anymore is poetry.

Let me leave you with one of my favorite poems. It’s a good one for your children to memorize, and it will inspire them to read more.

There is no frigate like a book

To take us lands away,

Nor any coursers like a page

Of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of toll;

How frugal is the chariot

That bears a human soul!

Have your children memorize Emily Dickinson's poem, and supply them with the kind of books to travel lands away!

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

8 Ways to Nurture Your Child's Brain for Peak Performance→

When we consider the importance of brain health on a growing child, and how fast his brain is developing, making sure he gets a healthy diet is critical to his brain's health. 

Not only that but when a child studies, he has to concentrate well so he can keep a train of thought going and retain what he's learned in his memory. 

“You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.”

— Roman poet, Juvenal

Since his brain uses 20% of his body's energy, you can see why a child who does not get enough sleep or eats a lot of sugar might not do so well during the day.

Especially when he is expected to sit quietly and work out a grammar or a math problem! 

Knowing what foods are vital to a growing brain will optimize your child's brain power, keep him healthier, and make learning easier.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids build brain cells and as your child's brain is developing, omega-3 fatty acids are critical to good brain development.  

A 2017 study shows that people who have more omega-3 fatty acids in their body also have more oxygen in their brains. Oxygen helps to increase our energy levels as well as improve thinking skills. 

For foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, you want to make sure your children have oily fish in their diet, such as tuna, sardines, and salmon; nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, pistachio, and macadamia; seeds such as flax and chia. 

2. Dark Chocolate

Most children prefer milk chocolate because it's sweeter. But on the occasion when you let your children have sweets, developing a taste for dark chocolate would be better for their brains. 

Chocolate contains flavonoids which appear to be good for the brain in relation to memory and learning. There is evidence that chocolate edibles with at least 70% chocolate supports brain plasticity. With each new thing a child learns, a neural connection is made in the brain allowing the brain to grow and develop. 

A fun fact for your child is that some research suggests that dark chocolate may reverse memory problems in snails!

3. Berries 

Berries are another important food which contain flavonoids and help to nourish the brain. Berries that are particularly helpful are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, and elderberries.

(Check out the recipe for immune-enhancing elderberry syrup here.)

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

— Mahatma Ghandi

4. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds, in addition to containing Omega-3 fatty acids, also contain vitamin E which is known to protect the brain and keep it healthy. 

Nuts and seeds high in vitamin E include sunflower, almonds, and hazelnuts, and peanuts (technically speaking,  peanuts are a legume).

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains contain high amounts of vitamin E. Some grains with higher amounts include brown rice, barley, oatmeal, bulgur, and quinoa.

6. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Dark green leafy vegetables contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, plus they contain lots of vitamins and minerals which are all critical for a healthy brain. 

7. Protein

In part, the brain is made up of protein which makes adequate protein an important factor in maintaining brain health, especially for growing children,

Some good sources of protein are eggs, almonds, chicken breast, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, lentils, fish, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds. 

8. Supplements for the Brain

If you provide a healthy, balanced diet for your children, you should be able to avoid giving them supplements, but one supplement that is helpful to brain health is Cod Liver oil. 

Cod liver oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin A and D. It may support stronger bones as well as brain health and is an overall tonic to the body. 

It has been used for health purposes since the 18th century, so it is a well-tested supplemental food for the body too!

In conclusion, if you include these foods in your children's diet on a regular basis, you will raise a child who is healthy, has better focus, and is able to maximize the power of his brain. 

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

How Important Is Having a Strong Vocabulary?→

The Loss of Vocabulary

John Holt, who was an educator and prominent voice in the criticisms of modern education, pointed out that a first-grader's reading book in the 20th century contained 75% less vocabulary than a first-grade reader's book did in the 19th century.

Naturally, we wonder why this is so. But we also have to ask ourselves, "What  effect does a reduced vocabulary have on our minds and the quality of our lives?"

Does it even matter?

You bet it does!

Language Development

Language skills include building a large vocabulary. If you've ever lived in a foreign country and needed to speak a second language, you know how much easier it is to communicate with each new word you learn. 

The sooner children begin to develop their vocabularies, the better positioned they will be to do well academically as well as enjoying the fruits of reading good literature as well as strengthening their minds, which, in turn,  contributes to increasing their intelligence.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my universe.”

— Goethe

Literature

Many people cannot read difficult literature because they don't have the vocabulary that's required to comprehend what is being read.

