We are raising them to leave us

Short post, but important.

A concern at times of people is whether a child can cope without his or her parents, and whether parents can function without their children. As in the example I gave in my previous blog post, some home educators keep their children at home because they don't want to be parted from them. I must admit that I never want Addie to leave, but I have witnessed the damage imposing this on a child can do, and a benefit of my Montessori training is being able to reflect on how I act, teach, behave etc, and I am very conscious that even if I feel I want my babies here forever, I am raising them to be independent, self-disciplined, self-confident people who will go out into the world and, hopefully, make it a better place. They can't do that at home tied to my apron strings (not that I wear one, but you know what I mean!).

I think some people are horrified when I am not sympathetic when Addie falls over and tell her 'Oh well, up you get' (unless she really has hurt herself), or when I let her play by herself instead of me being on my hands and knees all day playing with her. Well, I do not want a clingy child, who has no confidence to make mistakes or do things independently. Addie is very content, very happy and loves to get on with her own explorations of the world, and as long as she is safe, and not harmed (apart from the normal childhood scrapes), then that is fine with me.