Thursday, September 30, 2010
Ramblings
So the past few weeks in my Early Childhood Education classes have been VERY interesting. We've been going over childcare laws that have been passed recently in North Carolina and those that are expected to pass soon. According to our instructors, it won't be too many more years before it will be illegal to have a childcare center or home child care center without having a degree. The push to help children with their social and emotional well being is another huge issue being looked at by the state. There are several laws now about what you can read to a child in your center, what you can give them to drink,etc. etc. So what is your take on it? Too much government intrusion? Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Freebie Alert!
Are you homeschooling a gifted child?? Or just want tips on helping your gifted child? Then go here to get a free sample and resource list by Faithe Thomas. You can also sign up for her newsletter on schooling gifted children. ENJOY!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Focus and Control
I just watched a video that was very interesting. It's called the Marshmallow Test. I thought you all might like to see it. Oh, sorry I've not posted in a couple of days. I've been under the weather.Marshmallow Test
Friday, September 24, 2010
Homeschool Freebie of the Day
Teaching Children to Write
Teaching Children to Write by Teaching Self-Editing and Peer Editing Skills
Editing is best taught as an isolated skill and from the time children are old enough to rework a piece of writing, they are old enough to self-edit and peer edit. Recopying a piece of writing that has been corrected to death by an adult is not editing and it serves no good purpose beyond penmanship practice. If you want to teach children to write well, your best bet is to teach them to self-edit and peer edit.
Focus on Isolated Skills
Children learn to edit best when they focus on isolated skills like punctuation or capitalization and then apply that skill to their writing. When you read through their many pieces of free writing, take a mental note of what needs work. It may be just the proper use of capitals. Teach a mini-lesson on that skill (ten minutes maximum) and practice it on a worksheet or by correcting a few model sentences. Always use impersonal examples. Never use your children’s work to demonstrate errors.
Let Them Apply What They Have Learned
Now let the children choose one piece of writing from their portfolios and apply what they have learned to improve it. Begin with one skill and as you get good at this, increase it to two or three for young children and a few more for older kids. If they work on capitalization this week and punctuation next week, they could work on capitalization and punctuation the third week. No one can take care of everything in one assignment and children should not be expected to. Not if we want them to ever enjoy writing, that is. Of course we want them to do it all, but learning is a process and we need to take small manageable bites if we are ever going to polish off this T-bone.
Let Them Do It Themselves, Beginning with Self-Editing
Once we give them the responsibility we must back off and let them do it themselves. That means that you do not sit with them and point out each error. They get to do it themselves. It’s far more satisfying and less humiliating if they correct their own work. They won’t do it perfectly, but they don’t have to. When you stop requiring perfection and teach editing as an isolated skill, it becomes more enjoyable and you can accept that it’s not necessary to catch every little mistake. The goal is to learn, not to be perfect, and learning is a process that takes time.
Next, Try Peer Editing
This can be a lot of fun. The kids follow the same process but this time they swap papers with a sibling or friend. Remember, you are focusing on one or two skills at a time. Each child is responsible for finding mistakes relating to those skills. If your kids’ work has too many errors to address at one time, ask them to find a fixed number of mistakes. For example: Find three words that break the capitalization rules. The last part of a peer edit is when the kids sit together and explain the edits to each other (you are still not involved at this point). This is a great reinforcement of their learning and kids like playing the teacher.
They Just Might Enjoy It!
Experience has taught me that kids enjoy editing when it is presented this way. They feel good when they know that the task they are given is manageable. The reason most kids hate writing is that we expect them to correct everything at once, and that is overwhelming. Who could do it all? By focusing on isolated skills, teaching them to self-edit and peer edit and letting the kids apply it themselves, we empower them to improve their writing. Just don’t be surprised if they end up liking it.
Dianne Dachyshyn is a freelance writer and a motivational speaker who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She works as a home education facilitator, helping homeschooling families plan their programs and deal with challenges. Dianne is passionate about teaching children to write. Visit her website at HomeschoolWell.com.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/teaching-children-to-write-by-teaching-self-editing-and-peer-editing-skills/
Editing is best taught as an isolated skill and from the time children are old enough to rework a piece of writing, they are old enough to self-edit and peer edit. Recopying a piece of writing that has been corrected to death by an adult is not editing and it serves no good purpose beyond penmanship practice. If you want to teach children to write well, your best bet is to teach them to self-edit and peer edit.
Focus on Isolated Skills
Children learn to edit best when they focus on isolated skills like punctuation or capitalization and then apply that skill to their writing. When you read through their many pieces of free writing, take a mental note of what needs work. It may be just the proper use of capitals. Teach a mini-lesson on that skill (ten minutes maximum) and practice it on a worksheet or by correcting a few model sentences. Always use impersonal examples. Never use your children’s work to demonstrate errors.
Let Them Apply What They Have Learned
Now let the children choose one piece of writing from their portfolios and apply what they have learned to improve it. Begin with one skill and as you get good at this, increase it to two or three for young children and a few more for older kids. If they work on capitalization this week and punctuation next week, they could work on capitalization and punctuation the third week. No one can take care of everything in one assignment and children should not be expected to. Not if we want them to ever enjoy writing, that is. Of course we want them to do it all, but learning is a process and we need to take small manageable bites if we are ever going to polish off this T-bone.
Let Them Do It Themselves, Beginning with Self-Editing
Once we give them the responsibility we must back off and let them do it themselves. That means that you do not sit with them and point out each error. They get to do it themselves. It’s far more satisfying and less humiliating if they correct their own work. They won’t do it perfectly, but they don’t have to. When you stop requiring perfection and teach editing as an isolated skill, it becomes more enjoyable and you can accept that it’s not necessary to catch every little mistake. The goal is to learn, not to be perfect, and learning is a process that takes time.
Next, Try Peer Editing
This can be a lot of fun. The kids follow the same process but this time they swap papers with a sibling or friend. Remember, you are focusing on one or two skills at a time. Each child is responsible for finding mistakes relating to those skills. If your kids’ work has too many errors to address at one time, ask them to find a fixed number of mistakes. For example: Find three words that break the capitalization rules. The last part of a peer edit is when the kids sit together and explain the edits to each other (you are still not involved at this point). This is a great reinforcement of their learning and kids like playing the teacher.
They Just Might Enjoy It!
Experience has taught me that kids enjoy editing when it is presented this way. They feel good when they know that the task they are given is manageable. The reason most kids hate writing is that we expect them to correct everything at once, and that is overwhelming. Who could do it all? By focusing on isolated skills, teaching them to self-edit and peer edit and letting the kids apply it themselves, we empower them to improve their writing. Just don’t be surprised if they end up liking it.
Dianne Dachyshyn is a freelance writer and a motivational speaker who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She works as a home education facilitator, helping homeschooling families plan their programs and deal with challenges. Dianne is passionate about teaching children to write. Visit her website at HomeschoolWell.com.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/teaching-children-to-write-by-teaching-self-editing-and-peer-editing-skills/
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Planning a Field Trip
How to Plan a Great Field Trip
“Hey, Mom! Let’s go on a field trip!” Those words can either inspire us or put us into a state of complete panic. Over the years, as I’ve spoken with many homeschooling moms, it appears they either gravitate toward the field trip concept and love to plan, organize and promote it OR they dread it. If you happen to fall into the first category, then this article will inspire you and give you some new ideas. However, if you dread field trips yet would still like to incorporate them into your homeschool plan, then this article is for you.