If they can't comprehend what is being read, then they need to rely on third-hand parties to tell them what opinions and beliefs to hold. Without this skill, they will not be able to think independently. 

As far as school is concerned, children without good vocabularies will be challenged by school assignments that require competent reading skills.

They will also find it difficult to score high on college entrance exams, preventing them from entry into an upper-tiered college which equates with less promising  job opportunities and lower wages. 

Communication

A problem we face today is the inability for people to express themselves clearly and effectively because their language skills are so poor.

While poor language skills are a direct effect of a sub-standard educational system and dumbed-down environments, children need parents who can supplement their learning at home, so they do develop the necessary skills to communicate effectively.

Poor communication skills lead to all sorts of problems in relationships whether they be with parents, siblings, spouses, friends, employers, or employees.

Problems arise from misunderstandings that can lead to disastrous results including divorce, poor job performance, difficult family relationships, etc. 

The more effective communication skills your child can develop, the more successful his interpersonal relationships will be. 

“He was telling an interesting anecdote full of exciting words like “encyclopedia” and “rhododendron”.”

— A.A. Milne

Thinking

Words are the means by which we think. The larger our vocabulary, the deeper our ability to think.

People who have larger vocabularies will read more, and they will think at deeper levels. By thinking at deeper levels, I mean that they will be able to enter into the world of ideas, of original thought, of understanding human nature and the world we live in. 

Warning: Vocabulary workbooks are boring and not the way we help our children build strong vocabularies!

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Why Do Children Who Have Less Accomplish More?→

Resourcefulness is a vital skill we want to help our children develop. It is a critical skill that's useful in childhood, in school / homeschool, and in life.

The easiest way to facilitate your children is to give them less stuff because resourcefulness is born out of necessity. 

Most children in the States have a lot of toys and while there's nothing inherently wrong with toys, too many will interfere with their ability to become resourceful people.

Something as simple as too many toys, can obstruct the development of the imagination, independence, creativity, sociability, and a host of other critical qualities and skills.

When you give children less, they have to work with what they have and figure out how to turn it into what they want. Isn't this something we often come up against in life?

The ability to move from a place we don't want to be into a place we long to be. 

Whether it be a physical place, such as a new home or a new country; a professional  place, such as a better job or an increase in income; or an emotional place such as more peace and equanimity in our lives, our ability to be resourceful allows us to move in directions that bring us more fulfillment and contentment.

How to Help Your Child Develop Resourcefulness

To help your children develop this skill, you need to be okay with letting them figure things out for themselves. Of course, this predicates an absence of technology in their lives. If you want to raise resourceful children, keeping them away from technology is a no-brainer. 

By the way, Jonathan Haidt, who is a moral philosopher, has determined in his research that the epidemic of suicide, depression, and anxiety which we are seeing increase amongst our youth is not restricted to America or even the West. 

It is universal and correlates perfectly with the introduction of technology in children's lives. Which means that we take a gamble on the emotional  health and well-being of our children when we hand them a screen to keep them occupied.

Screens are not babysitters; they are mind-dumbing, heart-numbing devices. 

On the contrary, the more you leave your child to use his mind to imagine what he wants from objects around the house such as brooms or boxes, the more resourceful he will become. 

THE CREATIVITY FACTOR

Resourcefulness is predicated upon a strong imagination and a creative spirit which children who grow up in wholesome environments will naturally possess.

For example, if your daughter wants her own kitchen to cook in, refrain from buying her a ready-made toy kitchen. A child who has a strong imagination might ask you for a box or a sheet to create her own kitchen using her imagination. 

Your first thought might be something like, "I don't want her to dirty a sheet!," but a dirty sheet is a small price to pay for the benefit your daughter will derive from it. 

Another thought is that instead of buying a Lego toy with the items and directions to build a space station or what not for your son, give him a box of Legos and let him build his own space station by using his imagination. 

Toy companies don't make new toys because they think it will benefit  your child; they come up with new ideas to stay profitable.

But their profit is at the expense of our children. Children do not need a lot of toys. If you visit an historic home,  you'll see that in the children's room there aren't a lot of toys. Usually what is there mimics real life too. 

Maybe you'll see a horse or a wooden doll or a rocking horse, but you won't see much. 

Children who whine and complain that they have nothing to do are children who have not learned how to take control and figure things out for themselves. 

