My brother sent me a YouTube marketing clip of a private school. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, schools have become empty structures. But this year, some select schools in the Philippines have started face-to-face classes again. This is great as I think the world is opening up again. My husband and I have already been homeschooling our boy so watching the clip was just something out of curiosity for me.
Are we missing out on anything by homeschooling? Hmmm…the playgrounds and vast football field look fun. The big library is wonderful. (This has always been my irk because the nearest public library to our place is still not that near when you consider traffic and other factors.) And then there are the toilets (in the video, I mean). The washrooms look spacious…clean…the height of the sinks are adjusted for the little people.
Then suddenly I had an epiphany—it is very commonsensical really—how can the teachers make sure the kids washed their hands after being in the toilet? After cleaning their bums when they pooped?
We are talking about early elementary levels here. I do not remember myself being that conscientious in regards to cleanliness when I was younger. In fact, the school washrooms in my memory are not that pleasant—gross actually. Some girls would actually pee on the floor because the toilet seats are dirty. There is no soap available for washing afterwards. (Our school was awesome—just not the washrooms.) I know I am not the most OC mom in the world, but still I do not think I can stand the idea of my child all by himself after he empties his bowels (at least because he is still so young now!).
No Rush to ‘Grow Up’ When They’re at Home
Ask me why we are homeschooling, and I will add one more practical reason: it is to make sure his bum is clean. It is not that we are not actively toilet training him. He actually already knows how to use the toilet paper afterwards (especially when he had a bout of diarrhea and did not want to “hassle” mom in cleaning him again—so sweet—but still needed to be reminded to wash his hands with soap, not just water). He is just a kid—his mind is full of play. Even after relieving himself, he would still continue playing rather than let me help him wash up immediately. Again, he is just a kid.
I love that in our household, we are not pressured to make sure he gets the toilet rules before going to school. This is part of life schooling. I am confident he will eventually learn how to clean up after himself in God’s perfect time for his growth and development.
That’s my son. Now here is my story. I started preschool when I was four years old. The school would provide small snacks for us—hotdogs on sticks, spaghetti in tiny cups, etc. My boy actually just started feeding himself in a coordinated manner and with only a few messes this month. By the world’s standards, he is considered a first grader.
Back to me, I truly wonder how I managed those messy snacks all by myself. Oh I do remember. I would literally throw away the spaghetti cups behind our classroom’s bookcase. I know. This has been quite a memorable story for my mom. She said I started becoming afraid of going to school. She found out it was because my teacher was always angry at me for wasting food. Did the teacher spank my hand? I cannot recall. I was just four at that time.
I am glad we are giving our boy a home education because this option gives us time to help our child mature properly, not just in motor skills but also in character. There is nothing wrong in letting them stay little so that they can build a good foundation. It is not a race anyway.
As I mentioned before, we are not pressured to achieve a certain competency just because he is of this age already. So are we missing out on something because we are keeping him at home? I do not think so. We are enjoying a lot of benefits along the way. I would like to tell you all about them—please send me an email! The clean bums are just a bonus.
Written by Katherine Tanyu
Aside from God, her family, homeschooling (and books!), Katherine's love lies in stationeries. She and her husband manage growing stationery brands ForestmillⓇ, PrevailedⓇ and Boss StationeryTM in the Philippines. She is also the community moderator of a Facebook group for Office and School Supplies Wholesalers. Katherine blogs at https://kmtanyu.wixsite.com/thiskatwrites.
See articles on The Canadian Schoolhouse written by Katherine.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).