First of all, let me say that “a field trip” and “100 kids all together doing the same activity” are NOT synonymous! It can really put you off to think that you have to work with a large group to have a field trip. Some of our best field trips have been with just one other family or our family alone. So, with that little misunderstanding out of the way, let’s plan a field trip.
There are several things you might consider as you plan your field trip:
What are you currently studying that might be enhanced by a field trip?
What are your children particularly interested in these days?
What resources are available in your “own back yard” but seldom used?
As you answer these questions, ideas for field trips will start to emerge. Some ideas to get you started: Zoo, Library, Dr.’s Office, Dental Office, Fire Dept., Police Station, Museums, Bowling, Miniature Golf , Petting Farm, Ball Game Nature Walk, Hospital, Nursing Home, Grocery Store, Bakery, Planetarium, Greenhouse, Humane Society, Music Store, Beauty Shop, Post Office, Newspaper Office, Bike Shop, Swimming Pool, Food Bank, Bookstore, Optometrist, Veterinarian Office, Farm, Horse Ranch, Courthouse, Daycare Center
Once you’ve decided where you and the children would like to go for a field trip, the next step is to plan it out. First, call the place and ask if they have pre-planned tours for small groups. If they do, then most of the work is already done for you. All you need do is get the details and sign up. If they don’t, then you will need to make the necessary arrangements for your group (or family) to visit.
Before the field trip
Do a little research so that you know:
prices/group rates
group size limit
ages allowed
if there are picnic or eating facilities
Make the necessary arrangements for the trip:
call or visit the facility and make any necessary reservations or arrangements
set date/time and a possible rain date
request map, directions and parking info
request any available info. to help prepare the students/parents
determine how payment will be made (if necessary)
Get all information about the trip out to your group well in advance. Remind everyone to BRING THE CAMERA!
During the field trip
If you are the coordinator, plan to arrive early at the location
Introduce yourself to the person in charge and pay any necessary fees
Once the group arrives, get them all together for instructions in behavioral expectations, tour agenda and any other pertinent info.
After the field trip
Send at least one general thank you note and encourage individual families to do likewise.
Discuss the trip with the children, asking open-ended questions to get them talking i.e. What did you like most about what we saw? What surprised you about this field trip? How has what you saw today changed the way you feel about (fill in the blank)? Where would you like our next field trip to be?
Rather than going out on a field trip, you might consider bringing the field trip to you. If you have a space where your family and perhaps a few others can comfortably meet (such as your church fellowship hall) you can have the field trip come to you. Many individuals or groups welcome the chance to speak to a group of students or families.
Some ideas: Missionaries, Policemen,Firemen, Nurse, K-9 Unit, Artist, Forestry Service, Sign Language Teacher, Auto Mechanic, Lawyer, Judge, Public Health Nurse, Skin Care/hair care, Animal Shelter, Parents & their Jobs
And for those of you who simply don’t want to go out on a field trip or even have one come to you, there’s always the Virtual Field Trip!
Virtual Field Trips – www.home-educate.com/fieldtrip.shtml
About.com Field Trips Online – homeschooling.about.com/cs/fieldtrips/
Charmaine Wistad has successfully homeschooled her own two children from pre-school through high school. Now she is turning her attention toward helping other homeschool moms. Through personal coaching, Charmaine helps homeschooling moms thrive… not just survive! Visit her website to try a complimentary no-obligation telephone coaching session.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/how-to-plan-a-great-field-trip/
“Hey, Mom! Let’s go on a field trip!” Those words can either inspire us or put us into a state of complete panic. Over the years, as I’ve spoken with many homeschooling moms, it appears they either gravitate toward the field trip concept and love to plan, organize and promote it OR they dread it. If you happen to fall into the first category, then this article will inspire you and give you some new ideas. However, if you dread field trips yet would still like to incorporate them into your homeschool plan, then this article is for you.
First of all, let me say that “a field trip” and “100 kids all together doing the same activity” are NOT synonymous! It can really put you off to think that you have to work with a large group to have a field trip. Some of our best field trips have been with just one other family or our family alone. So, with that little misunderstanding out of the way, let’s plan a field trip.
There are several things you might consider as you plan your field trip:
What are you currently studying that might be enhanced by a field trip?
What are your children particularly interested in these days?
What resources are available in your “own back yard” but seldom used?
As you answer these questions, ideas for field trips will start to emerge. Some ideas to get you started: Zoo, Library, Dr.’s Office, Dental Office, Fire Dept., Police Station, Museums, Bowling, Miniature Golf , Petting Farm, Ball Game Nature Walk, Hospital, Nursing Home, Grocery Store, Bakery, Planetarium, Greenhouse, Humane Society, Music Store, Beauty Shop, Post Office, Newspaper Office, Bike Shop, Swimming Pool, Food Bank, Bookstore, Optometrist, Veterinarian Office, Farm, Horse Ranch, Courthouse, Daycare Center
Once you’ve decided where you and the children would like to go for a field trip, the next step is to plan it out. First, call the place and ask if they have pre-planned tours for small groups. If they do, then most of the work is already done for you. All you need do is get the details and sign up. If they don’t, then you will need to make the necessary arrangements for your group (or family) to visit.
Before the field trip
Do a little research so that you know:
prices/group rates
group size limit
ages allowed
if there are picnic or eating facilities
Make the necessary arrangements for the trip:
call or visit the facility and make any necessary reservations or arrangements
set date/time and a possible rain date
request map, directions and parking info
request any available info. to help prepare the students/parents
determine how payment will be made (if necessary)
Get all information about the trip out to your group well in advance. Remind everyone to BRING THE CAMERA!
During the field trip
If you are the coordinator, plan to arrive early at the location
Introduce yourself to the person in charge and pay any necessary fees
Once the group arrives, get them all together for instructions in behavioral expectations, tour agenda and any other pertinent info.
After the field trip
Send at least one general thank you note and encourage individual families to do likewise.
Discuss the trip with the children, asking open-ended questions to get them talking i.e. What did you like most about what we saw? What surprised you about this field trip? How has what you saw today changed the way you feel about (fill in the blank)? Where would you like our next field trip to be?
Rather than going out on a field trip, you might consider bringing the field trip to you. If you have a space where your family and perhaps a few others can comfortably meet (such as your church fellowship hall) you can have the field trip come to you. Many individuals or groups welcome the chance to speak to a group of students or families.
Some ideas: Missionaries, Policemen,Firemen, Nurse, K-9 Unit, Artist, Forestry Service, Sign Language Teacher, Auto Mechanic, Lawyer, Judge, Public Health Nurse, Skin Care/hair care, Animal Shelter, Parents & their Jobs
And for those of you who simply don’t want to go out on a field trip or even have one come to you, there’s always the Virtual Field Trip!
