Conversations

Some of the best gifts of home schooling come in the conversations I have with my children. Sometimes I wish I could just remember all the details later to share.  We recently discussed taxes in the car driving to a swimming practice.  What they are, why we have them, what they are used for.  We talked about the difference between state, local, and federal taxes and the various random taxes we pay.  This started because I got pulled over by a police officer for not having renewed my tabs and paid the state their yearly tax for my car.  The police officer was grace filled and just gave me a written warning and I have since fulfilled my citizenry duty and the state can once again be happy with me.  I simply forgot and was in fact 14 days late.

Yesterday while learning about Galileo, Newton and Locke in history we talked at length about what it means to speak truth into a world not ready to hear it.  We discussed power, knowledge, enlightenment, and how to still be honest and direct if it means you lose friends and influence.  We discussed the various ways those in authority tend to try to keep people with different opinions from expressing them.

We talked about how the moon may have formed, how microscopes work, how Artemis Fowl uses DNA, and how to build campfires.  We discussed how great math is that numbers always work out and tell the truth.  We talked about how history goes in cycles and so many wars have been fought over land, power, money or religion.  We discussed the difference between a free country and a theocracy.  We talked about media bias after discovering samples of it.  We discussed the invention of their minds they hope one day may come about - like air hog helicopter that only take one battery and are charged for a whole year, flying cars with a single bulb to power them, hover crafts and zero calorie ice cream that really tastes as good as the real thing but is as good for you as broccoli.

We discuss a lot.  As my kids grow this is definitely my favorite part of homeschooling. Conversations.  Learning through discussion and debate.  Ah, life is good.