Thank you my guest poster Nachshon Zohari who brought this letter to the editor that appeared in Mishpacha magazine (Issue 219, 27 Tammuz, 5768) to my attention. He points out that it touches on one of the major challenges to encouraging children's attachment to their parents. It is worth reprinting.
"Rabbi S. Aisenstark brought out some very valid points, but he claims that parents are part of the problem and that chinuch is not only the school's or yeshivah's job. He is very right, except for the fact that educational institutions of today do not allow any time for parents to educate their children. My children leave our house at 8:00 am and come home at 5:30 pm. Then they have homework for a minimum of 45 minutes. Add to that all the other activities which the school requires them to do in their own time, like play practice, yearbook, monthly newsletter, G.O. carnivals,shmiras haloshan, etc., etc., etc.
Parents have almost no time besides Shabbos and Yom Tov to interact with their children and show them what a Yiddish home is supposed to look like. They come out of school thinking life is just fun and games (like in camp). It looks like the educational institutions do not trust parents. They also do not teach the children any life skills. Today what is most important to get along with other people is to be a mensch. They come out of our institutions thinking money grows on trees. All I get home from school is "Send money for this or that." The children want everything on a platter and it is not the parents who want it this way."
9 comments:
This is a very succinct description of why we chose to homeschool.
"Parents have almost no time besides Shabbos and Yom Tov to interact with their children and show them what a Yiddish home is supposed to look like."
make time. nothing is more important than your children. weeknight dinners, reading together before bed, anything to be with your children in a calm, loving environment. the laundry can wait, and the dust will happen anyway. children need time to unwind before homework...have them help in the kitchen (yes, boys too). priorities must be made.
What language is this written in?
Looks like Lipa’s is on track for a head-on collision with the “Gedolim”
http://www.hamercaz.com/hamercaz/site/news_item.php?id=841
Get ready for the big ban 2 . . .
Here’s the actual video of what happened:
http://hamercaz.com/hamercaz/site/mfile.php?id=3319
Agree with what Shoshana said. Us too. We also homeschool. It's amazing to see the love of Torah from our boys. Plus, we're staying financially afloat too. B"H.
I think shorter school day and shorter summer vacation is the answer... less camp time = less camp money spent. Shorter school day = more time at home, more time for homework, more time to absorb the world.
Could the posters who homeschool please email me at aldrich613athotmaildotcom ? I wish to start an Orthodox/Observant Jewish homeschool Yahoo group and would like their input on the issue?
Yael
I think the "schools don't trust parents" thing extends to a little more than that. To some extent, schools wish to emphasize certain hashkafos and views over that which the parents might desire. I don't know if this explains the long day, but it is an important point.
I think to say "To some extent, schools wish to emphasize certain hashkafos and views over that which the parents might desire." implies more of an intent to supercede parents' values that schools don't really have.
Yes, the schools do wish to emphasize certain hashkafos and views. Isn't that their job? That's why it's important to find a school (or not) that's more or less consistent with the parents' values.
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