Every now and then my children will do or say something that surprises me. I'll be reminded that I've forgotten to teach them something (like how to eat sunflower seeds in the shell) or that there are certain things they don't know because we homeschool.
Today's conversation surprised me the most, though. My 7 year old was reading a Cam Jansen mystery book on the kitchen floor while I was cooking supper. Suddenly she looked up at me, and asked in disbelief, "Mom, their teacher won't let them talk in class?!?!"
And then I knew why I couldn't get the kids to be quiet during school time. They didn't know they were supposed to be quiet. They thought their Mom was just a control freak or something.
"Um, no, dear ... you aren't allowed to talk in class. If the teacher is teaching, you listen quietly. If the teacher is done and you're working on lessons, you're supposed to be quiet so everyone can concentrate and no one can cheat. If the teacher asks a question, you raise your hand and she picks someone to answer. You can talk, when the teacher asks a question, if she calls on you. But you can't talk about your toys, what you saw on TV, or what you're doing after school. And THAT is also why we TRY to get everyone to be quiet at home while people are still working on their lessons. We don't want to distract people who are trying to learn."
I had no idea she didn't realize that classes were places to be quiet. Suddenly, I have to wonder how her Sunday School classes and Wednesday night classes are going. Is she talking at the wrong times and being disruptive? I hope not. No one has said it's a problem.
April E.
