Post by whitepicketfence on Aug 28, 2015 13:52:32 GMT -5
There's no chance I'm going to make it through that thread, but I just want to give mad props to anyone who has the patience to homeschool their kids. I would be an awful teacher (and mother) if I homeschooled mine.
I love home schoolers. They take the 1 pm appointments in my office. Everyone else can't miss school, can't miss soccer, can't miss dance, can't come late, only want 4 pm, etc.
But when they show up at 1, I do wonder when they are "schooling."
I do have one family that home schools the girls due to cultural reasons, but I'm 100% certain those girls are not learning anything. I've met 2 of the moms who are sisters and were home schooled themselves. I'm quite certain one of them can't read or write. I think the other one can (she said had she asked her dad to go to regular school for a while) but she takes forever to cautiously sign her name which makes me think she doesn't do it that often.
Is this the place where I should admit that we have used homeschooling as way to encourage or discourage behaviors in our children? After receiving a few conduct slips in class for talking out of turn we had a conversation that went a little like this: Me: "If you don't start showing better behavior in class we will pull you out of school, away from your friends, away from all the great things you are doing and learning in school, and make you home school." DS1: "Please don't! I promise I will work harder." Me: "Great! Now, let's sit down together and work out a plan that will help you to improve your conduct in class because I really don't want to home school."
* Not that all home schooling is bad, but my kids really love school and it is better for all of us that they attend.
Sorry, but that is pretty terrible to tell your kids and only reinforces negative opinions about homeschooling.
To be quite honest, I don't have a terribly great opinion of home school unless it is necessary for the child. I don't think it is the worst thing you can do to your children and could even be beneficial in some circumstance, but I do not think that it is the best thing for most children. I know at least a dozen or more families that home school (it is pretty popular at our church) and I choose not to share my opinions with them because it is their choice to school their children as the see fit. My children are generally very well behaved so following through on this is most certainly not on my radar. However, if I am ever in a position where I will need to remove a child from school because of behavioral issue it will most certainly be a situation where they are removed from their friends and removed from the enjoyment they receive in their classroom setting. If my child can't behave I am not going to bring them home and throw them a party. I'm not going to spend my time and additional resources to make sure they have fun when this is, in essence, a punishment. They will study, they will learn, and we will work out the issues so that my child can be returned to a regular school environment as expeditiously as possible.
I love home schoolers. They take the 1 pm appointments in my office. Everyone else can't miss school, can't miss soccer, can't miss dance, can't come late, only want 4 pm, etc.
But when they show up at 1, I do wonder when they are "schooling."
Do they show up in their pajamas?
No, unless you count mom bringing the 1 year old in a sleeper outfit.
Isn't flgirl the one who claimed to exercise her fetus in the womb? Or something? Am I making that up? lol
No I said we work with them to they tend to walk earlier. Funny enough, a few months after I said that there was a thread with a few people saying the same thing. But, thanks for remembering me!
Isn't flgirl the one who claimed to exercise her fetus in the womb? Or something? Am I making that up? lol
She has made some dubious claims. I need to do my due diligence, but I think her kids were doing gymnastics moves and could eat perfectly off of fine china by 12 months. Or something like that.
I will save you the time, I said neither of those things.
I don't have a problem with homeschooling in general because there are many legitimate reasons to homeschool your children. I do think it needs to be regulated/standardized, and I find that lobby and its members disturbing. And I certainly don't think public school is perfect.
Personally, I tend to skip all the threads AW participates in but this time I went in and read. But man, as much as I disagree with her in that thread, AW didn't piss me off. flgirl did with her douchey "I will have failed as a parent if my kids get office jobs" or whatever the fuck she wrote. And there's nothing that I hate more than someone who only posts on the board to tsk-tsk the rest of us and tell us what meanies we are, which is what she does every time.
And this time I stuck with the thread through being called out for my nasty comment and having my kids called weirdos, unsocialized, not well rounded, etc. I made a point of not calling you all meanies. Thanks for noticing!
Yeah, I agree with this 100% and I think a lot of times it reaches to redshirting, too.
Anyway, whatever your (universal) thoughts are on homeschooling that's not even the issue. I wouldn't home school and I don't agree with it for several reasons, but I'm sure that some people do it well and it works for them and their kid(s). I just can't wrap my head around being so "get the government out of my life!!!!111!1!1!" that you seriously think having some regulations in place, where your kid might have to take a couple tests or show their work or have some type of oversight is such a ridiculous thing. Especially when the lack of that thing could have terrible, unfortunate consequences.
Not just a ridiculous thing, a punishment.
I got on AW for her shitty logic: "some people break laws, so why punish law abiding citizens?" Let's try that with export controls (you know, how the US tries to keep nuclear weapons and stuff out of the hands of Iran).
"Some people will always find a way to break the law, so why make the rest of us who are following the law keep documents?"
Dumb, right?
Then FLgirl and her shitty comments about "If my kids have office jobs, I failed as a parent" and "most parents just let the government do all the development of their kid" nonsense. That was straight up bullshit.
And I'm sorry, if your reasons for homeschooling consist mostly of things like:
- they can learn on the couch! - they can wear pajamas all day! - they get trips and vacations! - they do all their work in 3-4 hours and we have so much free time!
I'm going to side eye that. Especially when you admit you think your kids would not do well on standardized tests. I'm not saying those are the be all and end all (I think we need less), but if public schools do such a shitty job and you are doing so awesome, I'm not seeing why you would expect your kids to be awful at the tests. Sounds like maybe you're just not teaching that material. It's a different argument as to whether you think the material being taught is important, but from what I recall of standardized tests in the lower grades, they were pretty basic. It's not like the issue is that you're reading Shakespeare instead of John Steinbeck, which is all they test.
I think the concept of homeschooling is fine, and I'm glad there are more options out there for those who need them. I think plenty of people manage to do it well. I think an equal, if not larger number do a crappy job, and then there is a tiny minority that actually abuse/neglect their kid. We need oversight because I think the latter two categories need to be stopped. If you're not providing your kid a minimally satisfactory education, you should not be allowed to be their teacher.
But, we came to some agreements in the end right? I was angry when I made the office comment. It is hard having people say such nasty things about parenting decisions that I have made. I mean I thought the general consensus on this board that "your kid, your decisions." Except if you are Christian and conservative and want to homeschool. I admit my snatchy office comment shouldn't have been made. My kids shouldn't have been "generally" called weirdos.
Isn't flgirl the one who claimed to exercise her fetus in the womb? Or something? Am I making that up? lol
No I said we work with them to they tend to walk earlier. Funny enough, a few months after I said that there was a thread with a few people saying the same thing. But, thanks for remembering me!
There are conservative assholes and liberal assholes. It isn't your political beliefs alone.
Not calling you an asshole, I can't remember much about you than you tone/strengthen your babies cores. Which is weird because it will do that without your assistance. I'm sure you Aren't using weights
I didn't really say anything controversial. That is why it is funny that I am remembered for that. I am absolutely an asshole sometimes but a moderate one!!
No I said we work with them to they tend to walk earlier. Funny enough, a few months after I said that there was a thread with a few people saying the same thing. But, thanks for remembering me!
ah yes, much less weird
Oh good I am glad we straightened that out (sarcasm intended).