Do you go back and reread books, articles, magazines?
Of course we parents do reread…alot. All children go through phases, long phases sometimes, of wanting the same book over and over again.
Why do they do this? Not that it’s a problem, mind you. It’s deeply endearing, actually. Seeing what book they come to love again and again tells us something about who they are, and what stage of development they’ve reached.
BTW, Whingari’s current favorites (which we’ve each read dozens of times per week at this point) are:
But I re-read too. And I wonder, do the books I go back to say something about who I am and where I am in my own development?
I have reread The Continuum Concept (by Jean Liedloff) many times and always notice something that I didn’t before. Likewise I find myself returning to John Holt’s book Teach Your Own for inspiration and support.
What both of these books show about me, I think, is that I am always trying to improve, to grow, to be better at this mama-gig I’ve chosen. They might also show that my chosen path isn’t necessarily mainstream.
I’ve chosen an attachment parenting and homeschooling path. And although both of those groups are growing, and I’ve made many friends to provide support and a ‘sounding board’ both are still in the minority.
The book I’m re-reading this week is The Heart of Learning which is published by Oak Meadow. I read it through last year when I ordered the Oak Meadow curricular materials for Nic and Theo.
Even if a parent isn’t expecting to homeschool, this book is a worthwhile read. There’s much information there about the nature of children, of humans. There’s much information there about the stages of development that all humans go through, continually it seems, from birth to death.
Here’s a short exerpt for you:
“…We begin to understand the true meaning of the word ‘education,’ which derives from a Latin word meaning “to lead or draw out.” Rather than being a formless lump of clay we can mold as we choose, a child is a center of awaremess with utterly unique attributes seeking expression in the physical world. Our responsibility as parents, therefore, is to establish a relationship with this being so we can help it move from potential to actual manifestation.” (pg 15, emphasis added)
As a parent, I think we all know this about our children, even if we can’t articulate it.
I’m still learning how to ‘draw out’ who it is these children came here to be.
I’m still learning how to do that, through busy times and lack of sleep.
I’m still learning how to not allow my own fears and self-limitations become theirs.
thoughtfully,
Mary