It's not practical

It's not practical or you need a back up plan are things we hear a lot. I know it was something I heard a lot growing up. Johny would mention to everyone how he's going to be a basketball player and the adults around him would say that's nice Johny, but not everyone is going to be the next Micheal Jordan so you need to have a "back up".

Susie would talk of being an famous actress only to hear things such as it's not practical, it won't pay the bills, it's not the kind of life that is good for a family, etc. The reasons and list of why a person shouldn't shoot for those dreams are endless. The arts are something that just isn't valued and we wonder why they are disappearing from the PS (public school[s]).

The above video was/is a huge eye opener for me.

If you have 20 minutes please spend it watching the above. I found this after I made my decision to homeschool and it was refreshing. It really (for us) helped cement in our minds that we were/are doing the right thing.

I guess that is why I was floored to listen to several of the moms in my homeschool group talk about their children and they have "dreams" of being a dancer, artist, etc. Not only were they talking about their children dreams, but how they have been telling them to get "real". That those dreams are not going to buy food, pay the light bill, or even keep a roof over their heads. (These kids are very close to my own kids ages. The oldest can't be any more then 9, and they are being told to get real.)

It is a given that I don't want my children to be homeless nor do I want them starving. However, I also don't want to squash their dreams, their creativity, their hopes, by some statement from me saying how it's not practical.

I was taken back by the moms in my group. I thought one of the reasons to homeschool was to provide an environment that the WHOLE child could flourish in. My kids have expressed many interests in being this or that. It changes day by day sometimes. When I'm face with it I tell them that's great and share with them the "work" that is involved to make it happen.