Virtual Field Trips – www.home-educate.com/fieldtrip.shtml
About.com Field Trips Online – homeschooling.about.com/cs/fieldtrips/
Charmaine Wistad has successfully homeschooled her own two children from pre-school through high school. Now she is turning her attention toward helping other homeschool moms. Through personal coaching, Charmaine helps homeschooling moms thrive… not just survive! Visit her website to try a complimentary no-obligation telephone coaching session.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/how-to-plan-a-great-field-trip/
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Homeschool Freebie
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Magic School Bus
Does your children like to watch the Magic School Bus or read the books? Well just head over to here and they can watch them for free! I love the books! ENJOY!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Veggie Tales LIVE! $5 tickets in these select tour stops
VeggieTales $5 TICKET SALE! Have we got a LIVE SHOW for YOU!
The Veggies are hittin' the road coming to a city near you! Visit BigIdea.com/Live for all the details and tour stops!
Just when you thought it couldn't get better! The following tour stops are running a $5 General Admission Ticket Sale for VeggieTales Live! Sing Yourself Silly: ...
Shreveport, LA
Little Rock, AR
Dallas, TX
Witchita, KS
St. Louis, MO
Cincinnati, OH
Lynchburg, VA
Visit iTickets.com, find the date and time of your show and begin the checkout process. If your tickets are in one of the markets listed above, use Coupon Code LIVEFIVE at checkout to get your $5 VeggieTales Live Show tickets!See More
The Veggies are hittin' the road coming to a city near you! Visit BigIdea.com/Live for all the details and tour stops!
Just when you thought it couldn't get better! The following tour stops are running a $5 General Admission Ticket Sale for VeggieTales Live! Sing Yourself Silly: ...
Shreveport, LA
Little Rock, AR
Dallas, TX
Witchita, KS
St. Louis, MO
Cincinnati, OH
Lynchburg, VA
Visit iTickets.com, find the date and time of your show and begin the checkout process. If your tickets are in one of the markets listed above, use Coupon Code LIVEFIVE at checkout to get your $5 VeggieTales Live Show tickets!See More
Sarah's Silks
Socialization
The Million Dollar Question: What About Socialization?
If you have homeschooled for any amount of time (or even if you’ve just kicked around the idea of homeschooling in lighthearted conversation), you have had this thought or have been asked this question: “What about socialization?” This is a topic that seems to automatically arise in any discussion about homeschooling, especially if one of the people involved in the discourse does not homeschool. First, I think it’s important to tease out what the inquisitor means by “socialization”. When answering this question, it’s important to know if the question is about socialization or socializing, as the two have vastly different meanings. I generally find that most people actually mean “socializing” when this topic comes up but there are some who genuinely mean “socialization.” In this article I will give you my understanding of these two concepts and tell you what I think about each of them as they relate to homeschooling.
SOCIALIZING – In my experience, most people who ask “What about socialization” are actually asking, “Hey – will your kid ever get to see anyone but their own family? Will they get to play ball? Have a same-age peer group? Share secrets with best friends? Send spit balls flying across a cafeteria?” There seems to be a concern that homeschoolers will “miss out” on all of the “fun” things that we associate with our own school experiences. I will say emphatically that for us, socializing is NOT an issue. (Well, actually, I may have to take that back. It in fact CAN be an issue, but not in the way that you might think. I have had several conversations with fellow homeschooling mothers who laugh and say “we’ve got to cut out some of our social activities – we need to get some school work done!”) Homeschoolers have a multitude of opportunities to socialize with peers and sometimes, we have to avoid the pitfall of having too many things on the social schedule.
When I was growing up (way back in the ’70′s and ’80′s) we actually had some very good friends who were homeschooled. I will say that for that family, socializing may have been an issue and here’s the reason: They were the ONLY ones who were doing it. Today, however, homeschool activities abound. YMCA’s, community centers, state parks and zoos have all opened their doors to the homeschool community. Spanish tutors, art teachers, gymnastics and dance studio owners have all realized that there is huge segment of students out there who are available during times other than “school hours” and they have accordingly started programs with classes and group activities for these folks. (Incidentally, I have had more than one business owner tell me that they LOVE it when they get a group of homeschoolers on the schedule because they tend to be very well behaved, punctual and engaged.) Homeschooled children participate in team sports and some (like my daughter) participate in P.E. classes at a local school. As you can see, opportunities to socialize are not only available but are abundant.
One parting thought on this idea of the importance of socializing: Are we concerned about opportunities to socialize because we want them to be viable members of their community? If so, ponder this. Homeschooled children are exposed to a variety of experiences with a variety of people of differing ages. They are often spending time in “the real world” (a trip to the grocery store, accompanying a family member to work, getting to spend time with aging and or ill family members) and they are not confined to a classroom with one teacher and 20 children their own age. Which of the above scenarios do you think is more valuable in preparing them to engage socially as they get older and more independent*?
SOCIALIZATION – Merriam – Webster defines socialization as, “the process by which a human being acquires the habits, beliefs, and accumulated knowledge of society through education and training for adult status.” Socialization is a different animal all together. We’re not talking about having time to hang out after class and talk about your latest crush. This is about training the next generation as a whole to function in a prescribed way and instilling “habits and beliefs.” There are many homeschoolers, myself included, who have chosen to educate their own BECAUSE of the idea of socialization. I am not worried about the fact that my child is not getting “socialized” by an educational system that I see as broken and one who would train my children to have habits and beliefs that I do not ascribe to. I choose to educate my own for many reasons, one of which is because I believe that their “accumulated knowledge of society” should come from me and be rooted in my beliefs about how they should be “trained for adult status.” Allowing my children to be trained by a group of people that I do not know (and ones who may hold vastly differing viewpoints on such things as my child’s purpose in society) is precisely what I am trying to avoid.
Now let me back up a second (because I can hear you shouting at your computer screen) and address the concerns of, “You can’t keep your children in a bubble! They should be able to hear differing views! They should be taught how to function as part of a whole!” First, I agree. I can not keep my children in a bubble nor do I want to. I do, however, believe that it is my duty to be the primary “translator” for my child. They will experience things and have questions about those experiences. We all filter our experiences through our belief systems and values. We interpret the world based on our “filter”. My job as a mother and as a teacher is to help them develop a healthy filter. One that will rely on truth and honesty and integrity to make decisions and judgments. While I do not have any problems with them hearing views and beliefs that are different from mine, I do have a problem with them being told the views that our family holds (for example our beliefs about absolute truth, a Creator, or personal freedoms) are not “politically correct.” As to the query of “raising a good citizen who will function as part of a whole”, my answer to that is, “What better way to train a child to function as part of a whole than to give him a meaningful place of honor and responsibility in his own family among siblings, mother father and extended family?” The family unit is the perfect proving ground for learning how to thoughtfully and efficiently function as part of a greater body.
So there you have it. Whether you are ruminating over this question of social interaction for yourself or you are answering others who have questions about the well being of your child, know that there are differences in the meanings of socializing and socialization. Be encouraged in the fact that there are plenty of opportunities for socializing and be empowered with the knowledge that as a homeschooler, you can determine just how your child gets “socialized.”
