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Recently, a dear friend of mine asked me to write an article about Extraordinary Children. Now, any parent will say, “But, ALL children are extraordinary !”
Yes, of course that is true, because they are all unique and marvelous.
For the last 13 years, I have been exploring & learning about a specific group of children as well as working with their parents. I’ve created a special name for them, “Extraordinary“. I didn’t do this to label them in a negative way, but to create an easier way to recognize them. I believe this is extremely important for us all & particularly for these children.
As you read the article below, you will learn exactly which children I am referring to – you may also discover you have one (or more) in your life ! I know that you may be a homeschooler (after all, this blog IS called Handwork Homeschool !) but perhaps you aren’t (yet) or may never be.
That’s OK !
I’m posting this here as a wake-up call for everyone.
A way to shine a light on a group of children whose numbers are growing. Who, I believe, desperately need us to understand, protect & nurture them.
I hope it sparks a reaction in you & that you share it, if you are called to.
I hope you think about it & truly consider what raising these special children to be confident, contributing members of society can mean for us all.
Here it is…
♥
Why Our Schools & Society are Trying to
Dumb down, Numb out & Shut up
Extraordinary Children
& What We Can Do to Protect Them …
Since Darwin’s days, over a hundred years ago, evolution has been a hot topic – debates
have raged over when certain animals appeared on earth & how they got here. Today,
scientists are watching the daily evolution of species around the world with intense
interest, logging every minute change with microscopic accuracy.
Evolution may be a vague, distant idea to you – something you once studied briefly in
school. You may imagine those animals you hear about, who live in the depths of the
jungles or the bottom of the sea & decide you’re happy to wait until the researchers
eventually tell you what happens.
After all – this stuff doesn’t really have any impact on your life.
Or, so you think…
What if I told you that the most profound changes in our own species are occurring here, right in front of us, every day?
And,
that the majority of people are doing their best to stop it ?
A bold statement.
I am participating in this evolution & so are you.
How are we evolving & why on earth would we want to keep it from happening ?
To begin,
let me introduce you to the “next” generation.
These children are here to change the world.
They learn differently, are naturally creative & able to instantly see the big picture in any situation. These kids are empathic, loving & passionate about making the world a better place by finding modern, peaceable solutions for even our greatest problems.
I call them the “Extraordinary” children. You probably know a few, you might even have
one living in your own home !
To help you decide if you have one in your life, I’ve created a list.
Traits of an Extraordinary Child
(a most incomplete list)
An Extraordinary Child is one who –
- is extremely intelligent (sometimes called “gifted”)
- is always moving, doing, making, questioning
- can have trouble writing &/or doing fine motor work (using scissors, tying shoes)
- enjoys understanding how things work (& likes taking things apart….)
- needs to know what’s going around them, doesn’t like surprise visitors or activities
- knows when they are lied to or being spoken “down to”
- seems to receive information from unknown sources (just knows things)
- is great at math & science (&/or languages)
- experiences sensory issues (either is very sensitive or barely seems to notice anything)
- has a remarkable memory accompanied by a huge vocabulary
- is very loving but at times has difficulty showing it
- frequently (but not always) learns to read later than the “acceptable” age.
As you scanned the list, did any children you know come to mind ?
What makes these Extraordinary children different from the others ?
They simply don’t fit into the “box”.
They aren’t just smart or super-active or highly-conscious – they are an intriguing mix of these & other qualities which are at times considered “good” & “not-so-good”. These children struggle in conventional settings, particularly where everyone is expected to do the same thing at the same time.
The most obvious example of such a place is SCHOOL.
The vast majority of schools treat children like little people-packages.
On their first day, they’re set on a “conveyor belt” then pushed along (whether they are ready or not) at a predetermined speed. Batched by age, they are expected to complacently sit (usually for more than 7 hours a day!), to be filled with ideas, taught some basic ways to use them & sent out into a modern world which no longer needs the skills they’ve gained.
Most children spend 12 years or more of their lives, being taught by strangers,
how to do things which will be obsolete by the time they graduate !
What happens to extraordinary kids when they can’t/won’t fit into the school system?
It depends on which of their “faults” is deemed the gravest.
Creative kids can almost be tolerated.
If they are lucky, they may have a wonderful teacher (most likely, a former Extraordinary kid) who sees their gifts & helps them explore the world beyond textbooks. These children will likely be teased by their peers which drives them to try to hide their differences. Thankfully for the rest of us, most creative people eventually find ways to express themselves.
Children who need to move to learn or who get overwhelmed by the various energies in a classroom or school setting are often drugged into complacency.
Many doctors give these children labels such as ADD, ADHD, sensory processing disorder & others, which make the teachers, parents & unfortunately, the children themselves, believe they are broken, sick or diseased.
