During my second or third year of college, one of my classes gave us an assignment to write about our hopes and visions for the future. I still remember writing that I wanted to work in television broadcasting—which I eventually did. I also wrote that I wanted to work from home when I had children, and that happened too. Deep down, I also wanted my child to be homeschooled.

At the time, I found the television and entertainment industry incredibly exciting. But as I got deeper into it, I realized that it conflicted with my values. In the end, I resigned for various reasons.

As it turns out, life led me to work from home and eventually homeschool my son. Looking back, I can’t help but think that maybe all of this happened because Allah listened—even to the wishes I had long forgotten.

Back then, the education system felt much more “friendly,” and I think it wasn’t as money-oriented as it is today. Of course, not every school is like that, but it feels much rarer now. At the time, I was probably thinking more about what would be most convenient and suitable for my future child.

I knew myself well. Even as a child, I often felt different from other kids, and sometimes I wondered whether I was supposed to be like them. Unlike Gen Z and Gen Alpha, my generation didn’t have social media telling us that being different was okay—or even something to celebrate. Then, when I went to college, I realized that among my classmates, I was actually the normal one. It was an art and design school, after all.

I guess my college years prepared me to embrace being different. They taught me that what works for me doesn’t have to work for everyone else, and vice versa.

I don’t want my son to be forced to study subjects he hates only to forget them later—that’s simply how the brain works. I also don’t want him to grow up believing that education is only about collecting certificates and getting the best grades. To me, the real value lies in the learning process. In time, he’ll learn how the world works. But I don’t think that burden needs to be placed on him while he’s still a child.

Anyway, this is an interesting question. What are your thoughts about this topic?