* For an enlightening look at the issue of children who were homeschooled and their capability to get a job, get into college, and participate in their communities, please take a look at this article (http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Socialization.asp) on the HSLDA website.
Julie Clark is a writer and content contributor for LessonPathways.com, an innovative new product that maps online educational resources into ready to teach units. She is a homeschooling mother of three children, executive assistant to her husband, a blogger (TheClarkChronicles.com), and Foster Care Coordinator for a nationally acclaimed mental health agency.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/the-million-dollar-question-what-about-socialization/
If you have homeschooled for any amount of time (or even if you’ve just kicked around the idea of homeschooling in lighthearted conversation), you have had this thought or have been asked this question: “What about socialization?” This is a topic that seems to automatically arise in any discussion about homeschooling, especially if one of the people involved in the discourse does not homeschool. First, I think it’s important to tease out what the inquisitor means by “socialization”. When answering this question, it’s important to know if the question is about socialization or socializing, as the two have vastly different meanings. I generally find that most people actually mean “socializing” when this topic comes up but there are some who genuinely mean “socialization.” In this article I will give you my understanding of these two concepts and tell you what I think about each of them as they relate to homeschooling.
SOCIALIZING – In my experience, most people who ask “What about socialization” are actually asking, “Hey – will your kid ever get to see anyone but their own family? Will they get to play ball? Have a same-age peer group? Share secrets with best friends? Send spit balls flying across a cafeteria?” There seems to be a concern that homeschoolers will “miss out” on all of the “fun” things that we associate with our own school experiences. I will say emphatically that for us, socializing is NOT an issue. (Well, actually, I may have to take that back. It in fact CAN be an issue, but not in the way that you might think. I have had several conversations with fellow homeschooling mothers who laugh and say “we’ve got to cut out some of our social activities – we need to get some school work done!”) Homeschoolers have a multitude of opportunities to socialize with peers and sometimes, we have to avoid the pitfall of having too many things on the social schedule.
When I was growing up (way back in the ’70′s and ’80′s) we actually had some very good friends who were homeschooled. I will say that for that family, socializing may have been an issue and here’s the reason: They were the ONLY ones who were doing it. Today, however, homeschool activities abound. YMCA’s, community centers, state parks and zoos have all opened their doors to the homeschool community. Spanish tutors, art teachers, gymnastics and dance studio owners have all realized that there is huge segment of students out there who are available during times other than “school hours” and they have accordingly started programs with classes and group activities for these folks. (Incidentally, I have had more than one business owner tell me that they LOVE it when they get a group of homeschoolers on the schedule because they tend to be very well behaved, punctual and engaged.) Homeschooled children participate in team sports and some (like my daughter) participate in P.E. classes at a local school. As you can see, opportunities to socialize are not only available but are abundant.
One parting thought on this idea of the importance of socializing: Are we concerned about opportunities to socialize because we want them to be viable members of their community? If so, ponder this. Homeschooled children are exposed to a variety of experiences with a variety of people of differing ages. They are often spending time in “the real world” (a trip to the grocery store, accompanying a family member to work, getting to spend time with aging and or ill family members) and they are not confined to a classroom with one teacher and 20 children their own age. Which of the above scenarios do you think is more valuable in preparing them to engage socially as they get older and more independent*?
SOCIALIZATION – Merriam – Webster defines socialization as, “the process by which a human being acquires the habits, beliefs, and accumulated knowledge of society through education and training for adult status.” Socialization is a different animal all together. We’re not talking about having time to hang out after class and talk about your latest crush. This is about training the next generation as a whole to function in a prescribed way and instilling “habits and beliefs.” There are many homeschoolers, myself included, who have chosen to educate their own BECAUSE of the idea of socialization. I am not worried about the fact that my child is not getting “socialized” by an educational system that I see as broken and one who would train my children to have habits and beliefs that I do not ascribe to. I choose to educate my own for many reasons, one of which is because I believe that their “accumulated knowledge of society” should come from me and be rooted in my beliefs about how they should be “trained for adult status.” Allowing my children to be trained by a group of people that I do not know (and ones who may hold vastly differing viewpoints on such things as my child’s purpose in society) is precisely what I am trying to avoid.
Now let me back up a second (because I can hear you shouting at your computer screen) and address the concerns of, “You can’t keep your children in a bubble! They should be able to hear differing views! They should be taught how to function as part of a whole!” First, I agree. I can not keep my children in a bubble nor do I want to. I do, however, believe that it is my duty to be the primary “translator” for my child. They will experience things and have questions about those experiences. We all filter our experiences through our belief systems and values. We interpret the world based on our “filter”. My job as a mother and as a teacher is to help them develop a healthy filter. One that will rely on truth and honesty and integrity to make decisions and judgments. While I do not have any problems with them hearing views and beliefs that are different from mine, I do have a problem with them being told the views that our family holds (for example our beliefs about absolute truth, a Creator, or personal freedoms) are not “politically correct.” As to the query of “raising a good citizen who will function as part of a whole”, my answer to that is, “What better way to train a child to function as part of a whole than to give him a meaningful place of honor and responsibility in his own family among siblings, mother father and extended family?” The family unit is the perfect proving ground for learning how to thoughtfully and efficiently function as part of a greater body.
So there you have it. Whether you are ruminating over this question of social interaction for yourself or you are answering others who have questions about the well being of your child, know that there are differences in the meanings of socializing and socialization. Be encouraged in the fact that there are plenty of opportunities for socializing and be empowered with the knowledge that as a homeschooler, you can determine just how your child gets “socialized.”
* For an enlightening look at the issue of children who were homeschooled and their capability to get a job, get into college, and participate in their communities, please take a look at this article (http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Socialization.asp) on the HSLDA website.
Julie Clark is a writer and content contributor for LessonPathways.com, an innovative new product that maps online educational resources into ready to teach units. She is a homeschooling mother of three children, executive assistant to her husband, a blogger (TheClarkChronicles.com), and Foster Care Coordinator for a nationally acclaimed mental health agency.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/the-million-dollar-question-what-about-socialization/
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
HOT Deal!
Today only, you can get 300 counting bears for 9.99 at Learning Resources!
Ages 3-7 $29.99 $9.99
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Challenging Behaviors
I sometimes have difficulties with Benjamin on his behavior. Okay to be honest, there are LOTS of times I have difficulty with his behavior. The class that I'm taking this semester called Child Guidance has really been helping me with this. And tonight I found out about a great website that can help with "challenging behaviors". This website has help for the teacher AND the parents. I saw some of the activities that were made and had them demonstrated tonight. I just had to jump on as soon as I got home to share this site with you! I hope it will be a help to you or someone you know! ENJOY!
The link is directly to the page with the tools but take your time and explore the whole site!
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| Challenging Behavior Tools |
Suggested Fall Reading
Here are a few books that I think would be great to use to teach your child about fall. I hope you enjoy!
This bright, tactile board book celebrates a first encounter with the most colorful season: fall! Bold, simple illustrations and textures show what a child first sees, hears, touches, and feels. And no matter how windy it may be outside, this child ends up safe and snug in Daddy's arms. The third in this series of four seasonal offerings.
