Welcome to The Educating Parent Beverley Paine's archive of articles about homeschooling and unschooling written over a period of 30 plus years

HomeAbout Blog Articles Curriculum Resource Directory Shop Facebook

Download our FREE The Educating Parent Resource Directories today! Plus... more FREE resources!

Free download a quick guide to getting started with homeschooling and unschooling by Beverley Paine The Educating Parent in this excellent Resource Directory

 

Free directory of Australian homeschooling and unschooling support groups organised by national, state and territories

 
Plan, record and report all in the one document! Always Learning Books planners available in each year level to suit your homeschooling needs, includes curriculum checklists
Let Beverley and friends help you design and write your own curriculum to suit your child's individual learning needs, learn how to prepare lessons, unit studies and more, record and evaluate your children's learning in this series of 3 parent workbooks developed on Beverley's popular homeschool manual Getting Started with Home School Practical Considerations
this Always Learning Year 7 Plan is everything you need to get started a comprehensive collection of curriculum aligned resources and links to activities, lesson plans and unit studies for your year 7 homeschooling student
Introduction to
Home Education
  National and State
Support Groups
  Yearly Planner, Diary & Report Series of How To
Parent Workbooks
Homeschool Learning Plans

Support Groups: National SA VIC NSW QLD TAS ACT NT
Registration Guides: VIC NSW QLD SA WA TAS ACT NT

Looking for support, reassurance and information?
Join Beverley's The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook online group.

 

The Difference between a Job and a Vocation

By Beverley Paine

From about the age of thirteen, pressure is placed on young people to come up with some kind of idea about what they will 'be' when they grow up. For many of us, we don't really care what our children do with their lives so long as they are happy, kind and considerate, healthy and so on. If they do what they love every day we know they'll be fine. But so few people end up doing what they love: so few even know what it is they love doing. Home educated youngsters appear to be at a distinct advantage here over their schooled peers as more of them seem to have a better sense of self-identity at school leaving age.

I've read that the first step towards a passionate authentic life centres on understanding the difference between having 'just a job' and a 'vocation'.

How can you tell the difference? Let's look at how most of us feel about both.

'Just a job'

•  My internal dialogue might go something like this : "I don't like doing it, but I do it because I have to" - "I need the money, I need the respect, it's a necessary step on the path to what I really want to be doing".

•  My focus is on product and performance; I'm rewarded for what I get done, not affirmed for who I am as a person.

•  I get paid a set amount, regardless of what I produce or how good my work is.

•  I look forward to days off, vacations, lunch time and going home.

•  There is little autonomy: what I do is mostly dictated by other people, to meet their needs and their schedules.

•  People are compared against each other; there is an environment of competition and bitchiness in the workplace.

•  I don't feel supported; there is little cooperation or collaboration on projects.

•  My opinions are tolerated, though largely ignored.

•  Some of the things I have to do or work with don't match up with my personal values in life.

•  If I don't like my job, I can always quit, get a new or different job, or go on unemployment benefits until I do.

'Vocation'

•  I'm doing work I feel is important and that fits my personality and goals in life.

•  I can see myself doing this forever, or for as long as I'm interested and passionate in it or have something to offer.

•  The money is nice, but it's not as important as doing what I want and need to be doing to feel okay about myself, or to be helping others.

•  I enjoy my time off, but look forward to returning to my work; I think I've got the balance between work and leisure just right.

•  What I do comes naturally; it's sometimes challenging and hard, but I enjoy that too.

•  I'm not out to impress anyone but myself; I set my own achievement goals, standards and schedules.

•  What I do each day is an expression of who I am, what I believe.

•  I feel I have room to grow and develop, both as a person and in my chosen field of work.

•  I can't see myself quitting, though I can see my direction changing as my needs change.

We've brought our children up to know the difference between 'just a job' and a 'vocation'. Two of our children have 'jobs' - they work to earn money to allow them to do the things they want to do on their days off. What they do each day matches their abilities and talents and challenges them enough to keep life at work interesting. Our youngest is waiting to discover his 'vocation', not having a need for money that requires him to do things he doesn't want to do or that doesn't align with his personal values. He often struggles with the prevalent attitudes often show toward young people who are not 'gainfully employed'; people ask "What do you do?" and he isn't sure how to answer, other than to say "Live." He is a busy, productive, helpful young man. The absence of a paycheck isn't seen as the big deal others make out.

It seems to me that our youngest has struck an interesting balance between the 'doing' part of life and the 'being' part of life. In essence, he's living the way he did as a child, meeting his needs as they arise, learning and growing in a natural way. His needs for material possessions are few and he can't see the sense in putting money away in superannuation for a retirement that he thinks he won't need: when you work at what you love doing why should you ever stop doing it? In the meantime he is continuing to educate himself in the same way he did as a teenager, open to any opportunities that offer new paths in life he can explore.

