Homeschooling and the Curriculum of Love

Have Fun, Learn Stuff, Grow: Homeschooling and the Curriculum of Love by David Albert caught my eye for obvious reasons. I had no idea that he had a book out that was so close to the title of my blog ... so that was a reason to read it ... and I also have read and enjoyed his other book And the Skylark Sings With Me. When he also happens to live in the same town I do, and I've occasionally recognized him in the public library .... well, obviously I have to read his book.

This book is a collection of essays, which made it easy to read just a bit and then set it down and then come back to it ... not always a good thing in a book when I am so busy and there are so many calls on my attention, but I did manage to read the whole thing before I owed massive library fines on it. And I quite enjoyed it. Albert is opinionated and has a very strong point-of-view, and I don't always 100% agree with him. But his writing is so lyrical and impassioned that I enjoy reading even the ideas I would have to argue with, and I find many kernels of truth and new ideas of value in his writing as well.

And here is the quote I loved the most:

The curriculum of love is not about externals. It is about what is essential in each individual human being and in every child. Its watchwords are communication, inquisitiveness, acceptance, joy, honesty, courage, and, curiously, perhaps above all, intimacy. It demands that we minister to our children in their seeking to embrace a world that is their own, and prepared to render up her secrets. It is about surprises, unveilings, moments of spontaneous recognition, journeys completed and new ones waiting to be undertaken. It is about being at home - in oneself - and going home - to a larger world that awaits us all.

The curriculum of love is about you as much as it is about your child. It takes two to tango. Yes, you will be equipping her with skills and tools and knowledge and insights. You will be protecting her from dangers. But more than that, you will be creating a warm place in which will be housed the great treasure trove of memory, the place where her individual and unique identity will become - her. You will find yourself becoming, too, and coming home as well.

It's time to lay out the welcome mat.