An Open Mind

Before I get to the visit, let me begin by saying that we are a normal everyday family. We drive a mini-van, we go to Walmart, Target and eat McDonald's.  We recycle as much as we can and try to not leave the lights on and the water running.  We have computers, cell phones and a flat screen TV with more channels than we could ever watch.  Tristan watches TV and play with plastic toys. My point is that typically I wouldn't consider a family like ours one to put their kids in a non-traditional school. 

And I realize that it is all very fine and good to read about different types of education. And the books make it all sound great and a make it seem that a child would certainly flourish in that type of environment. But even while I was reading all I could get my hands on about the Montessori Method, every so often I would have to stifle little "public school" voices in my head that said "of course that would work in a Utopian society where your kids don't have to go on to college and live in the real world" or "Will he turn into that weird kid down the street who has no friends and participates in no organized sports?". 

Trying to keep an open mind about new concepts is difficult in any situation. Trying to keep an open mind about something that is completely different than what you have grown up with your whole life is extremely difficult. We have a lot of "ideas" of education and the mould it should fit in to.  These ideas have been ingrained in our heads since we started school.  But in the search for something better for our children, for a life that gives them self worth, independence, love and acceptance, sometimes we have to take all that we know and put it on a shelf and open our minds to a new world. (No matter how uncomfortable it may be!)