The Grim Eater Disagrees.
In the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, Chef Gusteau wrote a book titled, Anyone Can Cook.
The food critic Anton Ego (a/k/a The Grim Eater) harshly disagreed, “No. I don’t think anyone can do it.”
However, by the end of the movie, Ego had softened his position. Although he didn’t entirely agree, he did concede, “A great cook could be anyone.”
When I was asked to write a column for The Homeschool Minute on the theme, “Anyone can be a mentor”-Anton Ego came to mind.
How is “mentor” defined?
At first, I was skeptical. “No. I don’t believe that anyone can be a mentor.”
However, years of being a homeschool mom of two NCFCA debaters trained me to carefully consider the definition of words.
When I looked up the word “mentor,” here’s what I found:
“Mentor: an experienced and trusted advisor.”
With that definition, technically speaking, I guess you could say that anyone can be a mentor.
What kind of mentor?
But if that’s true, then it’s important to ask, “What kind of mentor will anyone be?”
Consider the warning contained in 1 Corinthians 15:33:
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
A Strategic and Privileged Position
The very fact that “anyone can be a mentor” should cause us to think long and hard about who is doing the mentoring of our children.
It creates a strong argument for homeschooling.
Someone is going to spend the best hours of the day mentoring your child.
Why would you surrender that strategic and privileged position to anyone else?
Resources for Homeschool Mentors
Mentors pour energy into the people they mentor. That can be exhausting.
If you’re a homeschool parent mentoring your children, please be careful to refill your reserves (or you may find yourself suffering burnout).
Here are a few posts you may find encouraging:
- Don’t Run from the Mirror – Why you need to teach!
- Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could experience stress-free homeschooling?
- Are you equipped to educate your child?
Thank you for homeschooling.