They fail to learn this because we mistakenly think it's our responsibility to help them find something to do or to help them do things.

Children will find the world a fascinating place and happily discover how to entertain themselves if we leave them to it. 

Not only will this help them to become resourceful, but it also teaches them independence.

Let's not fall for this misguided trend that if we are not involved with our children 24/7, we're somehow a bad parent. On the contrary, you’re a wise parent.

As we want to avoid the "failure-to-launch" syndrome so many parents and grandparents are dealing with, encouraging our children towards independence and resourcefulness is key. 

The more your child is left to figure things out for himself, the more imaginative, independent, and resourceful he will become— all vital qualities for a life well-spent. 

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because Liz will empower you to feel confident, calm, and motivated; as well as provide you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

A New Year's Tradition You Can Share with Your Children→

Around the world, when the New Year chimes in, there is hope. Hope for a year of prosperity, abundance, and goodwill. 

It's universal.

There’s one tradition that I love, and I wanted to share it with you because your children can join in too.

In many parts of the world, there is a New Year's tradition of reflecting on the things that didn't go well during the past year and making the intention to leave them behind. 

The Practice

The way the Buddhist practice this tradition is to write down all of the things they want to leave behind on pieces of paper and before the clock strikes midnight, they throw the paper into the fire. 

Now they are ready to move into the New Year without taking the unwanted baggage with them. What's appealing about this tradition is that it's not only based on hope, but there is a clear intention behind it. 

It's a reminder that we have the power to make significant improvements to our lives, whether it’s to work out regularly, eat better, write that book you've been talking about (me!), spending more time with loved ones, or learn a new language.

We make the intention, create the space for it, and get to work. 

Easier said than done, I know. 

Include the Children

However, it's never too early to teach our children the importance of clear intentions and the power of vision and change.

If your children are old enough to write, they can join you by writing down anything they want to leave behind, and they can make the intention to do something differently for the New Year.

If they are too young to write, then you may have to do the writing for them. It would be fun to keep copies of what they want to leave behind to look back on years later.

Another thing that’s valuable about traditions, is that the tradition you can bring into your children's lives, the more things they have to look forward to during the year.

Traditions around holidays are landmarks that define certain times of the year. They are also times for shared memories and building family bonds. 

On a larger scale, traditions are the means by which we pass on our culture and customs to the next generation. 

“Tradition: how the vitality of the past enriches the life of the present. ”

— T. S. Eliot

Some Traditions

My grandfather was from a family of Greek immigrants, so we grew up with a very big Greek family. For the New Year's, there was a special cake that we baked with a 25-cent piece hidden somewhere inside the cake. 

As children, there was always a lot of suspense to see who would get the quarter, because whoever got it was guaranteed good luck for the next year. 

And my grandmother was from Georgia. The southern tradition is to bake black-eyed peas for dinner as good luck. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is considered good luck because after the  Civil War, that's all there was to eat.

It was actually the food for horses that kept the Southerners alive after the war.  Growing up, we celebrated this tradition, too, with the typical southern accompaniments of collard greens, cornbread, and honey butter.

Honestly, the more traditions you have, the merrier.

Happy New Year! 

May it be a good year full of hope, prosperity, and abundance.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because Liz will empower you to feel confident, calm, and motivated; as well as provide you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Healthy During the Flu Season→

Just because winter is here, it doesn't mean we can expect to catch the latest bug going around. 

Trying to avoid germs is impractical because we will always come into contact with germs. What is practical is to boost our immunities so our bodies are less susceptible to infection by the germs we encounter. 

“The greatest wealth is health.”

— Virgil

And this is one of the areas where my earlier profession in Chinese medicine comes in handy. Let's  look at the top 6 ways to keep our immune systems strong.

The first is obvious but it's always good to remind ourselves.

1. Diet

Eating a healthy diet is a no-brainer, but there are some diet related ingredients we need to pay particular attention to.

AVOID

The number one ingredient to avoid for optimal immune system function is sugar. Sugar comes in many forms too. 

A diet high in fruit juices, fruits high in sugar, agave syrup, monk fruit, honey, maple syrup, and every kind of sugar you can think of, is still sugar. Keep sweet things at a very low minimum during the flu season because sugar in any form reduces our ability to fight infections.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

— Hippocrates

EAT PLENTY OF THESE FOODS

However, foods that boost immunity are plentiful, and there are some foods you will want to include daily such as onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and lemon. Cooking with onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric are excellent for immune function. 

