Learning in the Absence of Education
Essays on Homeschooling
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
The Human Inclination to Mischief!
I was one asked what do I do about my children and the 'human inclination toward mischief'. What mischief? The only time my children have got up to mischief that presented a real threat to the security of themselves and others was when they were in the care of other adults.
I believe the 'human inclination to mischief' is more indicative of a taught idleness. In my experience children are prone to destructive behaviours in an impoverished environment - one devoid of interesting activities and resources suited to their developmental level, and adequate scaffolding of skills and abilities by sympathetic others (more skilled peers, adults, mentors, etc).
Mischief in itself is a taught behaviour - children quickly learn to become manipulative by observing successful manipulative behaviour in others - particularly people they most admire, usually parents. Often we are unaware of the negative behaviours we teach by example.
Usually mischievous children are simply stating, without using appropriate communication skills (usually because no one has taken the time to help them learn how to state their needs assertively), that they want some constructive and age/developmental appropriate activities to do - to keep them occupied and learning and busy with their very active minds.
Parents can often underestimate how busy these brains need to be. Filling in time with the television or computer is too passive - active brains need active people, need active activities! But we can't blame the children, if we allow them continuous access to such devices. Kids just love to do - and they will do destructive and naughty things in the absence of anything else!
The person discussing this with me was an advocate of 'training' children, and saw training as an alternative word to education. 'Training' a child, she said, would alleviate the problems of 'mischief'. I don't see it that way. We facilitate education here - training is a specific educational process, and appropriate to many aspects of skills acquisition.
What children need to avoid falling into mischief is to see people modeling appropriate behaviour, and to have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work and leisure activities, that promote a sense of well being and respectful community spirit.
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Excerpt from Learning in the Absence of Home Education: Essays on Homeschooling
© Beverley Paine, 1999