Can you imagine being forced to take drugs because you like to stand up & walk about as
you think?
Or because you love collaborating with others on your projects?
Or because you already understand something & you’ve decided to use your time wisely & move on to your next task ?
I didn’t think so – the main difference between you & an Extraordinary Child is that you are given a choice of how to learn, work & live.
And, your choices are honoured, because after all, you’re an adult!
Right about now, you might want to click away & look up a few “studies” of children who
exhibit the traits I listed above. In moments, you will find some which present very
convincing reasons why these children should be given mind-altering drugs, from as young as TWO years old !
What you might not find, are the stories told by the therapists who discover that many of
their drug-addicted patients got their first hit from Mom or Dad, given with the best
intentions, to keep them “calm”, help them “concentrate” or get them to sleep.
Sadly, instead of searching for an alternative way to view their child’s differences as being signs of exceptionality, they have fallen into seeing them as handicaps.
Driven by a gnawing fear fed by the main-stream medical community & a largely-uninformed society, they have bowed to the enormous pressure & done something life-altering to their child.
Against their will & conscience.
It is hard to believe any parent would do this lightly.
Our brains don’t know the difference between acceptable drugs & illegal ones. A young,
growing brain will be irreversibly affected by chemical substances designed to change how it functions, despite the name on the bottle.
What if the drugs these little ones are given shut down the areas responsible for the very activities the child was destined to use while making the world a better place ? Who is qualified to see into the future & make that decision?
Are you? Is someone else?
At this point, if you truly feel this is the best way to raise these children, these souls who
are here to change the world, then –
thanks for reading this far & I wish you & your children well.
.
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If, like me, you find the idea of drugging, labeling & diminishing these children’s wonderful assets, distasteful & totally terrifying,
then read on to see what you can do to protect these children, who live bravely at the leading edge of humanity.
So, how do we protect these precious children ?
I’ve known parents of extraordinary children who were determined to shape the school
around their child. To put it simply, this doesn’t work. The child is ostracized because the other kids see them being treated differently, while the parents waste time & energy in
endless meetings.
Mainstream schools are designed to process large numbers of children in the most
efficient way possible. Unfortunately, they do not have the resources necessary to customize learning experiences for each child.
Schools must change these kids,
since it’s just too expensive to leave them as they are!
I believe the main reason people try to subdue, tone down & “knock the edges off” these children is fear.
A fear of soaring expenses
– a customized curriculum for each school-child
would be amazing but impractically expensive and,
a near-epidemic fear of change.
Our world equates a lack of change with security.
These children represent the NEW world, one which our society is not ready to imagine.
It’s so much easier to continue as usual, teaching our children as if it’s still the 19th
century, when life seemed much less complex.
When everyone was trained for their lifelong profession & their “station in life”.
It’s time to admit we’re well into the 21st century & start turning towards the future…
You may ask, “What then, can we do ?”
The absolute best & easiest way to protect these Extraordinary children (& their fantastic brains) is to keep them home & teach them yourself.
Yes, homeschooling these children ensures their special skills are nurtured, their psyches remain healthy & you have peace of mind.
I’m not saying it’s easy – it is one the greatest challenges you could ever face as a parent,
but it will be worth it.
After all, your Extraordinary child chose YOU for a reason.
It may seem daunting at first, but it is definitely possible & help is near.
Since I began Handwork Homeschool, I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned during 25 years of raising my own Extraordinary children, 14 years of homeschooling plus decades of teaching others how to access their natural creativity.
Come & explore simple yet profound ways to engage, support & expand your
Extraordinary child’s abilities while building a balanced & vibrant life for yourself –
one which allows you to create what you want most in the world & enjoy doing it.
If you’d like to learn more about the care & teaching of Extraordinary children,
join me & thousands of other parents & educators who believe in nurturing the creativity in us all. As a member in this group, you’ll receive updates detailing my new findings, get to share ideas for teaching Extraordinary children & you can access the free Homeschool Resource Library.
If this post struck a note with you & you’d like to speak privately with me about your homeschool, your child (Extraordinary or not) or The MAKING Lifestyle, you can book a complimentary call HERE.
May you embrace, nurture & love your child in every way !
Visionary Homeschool Guide,
Intuitive Creatrix &
Handwork Healer ♥
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Hi !
In case you’re new around here – here’s a bit of my backstory…
I’m the the MAKING Life expert, specializing in home-centred customized
Hands-ON learning & unique lifestyle experiences designed exclusively for CREATIVE
mothers & their Extraordinary children.
I’m also a handwork healer, intuitive maker & the creatrix of the
Tapestry Teaching Method. When I’m not researching, writing or working with clients, I enjoy exploring the French countryside with my family, drinking dark, dark chocolate & making beautiful things …when inspiration strikes.
Follow me on Instagram
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Handwork Homeschool 