Tumeric lattes are a delicious winter-time drink too in place of hot chocolate.

Any high vitamin C foods will also be particularly important this time of year such as oranges, blueberries, and kiwi fruits. Salmon and broccoli are also very strengthening to the immune system.

MORNING TIP

Make your children a glass of warm water with lemon and a little bit of honey in the morning, this is a great immune booster as well as a detoxifier. 

2. Oxygen

Even during the cold months, it's vital to your child's well-being to get outdoors and play. Exercise will move more oxygen into our bodies and help to keep our blood oxygenated as well as move impurities out of it.

Exercise also makes us feel happier which helps protect our immune systems too. And, of course, it's great for brain health!

Children have a lot of what we refer to as "vital heat" or "Yang energy" in Chinese medicine, so don't panic if they want to take their coats off because they're hot from running around.

They can handle more cold than we can because their bodies run hotter than ours. However, if you have a child who is a little frail, you want to take more precaution, for sure. 

Keeping windows open to bring fresh air into the house is also important to maintaining good oxygen levels in the blood. On cold days, you can air out the house and then turn the heat up for a while. 

3. Sunshine

Vitamin D, in its natural form, is excellent for our immunity. With the weather apps, we can even map what hours during the day will have sunshine and plan our outings around those times. A little bit of sunshine is better than none, so don't miss it when it does shine. 

4. Supplements

Vitamin C is important to take especially during the winter months. In addition to vitamin C, you want to add some zinc. On the days you are without sun, you can supplement with Vitamin D as well. 

You can also give your children a spoonful of homemade elderberry syrup every day. This is a great immune booster and particularly useful if they do get ill.

5. Essential Oils

Essential oils are great for adding a daily boost to the immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria. Oregano oil can be applied to the feet at the instep of the sole three times a day. There is also a blend I like a lot called On Guard by Doterra. 

“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.”

— Lao Tzu

Essential oils are an important part of a child's life, because they leave them with olfactory memories that your children then associate with sweet times.

Dabbing a child with Lavender oil before sleep, or frankincense and rosemary before studying, or On Guard during the flu season builds the olfactory memories in addition to the health effects. 

When I drive to my grandfather's home during the springtime, the smell of tar weed is always pungent, and it takes me straight back to my childhood. Those are the kind of memories a particular scent can trigger. 

6. Sleep

A good night's sleep is a must. It's a good idea to get your children into the habit of going to bed at the same time every night, so they wake up about the same time every morning. Children need a lot of sleep which is vital to a healthy development as well as a protection from illness.

A quiet bedtime story is the optimal way to lead an energetic child into dreamland. 

Staying healthy requires intention; it isn't something we can take for granted. The more attention you pay to your child's health by raising them to have healthy lifestyle habits, the healthier they'll be as adults. 

And the less flu’s they’ll suffer through as children. But sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, our kids still get ill, and we may get ill too.

That's life. 

Regardless, here's to a healthy winter!

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because Liz will empower you to feel confident, calm, and motivated; as well as provide you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

6 Ways Public Schools Harm Our Children→

An overdose of medicine to a child’s body is like an overdose of public school to their minds and hearts. When we understand the agenda behind public school, we’ll do everything in our power to find an alternative, just like we do everything in our power to keep medicine out of a child’s reach.

Below is an excerpt from an essay by John  Taylor Gatto which gives us an insight into the toxicity of public schools— not only for our children’s minds, but for their hearts too.

The Short, Angry History of Compulsory  Schooling

Theorists from Plato to Rousseau knew well, and explicitly taught, that if children could be kept childish beyond the natural term, if they could be cloistered in a society of children, if they could be stripped of responsibility, if their inner lives could be starved by removing the insights of historians, philosophers, economists, novelists, and religious figures, if the inevitability of suffering and death could be removed from daily consciousness and replaced with the trivializing emotions of greed, envy, jealousy, and fear then young people would grow older but they would never grow up.

In this way a great enduring problem of supervision would be decisively minimized, for who can argue against the truth that childish and childlike people are far easier to manage than accomplished critical thinkers.

With this thought in mind, you're ready to hear the six purposes of modern schooling I found in Dr. Inglis' book. The principles are his, just as he stated them nearly 100 years ago, some of the interpretive material is my own.

1st Function

The first function of schooling is adjustive. Schools are to establish fixed habits of reaction to authority.

