– Monday Muse –
Dear One, sometime ago, while moving about the house with the radio on, I caught the tail-end of a reporter’s segment. He said, “…The device monitors a child’s sleeping. If the child wakes, it sings a lullaby to the child.”
What? What…a device to comfort a child instead of a parent? Why? I caught a hot breath. I cannot stand it! What’s next?
I had asked that question before. I asked it when kindergartners went from being required to attend kindergarten half-days to being required to attend two full days, and one half-day each week. Why? I asked it again when they were required to attend five-full days, five-full days a week. It broke my heart to think of separating mothers from their young children, that is, for all the mothers who could afford to stay at home with them. I was grateful that my five little ones were too old to have had to attend school for long hours at such tender ages, but still I could not help but ask, “Why?”
In sarcastic moods, I could see a day in the future when government agents met with new parents in hospitals, directly after childbirth, to relieve the parents of the responsibility of childrearing. Absurd, I know, or so I thought.
That was until a few day ago when, once again, I overheard another conversation having to do with our children’s schedules. The discussion centered on a recently written article promoting extending the school day from 3:00 to 5:00 to match that of the majority of working parents. Why? If that should happen, a child’s home would become little more than a place to sleep! Disappointingly, the discussion focused on the convenience of the idea. It made it sound like the object of parenting was more about supervision than parental relationship. Why?
As I listened to the discussion of lengthening the school day, I had this thought. If parents don’t reject the increasing governmental control over their children, before they know it, they will only be allowed visiting rights. Why?
I fear extending the school day will eventually gain acceptance. Why? Certainly not for the sake of the children. It will be for convenience sake, much like the device for singing to a fussy baby.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD
the fruit of the womb a reward.” Psalm 127:3
Blessings,
Susanne
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