Wholesome

A fellow home educator in an email, once described home ed as a 'more wholesome' method of learning than school. I've been really contemplating this lately and I thought I'd write down some of my thoughts.

Wholesome is defined in the Free Dictionary as:

whole·some (hlsm)

adj. whole·som·er, whole·som·est

1. Conducive to sound health or well-being; salutary: simple, wholesome food; a wholesome climate.

2. Promoting mental, moral, or social health: wholesome entertainment.

3. Sound; healthy. See Synonyms at healthy.

 

I immediately think of wholesome food. We're advised to eat heathy, wholesome foods in order to be healthy. Eating well helps us to perform better, live longer and be happier.

 

In The Family, A Proclamation to the World the Prophet tells us:

 

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

 

What are wholesome recreational activities? I guess it's the same as food. They're activities which help us perform better, live longer and be happier. Activities which bring us closer as families, help us to relax, don't detract from the life we want to live. Watching good movies, playing sports, carrying out acts of service to name but a few.

 

So, how does this relate to education? A wholesome education should be one that helps us to perform better, live longer and be happier.

 

I want to help my children live wholesome lives and have a wholesome education.

 

I want them to experience as much of life as they can.

 

I want them to differentiate between what I believe is right and wrong.

 

I want them to be able to perform both in their personal lives and also in their future working and family lives.

 

I want them to live long and happy lives.

 

I want them to be children for a long as possible without fear of failure due to standardised testing, bullying, red pen marking and time restraints.

 

I want them to have access to clean toilets and helthy food when they need it.

 

I want them to have so many opportunities for learning that we can't get them all onto the calendar.

 

If I can achieve these aims for them and more importantly WITH them, then I will feel satisfied that I have provided them not only with a wholesome education, but a wholesome childhood.