Fixed habits.

Of course this precludes critical judgement completely. If you were to devise a reliable test of whether someone had achieved fixed habits of reaction to authority, notice that requiring obedience to stupid orders would measure this better than requiring obedience to sensible orders ever could.

You can't know whether someone is reflexively obedient until you can make them do foolish things.

2nd  Function

Second is the diagnostic function. School is to determine each student's proper social role, logging evidence mathematically and anecdotally on cumulative records.

3rd Function

Third is the sorting function. Schools sort children by training individuals only so far as their likely destination in the social machine and not one step further. So much for making boys and girls their personal best.

4th Function

The fourth function is conformity. As much as possible, kids are to be made alike. As egalitarian as this sounds, its purpose is to assist market and government research, people who conform are predictable.

5th Function

The fifth function Inglis calls "the hygienic function”. It has nothing to do with bodily health. It concerns what Darwin, Galton, Inglis, and many important names from the past and present would call, "the health of the race."

Hygiene is a polite way of saying that school is expected to accelerate natural selection by tagging the unfit so clearly they will drop from the reproduction sweepstakes.

That's what all those little humiliations from first grade onward, and all the posted lists of ranked grades are really about. The unfit will either drop out from anger, despair, or because their likely mates will accept the school's judgement of their inferiority.

6th Function

And last is the propaedeutic function. A fancy Greek term meaning that a small fraction of kids will quietly be taught how to take over management of this continuing project, made guardians of a population deliberately dumbed down and rendered childish in order that government and economic life can be managed with a minimum of hassle.”

What Will You Do?

And there you have it, in a nutshell, so how will you educate your children?

There was a time when the government schooling agenda was still well-hidden,  but that time has passed.

From critical race theory to gender identity topics, from a lack of basic competency in key subjects to our severely low literacy rates, we are in a serious crisis.

On top of that, our falling literacy rates highlight the dumbed-down minds of the American people.

Not just nationally, but globally. I travel a lot, and I can tell you that Americans have a reputation for not being too bright. With such a low literacy rate, it is no wonder.

Therefore, if we want to raise children who are not dumbed-down, children who are not lacking in the basic traits that comprise “good” character, then we need to do something about it.

And that something is not school.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because Liz will empower you to feel confident, calm, and motivated; as well as provide you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Is Sex Education Sexualizing Our Children?→

Are four-year-old children developmentally ready to learn about sex? Are children of any age ready for this kind of education?

No, they are NOT!

Ironically, we teach children to believe in Santa Claus, but, in the same vein, we have sex-education classes for kindergartners. Freud would have fun untangling this web of inconsistencies. 

One of the problems is that rather than deter children from an interest in sex, sex-education classes have the opposite effect.

A Not-So-Good Idea.

According to Dr. Melvin Anchell, who wrote the book What's Wrong With Sex Education, teaching sex education in the classroom has led to significant increases in teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, teenage abortions, and, not surprisingly, depression and suicide. 

While the reasons for this are more than we can tackle here, let's look at a few of them to get a sense of what is taking place in the classroom.

For starters, when we introduce children to the concept of sex at an early age and do it in mixed classrooms, we remove that natural barrier of modesty which children have, especially the modesty between girls and boys. 

We then reduce sex education to the mechanics of a physical act and ignore its purpose, which is procreation and a physical expression of the emotional state called love. 

The earlier children begin to think about the mechanics of sex; however, the more desensitized they become to a physical act that was once held sacred.

Having removed the barrier of modesty, the more curious young people become about sex, the less forbidden sex begins to seem.

Dr. Anchell's findings make perfect sense in a world where elementary sex education has been normalized for children attending public schools.

Lifestyle Choices

In the 21st century, we have begun to teach preschoolers that two women or two men make a family.  

To each his own but why is this a topic in preschool? What happened to Winnie the Poor or Peter Rabbit stories?

The idea of teaching four-year-olds that two fathers make a family and two mothers make a family is unnecessary unless you are trying to indoctrinate them into the idea. Then yes, the earlier, the better.

It isn’t necessary to teach these things because children don’t think in these constructs until they are older. We never taught them that a father and a mother make up a family, did we?

Children do not judge the various types of "families" in the world. Children take life as it comes without preconceived notions. Whatever world they grow up in will seem normal to them until they are old enough to evaluate it objectively.