Cocca-Leffler, Maryann
The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here!With soft colored art, adorable children, and colorful outdoor scenes, Let it Fall celebrates all the seasonal awe of autumn.
Miki Sakamoto
There are lots of beautiful fall leaves to find! Three friends have a big adventure hiking over a mountain and through a forest to collect leaves of all kinds and colors. What will they do with all their leaves at the end of the story? Jump and play in them, of course!
With easy rhyming text and fun sound effects, children will delight in this rollicking autumn story.
That wild old lady is back swallowing fall-themed items. What can you make from leaves, clothes, a pumpkin, and rope? That's right, a scarecrow!With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song is sure to appeal to young readers with every turn of the page.
You can find these at your local library or at
Little Scholastic: Welcome Fall
Jill AckermanThis bright, tactile board book celebrates a first encounter with the most colorful season: fall! Bold, simple illustrations and textures show what a child first sees, hears, touches, and feels. And no matter how windy it may be outside, this child ends up safe and snug in Daddy's arms. The third in this series of four seasonal offerings. Let It Fall
Cocca-Leffler, MaryannCocca-Leffler, Maryann
The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here!With soft colored art, adorable children, and colorful outdoor scenes, Let it Fall celebrates all the seasonal awe of autumn.
We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Steve MetzgerMiki Sakamoto
There are lots of beautiful fall leaves to find! Three friends have a big adventure hiking over a mountain and through a forest to collect leaves of all kinds and colors. What will they do with all their leaves at the end of the story? Jump and play in them, of course!
With easy rhyming text and fun sound effects, children will delight in this rollicking autumn story.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!
Colandro, LucilleThat wild old lady is back swallowing fall-themed items. What can you make from leaves, clothes, a pumpkin, and rope? That's right, a scarecrow!With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song is sure to appeal to young readers with every turn of the page.
You can find these at your local library or at
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| The Scholastic Store |
Monday, September 13, 2010
Four Yummy Pumpkin Recipes!
Four Pumpkin Recipes for Fall
Fall is a great time to try out some new pumpkin recipes. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh baked pumpkin bread or cookies in the kitchen! You have to give this pumpkin cornbread a try.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
2 eggs, beaten slightly
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup canned pumpkin
Cooking Instructions:
Combine butter and sugar, beat in eggs 1 at a time, sift in dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into greased cupcake pans. Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Pumpkin Cornbread
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
Cooking Instructions:
Heat milk, butter, and sugar in saucepan to melt butter. Put pumpkin in a bowl and add milk mixture. Add corn meal, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir to blend. Add salt and egg yolks and stir in. In another bowl, beat egg whites and fold in batter. Grease an 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Pumpkin Cookies
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooked pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecan nuts
Cooking Instructions:
Mix oil, sugar, egg, and pumpkin together and add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/four-pumpkin-recipes-for-fall/
Fall is a great time to try out some new pumpkin recipes. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh baked pumpkin bread or cookies in the kitchen! You have to give this pumpkin cornbread a try.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
2 eggs, beaten slightly
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup canned pumpkin
Cooking Instructions:
Combine butter and sugar, beat in eggs 1 at a time, sift in dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into greased cupcake pans. Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Pumpkin Cornbread
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
Cooking Instructions:
Heat milk, butter, and sugar in saucepan to melt butter. Put pumpkin in a bowl and add milk mixture. Add corn meal, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir to blend. Add salt and egg yolks and stir in. In another bowl, beat egg whites and fold in batter. Grease an 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Pumpkin Cookies
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooked pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecan nuts
Cooking Instructions:
Mix oil, sugar, egg, and pumpkin together and add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/four-pumpkin-recipes-for-fall/
Yummy Apple Pie Recipes!
Four Easy Apple Pie Recipes
I love apple pie. I could eat it any time of year. Fall is a great time to pick up some apples on sale and make a couple of apple pies. Make one to eat now and freeze one for later. The recipe for Old-Fashioned Apple Pie freezes well. After you prepare the pie for baking, cover it with foil and freeze for later. When you bake it, it will taste like you just made it!
When making apple pies, keep in mind that some apples are better for baking than others. Granny Smith apples are a baking favorite. Experiment with different baking apples to find your family’s favorite. Tart varieties work best for baking.
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
6 c. sliced apples
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked double pie crust
2 tbsp. butter
Combine sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Stir together with apples. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom crust. Fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter.
Adjust top crust, cutting slits for escape of steam; seal. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.
Sour Cream Apple Pie
3 c. sliced apples
2 tsp. flour
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (9 inch) unbaked single pie crust
Mix together apples, sugar, salt, flour, egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Put in 9-in. unbaked crust. Crumble together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 400 degree for 20 minutes. Finish baking at 375 degrees until apples are done.
Apple Crumb Pie
6 c. sliced apples
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 cup nuts and/or 1/3 cup raisins
Fill a 9-inch pie plate with apples. Sprinkle apples with 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon. Combine the flour, remaining sugar, egg, butter, nuts and raisins. Pour the combination over the apples. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
Sugar Free Apple Pie
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
6 c. apples
2/3 c. frozen unsweetened apple juice
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 (9 inch) unbaked double pie crust
Sprinkle flour over sliced apples and stir gently to combine. In saucepan combine apple juice concentrate, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture thickens. Pour over apples, and mix gently until apples are coated. Pour apples into bottom pie crust. Top with second crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 35-40 minutes.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking .
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/four-easy-apple-pie-recipes/
I love apple pie. I could eat it any time of year. Fall is a great time to pick up some apples on sale and make a couple of apple pies. Make one to eat now and freeze one for later. The recipe for Old-Fashioned Apple Pie freezes well. After you prepare the pie for baking, cover it with foil and freeze for later. When you bake it, it will taste like you just made it!
When making apple pies, keep in mind that some apples are better for baking than others. Granny Smith apples are a baking favorite. Experiment with different baking apples to find your family’s favorite. Tart varieties work best for baking.
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
6 c. sliced apples
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked double pie crust
2 tbsp. butter
Combine sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Stir together with apples. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom crust. Fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter.
Adjust top crust, cutting slits for escape of steam; seal. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.
Sour Cream Apple Pie
3 c. sliced apples
2 tsp. flour
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (9 inch) unbaked single pie crust
Mix together apples, sugar, salt, flour, egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Put in 9-in. unbaked crust. Crumble together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 400 degree for 20 minutes. Finish baking at 375 degrees until apples are done.
Apple Crumb Pie
6 c. sliced apples
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 cup nuts and/or 1/3 cup raisins
Fill a 9-inch pie plate with apples. Sprinkle apples with 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon. Combine the flour, remaining sugar, egg, butter, nuts and raisins. Pour the combination over the apples. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
Sugar Free Apple Pie
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
6 c. apples
2/3 c. frozen unsweetened apple juice
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 (9 inch) unbaked double pie crust
Sprinkle flour over sliced apples and stir gently to combine. In saucepan combine apple juice concentrate, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture thickens. Pour over apples, and mix gently until apples are coated. Pour apples into bottom pie crust. Top with second crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 35-40 minutes.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking .
