In Their Perfect World, Parents Don’t Exist…

John Taylor Gatto, a renowned educator and author, once said, “The family is the main engine of education. If we use schooling to break children away from parents… we’re going to continue to have the horror show we have right now.”

Horror show, indeed.

Mr. Gatto passed away a couple of years ago, but his work is proving itself more prophetic every day.

We’re told that the government knows what’s best for our children, that schools should be responsible for teaching values and morals, and that parents who prioritize family over career or personal pursuits are somehow backwards or old-fashioned.

But here’s the truth that they want us to forget: the family is the cornerstone of society. It always has been, and it always will be.

Family is where children learn about love, responsibility, and selflessness. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and it’s their job to pass on their values, beliefs, and knowledge to the next generation. Unfortunately, when parents fail (and we live in a world where it seems failing as a parent has become socially acceptable, and sometimes even praised) someone else is eager to jump in to do the job for them.

Whether through anti-family pop culture messaging, the assault on the family in media (picture the bumbling idiot of a father portrayed in most sitcoms), or the emphasis by so many educators on children belonging to some kind of collective instead of being part of unique families, family—and specifically the role of parents—is squarely in the crosshairs.

As a parent myself, I know that raising kids is hard work. It requires sacrifice, patience, and a willingness to put our children’s needs above our own. But it’s also incredibly rewarding, and the impact that we have on our children’s lives is immeasurable.

The absence of our impact on our children’s lives is immeasurable also.

That’s why it’s essential to push back against the anti-family messaging all around us. We need to reclaim the importance of the family unit and the role of parents in shaping their children’s lives.

That’s one of the reasons I wrote the Tuttle Twins books. They offer a fun and engaging way to introduce children to important ideas about economics, history, and philosophy, while also reinforcing the importance of family relationships and individual responsibility.

Mr. Gatto said that, “Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important or worth finishing.”

The Tuttle Twins books offer an alternative to the “invisible cage” of the traditional school system, allowing children to explore ideas and learn in a way that is engaging and meaningful. Not every family has the resources or desire to homeschool, but that doesn’t mean that parents can’t still become the most impactful educators of their children.

I don’t think the most important fights will happen at the Capitol or in the courtroom. If our country is to be saved, I think it’ll happen at the family dinner table.

I have faith that the power of loving and concerned parents is greater than any of the forces conspiring against family.

I’m glad our books can play a small part in this essential work. Click here to check them out.

— Connor