Before my flight back to HCMC, I had breakfast with a friend from Singapore at the Hyatt Regency, where the Ironman 70.3 Vietnam race was held this past weekend. It was rather crowded, with people having the final meal before checking out.
My daughter joined his three kids for breakfast and had such a good time bonding, especially with the oldest sister. We visited their house once, and they acted like best friends. It was a lovely reunion for her.
Letâs call my friend Brad. Bradâs children are homeschooled. Thereâs no shortage of good schools in Singapore, where education is competitive among parents and children. Yet, my friend opted for homeschooling. His wife is a full-time mom and the academic teacher overseeing all subjects with books, iPads, and education tools in the home classroom. B acts as the physical education teacher and the philosopher behind the idea. His children are learning well academically and excelling in extra-curricular classes they join with other students. It may seem easy, and all is well. Still, B shared with me the challenges kids naturally go through as they develop and how he would respond to them, such as anxiety triggers, defensiveness, and picking up bad habits from adults, including helpers in the house.
I wouldnât be able to home-school. Both my wife and I have our own businesses to run. We are aligned on ensuring quality time with our kids, and we build a robust support system to delegate kids and household responsibilities. I also care about the overhead of everyday logistics, such as getting to and from school and extracurricular classes, such as gym and dance. All my kidsâ school and class options are near our home. At this early stage (< 6 years), proximity is key to reducing the stress of commuting. The extra benefit is that we can frequently stop by the school to chat with the observant teachers.
I asked Brad if thereâs any stigma associated with homeschooling and if thereâs a better name for it. Yes and no, respectively. However, heâs really confident about his choices. I am impressed with how it has turned out so far for him. For now, homeschooling is not for me, but who knows when I can thoughtfully build a good enough home classroom for the kids!
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