None of our children have a 'vocation' as such. I found it hard when they were adolescents because adults seem to expect that children and young people will know what careers they want to pursue. The truth is, few people stick to one career. Most of us move from job to job: our vocation is often what we do on our days off! My vocation has been parenting, writing and home education. This wasn't what my school teachers or my parents had in mind when I was young! But I'm happy and I can see myself working in these fields forever. In my time off I garden.

As parents and home educators we can help our children learn the difference between what is 'just a job' and a 'vocation'. As parents, if you are 'stuck in a job', let your children know there are good reasons why you put up with that situation and that it is okay to have 'just a job '. If children show an interest in a vocation early, encourage and support that, but realise that most of us wander through life with 'just jobs', getting by and doing our life's work in ways not related to employment. Value your children for who they are, not what they do.

Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children.

Thank you for your gift contribution!

Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.

Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.

"You've been an inspiration to me, I love the way
you really listen to people."
Vanessa

"Whenever I read your writing I always come away
with increased confidence in my ability to provide and
share a wonderful learning journey with my family!"
Davina

"Your guidance, understanding, support and words of
wisdom changed our lives. We now offer support and
organise many homeschooling events for others."
Lesley

"Thank you once again for your prompt and friendly service.
I am convinced that your books are going to add
quality and peace of mind to my journey of teaching my kids
at home! Just from studying your website, until almost
2am in the morning, I 've been encouraged!"
Louisa

"Thank you for all your many,many reassuring words
over many, many years. You probably don't know exactly how valuable you are to the Australian Home Education community. I've been reading your stuff for maybe 8 years or more now. And I'm very grateful."
Gythaa

image is 3 workbooks for parents set on a background showing bushland, DIY home ed curriculum planning, recording, evaluating, write your own curriculum
Want to learn how to write your own education plans
to suit your unique children's individual learning needs?

Or you are looking for quality curriculum and teaching tips...

Comprehensive 3 workbook 'how to home ed' course
covering the essential skills you need
successfully home educate your children


 

 

Welcome to the World of Home Education
and Learning without School!

We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine

3 ESSENTIAL STEP BY STEP GUIDES

Getting Started with
Home Educating Series of

PARENT WORKBOOKS

#1 Create Your
Own Curriculum

#2 DIY Lesson Plans
& Unit Studies

#3 Recording and Evaluation Made Simple

$10.00 each (includes postage)

let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration with part 1 of this getting started with home educating serioes of parent workbooks, Create Your Own Curriculum!
Let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration!

To see the full range of Beverley Paine's books on homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning visit Always Learning Books

Tap into Beverley's experience
through her books

"Your books, your blogs helped me beyond words... they helped me to find comfort in knowing it is ok to choose exactly what is best for my family." Nisha

"Your books and information are mind blowing and already I am feeling good about this new experience." Diane

"Your guidance, understanding, support & words of wisdom changed our lives." Leslie

"I feel specially inspired by Beverley's words and, the more I read her comments, the more inspired I feel, since my need for support, respect for different parenting styles, and information are fully met." Marijo
purchase Beverley's practical and common sense books on homeschooling and unschooling
Connect with Beverley and ask questions
through her online The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook support group
.

click here to become a Fearless Homeschool member giving you access to all past summit workshops as well as exciting new content and webinars, online discussion platform, and more

The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website.

Advertise on this site.

say goodbye to home education registration stress with this ultimate rego bundle from Fearless Homeschool

make homeschooling a lot easier, zero to homeschool's excellent course is here to help

Australia's best home education consultant, let Tamara Kidd guide and help you prepare your home education registration application or review

Twinkl downloadable Home education resources helping you teach confidently at home

Online science lessons for primary school aged home educating children

Home education is a legal alternative
to school education in Australia.
State and Territory governments are responsible
for regulating home education and have different
requirements, however home educating families
are able to develop curriculum and learning programs
to suit the individual needs of their children.

animated Australian flag

Without revenue from advertising
by educational suppliers and Google Ads
we could not continue to provide information
to home educators. Please support us by letting
our advertisers know that you found them on
The Educating Parent. Thanks!

Support Centre
Contact Us | Join a Support Group | Beverley's Books | Resource Directory | Blog | Donate

About The Educating Parent
Beverley Paine | April Jermey and Always Learning Books | Advertise with us

Sitemap

What is Home Education Why Home Educate Getting Started & Registering Different Ways to Home Educate
Life as a Home Educator Resources & Support Teens and Beyond Curriculum and Teaching Tips
Unschooling & Natural Learning Travelling & Home Educating Record Keeping Children's Pages

animated smiling face Thank you for visiting!

The opinions and articles included on this website are not necessarily those of Beverley Paine, The Educating Parent, nor do they endorse or recommend products listed in contributed articles, pages, or advertisements on pages within this website.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used on this site that take you to products or services outside of this site.  Please review products and services completely prior to purchasing through these links. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question before purchasing or signing up. Always Learning Books, April Jermey assume no responsibility for those purchases or returns of products or services as a result of using these affiliate links.

If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about this site, please feel free to contact us.


Text and images on this site © All Rights Reserved 1999-2024.