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/four-easy-apple-pie-recipes/
Saturday, September 11, 2010
EPI Pen instruction sheet
For those of you who do have children that use an EpiPen, here is the link to the instruction sheet on how to use it. Might be a good idea to send it with the EpiPen to the center if you've not already done so.
http://www.epipen.com/pdf/EPI_HowtoTearSheet.pdf
They also have a support group that you can join:http://www.epipen.com/
http://www.epipen.com/pdf/EPI_HowtoTearSheet.pdf
They also have a support group that you can join:http://www.epipen.com/
Your child's medical emergency plan?
In my Health,Safety,and Nutrition class this week, an important reminder was given to the class. Our instructor reminded us to always be aware of the children in our class that might have life threatening issues, such as allergies,seizures, or asthma. She asked those that worked in centers how many kept epi-pens, seizures medicines, and asthma inhalers locked up? Everyone that worked in a center raised their hands. She said that's not right. She told us that in North Carolina those items are to be taped 5 feet up on the wall with the child's name and info on it. Of course she said covered with a piece of paper for privacy laws. Most were like that's not the policy of the school,etc. She then asked IF these items are locked away, how are you going to reach them in that split second that the child has a life threatening emergency? So that got me to thinking, how many of you have a child with such an issue? Do you know what your center/school has planned for these events? Do they train their employees on the use of Epi-pens, seizures, or asthma? This is something you might want to go over with them. Another good question is does any substitutes coming into the class know this vital information? And if your child is in after school programs does the Epi-pen, seizure medicine, and asthma inhalers follow them? What good does it do to have these at the school if they are in another building when they are needed? I just thought this might get you to thinking about your child's medical emergency plans at school. Each state varies on the requirements for this but you can call and get this information. I hope this helps you be more prepared.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Book: My Brother Has Autism
If you have a child with autism or a sibling with autism, then this book will really touch you! It was written by an 8 year old little girl about her older brother who has autism. This is a very special book! I hope it blesses you like it did me!
My Brother Has Autism
My Brother Has Autism
This is so true!
Bill Gates Speech: 11 rules your kids did not and will not learn in school
by Kent Summers on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 7:34am
Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
| http://www.ruathomeschooling.blogspot.com/ This is the website that I borrowed this from. They have some wonderful articles! |
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Webcams
My son loves to watch web cams of animals in zoos and other cool things like that. Well we've found a wonderful website that you can view all kinds of web cams! You can choose by topic, such as animals,plants,factories,etc. I hope your children enjoy it as much as mine did! ENJOY!
http://www.camcentral.com/
Today's Homeschool Freebie!
Do you want to learn to sew or teach your child to sew? Well this free download might just be what you are looking for! Check it out!
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| Homeschool Freebie |
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Healthy recipe site!
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| http://www.vegetablewithmore.com/ |
Freebie!
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| Homeschool Freebie of the Day |
Monday, September 6, 2010
US MInt Educational Site
Is it time to start teaching your child about the currency we use here? Or need ideas for your classroom? Well head on over to the US Mint's educational page! They have loads of lesson plans and ideas that are FREE! (okay so to us taxpayers, it's not "free" but they aren't charging anything to use the site.hehe) They offer different grade levels too. ENJOY!
US Mint
US Mint
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sequel to Mr. Pointy Nose
Mr. Pointy Nose Returns
Sister heard the knock on the door first, but Brother beat her to it. It was Mr. Pointy Nose, the truant officer who had visited many months earlier with dire warnings about homeschooling and had left a friend, with a bread recipe.
“It’s the man from the state!” Brother yelled. Mother rushed from the kitchen with Baby on her hip and sighed in relief when she saw their guest. “Please, come in,” she said.
Mr. Pointy Nose took a chair in the living room and Sister went for refreshments.
“What brings you all the way out here again?” Mother asked.
“Well,” said Mr. Pointy Nose, “two things, actually. First, I wanted to let you know that I’ve quit my job and I’m moving to Montana.”
Mother was surprised. Brother was ecstatic. “Oh, wow! Montana! That’s a big state! They have a lot of steer and horses and even buffalo. Can we come visit you?”
Mother signaled Brother to calm down. “What will you do in Montana?” she asked Mr. Pointy Nose.
“I have a brother who owns a ranch out there. I thought I’d try my hand at cattle herding.” He smiled sheepishly, as if he knew how unsuited for such work he seemed. “It’s always good to learn new things,” he added.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Mother said.
“Can we visit?” Brother asked again, ignoring Mother’s warning glare.
“I’d be happy to have you,” Mr. Pointy Nose said, “but you know it’s hundreds of miles from here.” Brother nodded and ran for an encyclopedia.
“On a more serious note,” Mr. Pointy Nose continued, “A new truant officer has been assigned, and I’m afraid she won’t be so easily won over. She’s on a low-carb diet.”
Mother burst into laughter. Mr. Pointy Nose was starting his new life with a new sense of humor.
“Really,” Mr. Pointy Nose said, “she’s a tough one. Takes her job and herself very seriously. I didn’t want you to be surprised.”
Mother thanked Mr. Pointy Nose for the heads-up and wrapped some homemade strudel for his journey. He left amidst wishes of good luck and even some hugs.
After the children were in bed, Mother and Father talked long into the night. Sister and Brother tip-toed out of their room and sat in the hallway for many moments watching the light under their parents’ door and worrying in whispers about the new truant officer. They weren’t doing anything wrong, of course. As a matter of fact, they were doing many things quite right. But they worried nonetheless.
The family didn’t have to wait long to meet the new truant officer. She showed up at their door two days after Mr. Pointy Nose. “Ms. No-Bread” the children decided to call her in private, even after Mother gave them a disapproving look. “Well,” Sister said, “it’s not mean. She doesn’t like to eat bread, does she?”
Ms. No-Bread was tall and even sterner than Mr. Pointy Nose had let on. After a brief and official introduction, she announced, “Your children belong in school.”
“My children are in school,” Mother said calmly. “We homeschool.”
“We live at school,” Brother added, even as Sister tugged at the back of his shirt. Brother was only seven and still not very good at knowing when he should keep quiet.
Ms. No-Bread’s eyebrows drew together until they touched. “That’s not school and it’s not legal.”
Mother turned and handed Baby to Sister. “I think there must be a misunderstanding,” she said when she turned back to Ms. No-Bread. “Homeschooling is perfectly legal and has been very good for my children.”
Ms. No-Bread harrumphed and stomped back to her car, warning, “We’ll see about that!”
The next day, the family was served with papers to appear in court. That night, Mother and Father stayed up late talking again. Sister and Brother sat in the hall again. Brother fumed, “I should have set a trap for that lady.”
“What would you do with her if you caught her?” Sister asked.
Brother thought this over for a long time. “I would get Daddy to drive her far away and leave her there. In Montana.”
Sister laughed. “That wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do to Mr. Pointy Nose.”
The day of their hearing arrived and the whole family went together. Brother was under orders to be on his best behavior. Father and Mother had decided they would represent themselves and that Mother would speak for the family.
Ms. No-Bread presented her case before the judge, then shocked the family by asking that the children be removed to foster care while the case was under investigation. It was with great effort that Mother gathered her wits to speak.