Furthermore, what happened to schools teaching subjects such as grammar, Latin, poetry, and Ancient history? Why do we no longer teach these subjects, subjects that children do need to learn if we want them to be well-educated. 

After all, isn't that why they are in school?

Benefit vs. Harm?

And, if teaching sex education to children leads to significant increases in teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, teenage abortions, depression, and suicide, as Dr. Anchell reports, then doesn't this tell us that sex education in the classroom is potentially harmful to our children?

If this is true, it would be prudent to understand what your children are being taught in the name of education.

“If no set of moral ideas were truer or better than any other, there would be no sense in preferring civilized morality to savage morality.”

— C.S. Lewis

Planned Parenthood has many educational videos on Youtube produced for children ranging from learning the Latin names their genitalia to enlightening them about gender identity. As you watch the videos, pay close attention to the language that is being used and the assumptions being made.

This is the same language and these are the same assumptions your children are being exposed to in public school.

Here is one inside into Planned Parenthood’s nefarious agenda. If your children are in school, please watch this.

The Sex Education Standards

You can easily check out the National Sexuality Education Standards to learn about the K-12 sexual education objectives as taught in public school today. The information is online and available to anyone who chooses to dig a little deeper for on behalf of their children.  

To give you an idea of what you'll find in the Standards, for example, kindergartners are now taught anatomy. There is nothing wrong with teaching anatomy, but, curiously, no other body parts are mentioned except for the proper names of the male and female genitalia.

A Novel Idea

Have you ever heard a child refer to their private parts by their proper names? On the contrary, as already stated, children have a natural modesty about these things. Why take that away from them?

The onus is not on our children to make sure they are safe from predators; that’s our job. In addition, there is no scientific research that validates the claim that children need to be taught the Latin terms in order to protect them from predators.

Furthermore, most adults cannot identify the location of their liver or pancreas, but somehow, a kindergartner should know the proper names of their genitalia?

It would be more fitting to teach students where their organs were located, but maybe not when they are five-years-old.

Feeling Feelings

Consider this standard: "Identify healthy ways for friends to express feelings to each other." Take note that this need to "express feelings to each" is a part of sex-education courses, not a course in communication.

What do they mean by healthy ways that young children express their feelings to one another? Can you imagine an eight-year-old boy going up to his eight-year-old friend, also a boy, and saying, "I'd like to express my feelings to you by telling you that I really like you." 

This is not the kind of conversation boys and girls engage in. Maybe they will say something such as, "I like you" or "let's be best friends," as I remember saying to my childhood best friend, but that is the extent of it. 

Young children are not thinking about their "feelings" for one another because they don't understand the abstract concept of "feelings."

They either like you or they don’t!

Attempting to teach children about their feelings within the context of sex education, and then teaching them about various sexual practices will naturally get them wondering which may explain why another sexual practice is also on the rise…

Yes, these are things our schooled children are being exposed to today, and we have little to no say over it.

“How can one be well...when one suffers morally”

— Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Let Boys Be Boys!

Here's another of the Standard's objectives: "Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence ways in which boys and girls think they should act."

Shouldn't a healthy society teach girls to behave like girls and boys to behave like boys? Evidently not. Instead, we teach them that they can choose their pronouns as easily as they can choose the color of their hair. 

Which begs only one question, have we gone totally insane?

In public school, children are expected to ponder the societal influences on their behavior, based on their gender type, yet, Western psychology understands that children are too young to ruminate over these concepts. So...who is fooling whom?

“The goal of a boy should be to become a man, and that of a girl to become a woman.”

— Dr. Melvin Anchell

Gender type, that's another good one.

Between the third and the fifth grade, a child should: "Define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender." 

No comment.

Between sixth and eighth grades, your child should be able to: "Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation."

No comment.

There are many reasons to keep your children out of public school, but protecting them from inappropriate exposure to sexual material and subsequent non-sensical value judgments should be at the top of any diligent parent's list.

The environment your children grow up in will help to shape who they become. Research shows that 75% of children will adopt the beliefs they are taught in school.

Childhoods for Children

Children cannot have a wholesome childhood without keeping their innocence intact. Part of their "coming of age" includes being introduced to matters reserved for the adult world when it is appropriate to be introduced to them. 

WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BE INTRODUCED TO THEM.

The Perpetrator

There are developmental stages in which this happens. But when the stages are interrupted and sped up to meet a perverse agenda largely pushed by taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood, one has to wonder what is going on?

