Remember the long range goals

Carolyn Morrison of Guilt-Free Homeschooling makes a great point that as parents We're Not Raising Children -- We're Raising Adults. (Hat tip: Homeschool Blog Watch)

Sometimes as parents, and especially as homeschoolers, we focus on the day to day issues. Are the children fed? Do their clothes match? Are they learning to read? Have they finished a project? We may forget to spend time on character issues.

Carolyn reminds us that we need to remember that we are trying to help our children grow up to competent adults who can handle adult responsibilities. She makes the point that this doesn't happen overnight. We need to help our children mature in stages.

Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence suggests that character is more important than IQ. He sees emotional intelligence as self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, self-motivation, empathy and social deftness. These are all part of being an adult.

Academics are important. I want my daughters to have a wide breath of knowledge about the world. This will help them to be happier and more effective adults. But Carolyn is right, we need to remember the long range goals. I also want my daughters to grow up to be adults.

Thanks for the reminder Carolyn.


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