“Your honor,” she said, when it was her turn. “I’m sure this lady has the best of intentions, and I’m glad she cares so much about children.” Mother held her breath for a second.
“Our family has been homeschooling for nine years,” Mother continued. “I have to be honest and tell you that we would do it with or without the blessing of the state, but it does happen that homeschooling is legal in our state and that we are not in violation of the law.”
The judge leaned forward. Mother hoped she hadn’t shocked him, or offended his sense of authority. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brother lean forward, too. He and Sister were sitting on the front row, because they had begged to be close to Mother — just in case. Father sat near the back with Baby, because Baby wasn’t always very quiet. Only a handful of others sat scattered about the courtroom — two other homeschool families who had come to support Mother and Father, and some people there for their own hearings.
“You’re telling me,” the judge said, more surprised than angry, “that you would knowingly break the law if it didn’t suit you?”
Mother cleared her throat. “Yes, your honor, I would. You see, a law that forcibly takes children from their parents to be educated by the state is both unconstitutional and unconscionable. For the good of my children and for the sake of liberty, I would be forced to choose what is right over what politicians had concluded should be the fate of my children.”
The judge was rapt now. He gathered his robes and descended from his bench. Ms. No-Bread gasped.
The judge motioned for Mother to sit in a nearby chair and he took one opposite her. “Please, continue,” he said. Ms. No-Bread tried to protest, but the judge motioned her to sit also. “Doesn’t this fascinate you?” he asked her.
Brother could contain himself no longer and ran to his mother and sat on her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and spoke.
“I know that many parents feel intimidated by the state system of education, but they do have the right to choose freedom. It’s wrong for the state to take children by force. It’s wrong for it to force its own curriculum and ideology on children, its own vision of the future, its own agenda for society. It’s the role of citizens to create their own future, based on their own individual visions. That’s how we came to be the United States of America and the freest nation on earth. The people, not the state, created America. Now the government has decided the people can no longer be trusted — not even to raise their own children.”
Ms. No-Bread rose to protest again, but the judge interrupted her. “What do you think of this, ma’am?”
Ms. No-Bread stuttered a few incoherent words and sat down.
“Go on,” the judge said to Mother. “You have my interest.”
“Your honor,” Mother went on, “the state is our servant, not our master. Since when does the servant order the master to turn over his children and threaten to lock him up if he won’t?”
The judge looked thoughtful. “But some parents, all too many, maybe, won’t see to their children’s education as they should. In the long run, that costs the state money — welfare, prisons, tax revenues.”
Mother looked doubtful. “Maybe,” she said. “On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine it getting much worse than it is now — with most children in state schools. Could it be that the state has taken on a job never intended to fall to it and is paying the consequences? The family is not some program instituted by politicians. It’s the natural way of life, a law of nature, so to speak. Laws of nature are usually violated at considerable risk to the offender.”
The judge leaned back in his chair. “Whoa. You’ve given this some thought. Go on.”
“Maybe,” Mother said, “much of the dysfunction we see in society today is because the state has taken over the role of parents. Maybe state schooling is actually a major cause of our problems, for the very reason that it defies the laws of nature.”
“But,” the judge began.
Mother held up her hand. “Please, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make one more point.”
The judge nodded and Ms. No-Bread looked as if she might cry, or maybe explode.
“A few people argue that because some parents will fail to see to their children’s education all children should be forced into state schools. This seems an odd line of reasoning to me. What else do we apply it to? Do we require children to be nourished by the state because some parents will feed them poorly? Poor nutrition costs the state — in healthcare, lost taxes from lost earnings, and welfare. Do we force all adults to exercise daily? Adult lethargy costs the state plenty. Do we monitor the daily activities of all citizens because some will commit crimes? Crime costs the state a tremendous amount of money. Why the preemptive action against potential imperfections in parent-controlled education but nowhere else?”
The judge rubbed his chin. “That’s a good question. Why, indeed?” He turned to Ms. No-Bread. “What do you think?”
“I don’t think,” she snapped. “I just do my job. Smarter people than me came up with this system.”
The judge turned to Mother and raised his eyebrows.
“The history of our system is another story,” she said, “and there’s not time to get into it now. But common sense serves just as well to determine what’s right. We may deem other people’s imperfections worse than our own, but that does not give us the right to take away their children and indoctrinate them according to our own perceived perfection —“
At this, Ms. No-Bread stood and blurted out, “What about people who abuse their children? How will we ever know if they aren’t in school?”
Mother nodded. “Child abuse is a horrible thing, but most abused children already attend state schools where the abuse goes unnoticed or even ignored. Some are even abused in schools without any repercussions. But again, are we prepared to monitor all families because a few do wrong? Is that what you would want if you had children?”
Ms. No-Bread didn’t respond. She sat down and glared out a window.
“People are not perfect,” Mother said. “There is plenty that needs to be done to help parents do their job better. But that is not the role of the state. The perfecting of imperfect human beings by their fellow imperfect human beings should be done by persuasion, not coercion.”
Brother had drifted off to sleep and Mother shifted him on her lap so his head rested more comfortably against her shoulder. A heavy silence hung in the atmosphere, one of thoughtfulness.
“I won’t take much more of your time,” Mother said. “But I would like to emphasize that I did not bring children into the world to fulfill someone else’s vision for the future. As you well know, there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of competing visions within education circles. And, as I’m also sure you know, the winning theories are those of people with the most will and money to influence politicians and others in authority. The law then attempts to take my children by force and make them submit to the winner’s ideology. The only thing that stands between this grasp for my children and their freedom is their father and me. If I won’t protect them, who will? So, yes, even if it meant breaking the law, I would protect my children from becoming pawns in this deadly game of who is most perfect and therefore justified in taking away the children to prepare them for the correct future.”
Brother stirred and looked around. “Are we done yet?” he asked. The judge stood and ruffled Brother’s hair. “Yes, son, we’re done. Go home and learn all you can so you can make as convincing a case for freedom as your mother has done.”
Brother leapt from Mother’s lap, ran over to Ms. No-Bread and threw his arms around her. “You can come visit us sometime,” he said. “We can give you roast beef instead of bread.”
Ms. No-Bread looked bewildered and embarrassed, but also a little less stern. A tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded as Brother ran back to his mother.
Tammy Drennan homeschooled her own sons from 1985 to 2003. She has worked as a homeschool leader, tutor, workshop leader and writer since 1986. Visit her blog and her web site.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/mr-pointy-nose-returns/
Sister heard the knock on the door first, but Brother beat her to it. It was Mr. Pointy Nose, the truant officer who had visited many months earlier with dire warnings about homeschooling and had left a friend, with a bread recipe.
“It’s the man from the state!” Brother yelled. Mother rushed from the kitchen with Baby on her hip and sighed in relief when she saw their guest. “Please, come in,” she said.
Mr. Pointy Nose took a chair in the living room and Sister went for refreshments.
“What brings you all the way out here again?” Mother asked.
“Well,” said Mr. Pointy Nose, “two things, actually. First, I wanted to let you know that I’ve quit my job and I’m moving to Montana.”