Did you know that between 2013 and 2015, taxpayers funded Planned Parenthood to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars? This is an organization that earns a lot of money itself, not only by performing abortions but by selling the aborted fetal cells and body parts to research companies including the vaccine industry which uses fetal cells to grow its viruses.

“Planned Parenthood lied to the public and to Congress, but now there is no longer any reasonable doubt that Planned Parenthood sold fetal body parts, commodifying living children in the womb and treating pregnant women like a cash crop. The U.S. Department of Justice must escalate the enforcement of laws against fetal trafficking to the highest level of priority.”

— David Daleiden, CMP

Thanks to Planned Parenthood, since the 1960s, we have children who are being deprived of a normal childhood in the name of "social change" and the sundry societal ramifications that come with it. 

Parents as Protectors

Therefore, each parent should do everything in their power to oppose Planned Parenthood’s influence on our children by providing a wholesome childhood for the precious being they brought into this world.

Protecting your children has to begin with keeping them out of any school, public or private, that does not protect their innocence. 

Sex education is something children should learn about in the home and from their parents (In modest cultures, it isn’t even a topic that’s discussed between parent and child). It is a parent's right to decide if and when to approach the subject; it should never be a decision for public or private schools to make.

As we raise our children, we must remember that we are our children's guardians, and we must guard our children well.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Elizabeth will make homeschooling manageable for you. She’ll guide you in helping your kids reach their intellectual potential and developing good character.

As a homeschooler, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated knowing you have the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

#1 Huge Mistake Parents Are Making→

No parent would want to raise their child to be less intelligent than he could be.

Yet, every single day, around the world, parents are doing one critical thing that gets in the way of their children’s intellectual development. 

Their children are spending way too much time on screens. Whether it’s for educational purposes or simple entertainment, screens are screens. 

The Hard Facts

From one study by Hikaru Takeuchi, et al, “Excessive internet use is shown to be cross sectionally associated with lower cognitive functioning and reduced volume of several brain areas.”

According to Common Sense Media’s latest research, 50% of teens report that they feel addicted to their phones while 59% of their parents say the teens are addicted.

That’s a lot of teens who are addicted to their phones.

The younger a child is, the more damaging technology is to the development of his brain. This is a hard fact of science.

Effects on the Growing Brain

Technology use in childhood interferes with the neural connections in the brain, and it is the neural connections that make up our intelligence. 

Logic would have it that the less neural connections a brain makes, the less intelligent an individual would become. 

We are seeing first-hand the evidence of the numbing effect technology has on children’s minds with a new generation of tech babies who have come of age.

There are so many studies reporting the ill effects of technology on the brains of children.

It cannot be argued otherwise unless you have billions of dollars and spread false propaganda to sell your products like the video game lobby does.

Video games alone pull in 300 billion dollars per year! The industry pays lobbyists to convince congressmen that video games are beneficial.

Inability to Focus and ADHD

We know that technology use interferes with our ability to focus. With so many children playing video games, and so many children diagnosed with ADHD, I wonder how much technology has to do with it?

Maybe instead of medicating our kids, we removed technology from their lives, they might learn to focus better. 

So many adults self-label themselves with ADHD when they don’t have ADHD. People say it so often that it’s become a euphemism for a lack of focus. 

The hard facts of the matter are that we’re spending too much time online. 

True Story

I spoke with a woman once who lost her son to technology. He became addicted as a teenager, and when he finally recovered, she said he was never the same kid.

She didn’t have a strong connection with him like she had with her other children, because the technology had damaged his brain. 

It was a heartbreaking story, and one that will be shared with more and more parents until we come to terms with the truth about technology.

We will serve our children best by getting rid of the gadgets. And be willing to deal with the complaints and the anger your kids will probably display for the first few weeks, because eventually, they’ll get over it. 

You don’t want to lose your kids to technology, as so many parents have. We now have a plethora of addiction centers for withdrawing from technology because the addiction is real.

And each child with a device is a potential victim. 

If you have your kids online for school, drop that too. Homeschooling offline is much easier, more rewarding, and more enjoyable. 

May we ditch the brain-draining, mind-numbing screens and provide our children with a more brain-activating, mind-developing experience instead.

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Elizabeth will make homeschooling manageable for you. She’ll guide you in helping your kids reach their intellectual potential and developing good character.

As a homeschooler, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated knowing you have the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, Elizabeth has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling