Manifesto for the wake-up call

A plea for abolishing the label homebody

Words matter

A new perspective begins with new language. This manifesto is an invitation to do so. Sometimes a single word says it all. And sometimes it doesn't say exactly what we should see.

Can we redefine the term 'homebody'?

I think it doesn't do the children justice — and it doesn't acknowledge their place in the system.

Moreover, from the law of manifestation, it is an awkward statement: "I AM a stay-at-home," "he IS a stay-at-home," "they ARE stay-at-homes"...

These words act as anchors. They nestle into the system. They are accepted as truth, as identity. And that has a lasting effect. You 're going to act like it. You're going to sit there. At home. On the sidelines. Exactly what no one really wants.

Recognize the place of so many

How we name something says something about how we see it.

"Thuiszitter" sounds like something someone does themselves. Sitting is a verb. I sit. I remain seated. Movement comes to a standstill.

But that's too simple. Many of these young people can no longer function within a system that doesn't recognize them. Not because they don't want to, but because they're mirroring something. Being unable to go to school can happen for all sorts of reasons. A large portion of this group appears to be neurodivergent or highly gifted and difficult to "catch" within the existing system. I know plenty who—no matter how challenging their situation—actually flourish. In the freedom that arises, they rediscover their intrinsic motivation. Their spark. They learn self-taught, they develop skills rapidly, they deepen their interests, and they socialize in their own way. Not forced into a classroom, but truly. Connected. Free.

They're not dropouts or outsiders. They're wake-up calls—people at the heart of the system in large numbers. In a system where, after students can no longer attend school, millions of euros are pumped in to cover all the consequences. Euros that might not have been available before, when things needed to be more appropriate at school.

Let's address them for who they are and see what that does. In their energy. In our thinking. In how we approach this mirror.

We keep hearing: “There are now 70,000 students staying home.” (And that number has already risen.)

Annoying. Persistent. We can say all we want about it, but it doesn't seem to be resolved?

Or imagine we say:

70,000 wake-up callers

There are at least 70,000 wake-up callers in the Netherlands.

That sounds very different. It requires something different from all of us, namely, to let ourselves be shaken awake. To wake up.

And maybe—just maybe—something will change in the field. Not excluded, but recognized in their significance. Certainly still within the system—not alongside it. Not passive. But present. Dignified. And above all: Leading the way.

Thank you, wake-up callers.

What a task you've taken on! It certainly hasn't been easy. Waking people up isn't easy—especially not as a child. And you know, you shouldn't have to bear this burden at all. You're not here to open other people's eyes. You're here to live. Freely. In your own way.

Perhaps it's up to us—the adults—to listen. And recognize what we've overlooked for too long. And do something with what you've shown us.

Thank you for reading along. We're building something new—sometimes gropingly, always with heart.

Do you want to take this sound further?

This can be done in numerous ways:

– at the conference table,

– in your next speech or meeting,

– talking to a wake-up call (and look at those eyes light up),

– in your policy document or recommendation,

– or via social media, with the hashtag #dewakkerschudders and a link to this manifesto.

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