Instead of school, which is rigid and unchangeable, we can build a learning community which is flexible and changeable, to accommodate each child’s unique learning preference. Children do not need a lot in order to learn and to grow – just enough physical and mental space to play, to explore and to express themselves.

PLAY is an important element of childhood and many experts have written volumes about the significance of play. I will just emphasize this point thus: when children play, they are actually playing out a future that they can imagine. If they cannot imagine their future, how then are they going to build them? For this reason, and many more in support of play, we must not be afraid to allow children to indulge in creative and constructive play!

EXPLORE as many experiences as you can with your children. Exposé them to the various arts and cultures, languages and music, so that they see the world in multicolors and hear the world in different tunes. This does not however, mean that we should enrol our child to as many programs or classes there are! It just means that we should allow children to explore different means of expressing themselves in ways that are natural to them. Some do it best in art. Others in music, or stories or play!

EXPRESS your love for your child unconditionally so that they learn that expressing one’s love to one’s parents, siblings and friends, is the most human thing in the world. If we teach children to love rather than to hate, we are planting the seeds of peace that can one day triumph over hatred. For this reason, I consider parenting the greatest and most important job in the world! How then, can we relegate this most important job to others other than ourselves?

Building a community

Instead of school, that closes its doors and gates to parents, we can build a community of like-minded parents to provide a fertile environment for our children to love and to learn and to grow, by becoming an integral part of our children’s lives, learning and playing along side with them, not as powerful authorities to be obeyed, but as concerned adults who genuinely care for their well-being and happiness.

How do we build a community of like-minded parents? By creating the right reasons for such parents to come together for a common cause. When the common cause is the wholesome education of our children, there will not be the absence of interest from like-minded parents. The first thing that you need to do when you manage to form a group, is to manage each others’ expectations.

1. Define your goals and approach to learning.
2.Then plan your activities in accordance to them.
3. Get the children involved in the decision-making.
4. Never dismiss a child’s ability to think and to make choices for themselves.
5. Evaluate your groups goals and directions from time to time.

As adults, we can help them weigh their choices and make educated decisions. If the goal of the group is to offer support, companionship and learning possibilities, then your activities will mirror them, and will thus be able to bring out the best in them.