Lifestyles...

I thought this post from Brandy was a thought provoking one, so I thought I'd link. In my life as a mother of a preschooler, I've had a few conversations with other moms about future schooling options. I plan to homeschool, and I know that it will be a serious lifestyle choice. It's the same lifestyle choice that my mom made for her children, and I'm thankful to have been taught this way.

I think that most cultures have systems in place that their members adopt somewhat unconsciously. For instance, our suburban culture involves travel by car, so most people assume that they will own one. We buy milk refrigerated instead of in a paper box, like many parts of the world. Our culture eats a lot of dairy products, so if we want to go more dairy free like many Asian cultures, we have to be very deliberate about it. Etc., etc. If most people send their children to traditional schools in the U.S., then that seems to be the obvious cultural choice, and most assume that they will partake of it when their time comes, for a variety of reasons. Many don't have choices in their school options, but for those of us that do, I appreciate that Brandy asks that we think about the reasons why we make our choices. I think it is good to ask ourselves to consciously decide what we want and what that will mean for our family's lifestyle. She articulates this far better than I can, so go take a look.