Mother was surprised. Brother was ecstatic. “Oh, wow! Montana! That’s a big state! They have a lot of steer and horses and even buffalo. Can we come visit you?”
Mother signaled Brother to calm down. “What will you do in Montana?” she asked Mr. Pointy Nose.
“I have a brother who owns a ranch out there. I thought I’d try my hand at cattle herding.” He smiled sheepishly, as if he knew how unsuited for such work he seemed. “It’s always good to learn new things,” he added.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Mother said.
“Can we visit?” Brother asked again, ignoring Mother’s warning glare.
“I’d be happy to have you,” Mr. Pointy Nose said, “but you know it’s hundreds of miles from here.” Brother nodded and ran for an encyclopedia.
“On a more serious note,” Mr. Pointy Nose continued, “A new truant officer has been assigned, and I’m afraid she won’t be so easily won over. She’s on a low-carb diet.”
Mother burst into laughter. Mr. Pointy Nose was starting his new life with a new sense of humor.
“Really,” Mr. Pointy Nose said, “she’s a tough one. Takes her job and herself very seriously. I didn’t want you to be surprised.”
Mother thanked Mr. Pointy Nose for the heads-up and wrapped some homemade strudel for his journey. He left amidst wishes of good luck and even some hugs.
After the children were in bed, Mother and Father talked long into the night. Sister and Brother tip-toed out of their room and sat in the hallway for many moments watching the light under their parents’ door and worrying in whispers about the new truant officer. They weren’t doing anything wrong, of course. As a matter of fact, they were doing many things quite right. But they worried nonetheless.
The family didn’t have to wait long to meet the new truant officer. She showed up at their door two days after Mr. Pointy Nose. “Ms. No-Bread” the children decided to call her in private, even after Mother gave them a disapproving look. “Well,” Sister said, “it’s not mean. She doesn’t like to eat bread, does she?”
Ms. No-Bread was tall and even sterner than Mr. Pointy Nose had let on. After a brief and official introduction, she announced, “Your children belong in school.”
“My children are in school,” Mother said calmly. “We homeschool.”
“We live at school,” Brother added, even as Sister tugged at the back of his shirt. Brother was only seven and still not very good at knowing when he should keep quiet.
Ms. No-Bread’s eyebrows drew together until they touched. “That’s not school and it’s not legal.”
Mother turned and handed Baby to Sister. “I think there must be a misunderstanding,” she said when she turned back to Ms. No-Bread. “Homeschooling is perfectly legal and has been very good for my children.”
Ms. No-Bread harrumphed and stomped back to her car, warning, “We’ll see about that!”
The next day, the family was served with papers to appear in court. That night, Mother and Father stayed up late talking again. Sister and Brother sat in the hall again. Brother fumed, “I should have set a trap for that lady.”
“What would you do with her if you caught her?” Sister asked.
Brother thought this over for a long time. “I would get Daddy to drive her far away and leave her there. In Montana.”
Sister laughed. “That wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do to Mr. Pointy Nose.”
The day of their hearing arrived and the whole family went together. Brother was under orders to be on his best behavior. Father and Mother had decided they would represent themselves and that Mother would speak for the family.
Ms. No-Bread presented her case before the judge, then shocked the family by asking that the children be removed to foster care while the case was under investigation. It was with great effort that Mother gathered her wits to speak.
“Your honor,” she said, when it was her turn. “I’m sure this lady has the best of intentions, and I’m glad she cares so much about children.” Mother held her breath for a second.
“Our family has been homeschooling for nine years,” Mother continued. “I have to be honest and tell you that we would do it with or without the blessing of the state, but it does happen that homeschooling is legal in our state and that we are not in violation of the law.”
The judge leaned forward. Mother hoped she hadn’t shocked him, or offended his sense of authority. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brother lean forward, too. He and Sister were sitting on the front row, because they had begged to be close to Mother — just in case. Father sat near the back with Baby, because Baby wasn’t always very quiet. Only a handful of others sat scattered about the courtroom — two other homeschool families who had come to support Mother and Father, and some people there for their own hearings.
“You’re telling me,” the judge said, more surprised than angry, “that you would knowingly break the law if it didn’t suit you?”
Mother cleared her throat. “Yes, your honor, I would. You see, a law that forcibly takes children from their parents to be educated by the state is both unconstitutional and unconscionable. For the good of my children and for the sake of liberty, I would be forced to choose what is right over what politicians had concluded should be the fate of my children.”
The judge was rapt now. He gathered his robes and descended from his bench. Ms. No-Bread gasped.
The judge motioned for Mother to sit in a nearby chair and he took one opposite her. “Please, continue,” he said. Ms. No-Bread tried to protest, but the judge motioned her to sit also. “Doesn’t this fascinate you?” he asked her.
Brother could contain himself no longer and ran to his mother and sat on her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and spoke.
“I know that many parents feel intimidated by the state system of education, but they do have the right to choose freedom. It’s wrong for the state to take children by force. It’s wrong for it to force its own curriculum and ideology on children, its own vision of the future, its own agenda for society. It’s the role of citizens to create their own future, based on their own individual visions. That’s how we came to be the United States of America and the freest nation on earth. The people, not the state, created America. Now the government has decided the people can no longer be trusted — not even to raise their own children.”
Ms. No-Bread rose to protest again, but the judge interrupted her. “What do you think of this, ma’am?”
Ms. No-Bread stuttered a few incoherent words and sat down.
“Go on,” the judge said to Mother. “You have my interest.”
“Your honor,” Mother went on, “the state is our servant, not our master. Since when does the servant order the master to turn over his children and threaten to lock him up if he won’t?”
The judge looked thoughtful. “But some parents, all too many, maybe, won’t see to their children’s education as they should. In the long run, that costs the state money — welfare, prisons, tax revenues.”
Mother looked doubtful. “Maybe,” she said. “On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine it getting much worse than it is now — with most children in state schools. Could it be that the state has taken on a job never intended to fall to it and is paying the consequences? The family is not some program instituted by politicians. It’s the natural way of life, a law of nature, so to speak. Laws of nature are usually violated at considerable risk to the offender.”
The judge leaned back in his chair. “Whoa. You’ve given this some thought. Go on.”
“Maybe,” Mother said, “much of the dysfunction we see in society today is because the state has taken over the role of parents. Maybe state schooling is actually a major cause of our problems, for the very reason that it defies the laws of nature.”
“But,” the judge began.
Mother held up her hand. “Please, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make one more point.”
The judge nodded and Ms. No-Bread looked as if she might cry, or maybe explode.
“A few people argue that because some parents will fail to see to their children’s education all children should be forced into state schools. This seems an odd line of reasoning to me. What else do we apply it to? Do we require children to be nourished by the state because some parents will feed them poorly? Poor nutrition costs the state — in healthcare, lost taxes from lost earnings, and welfare. Do we force all adults to exercise daily? Adult lethargy costs the state plenty. Do we monitor the daily activities of all citizens because some will commit crimes? Crime costs the state a tremendous amount of money. Why the preemptive action against potential imperfections in parent-controlled education but nowhere else?”
The judge rubbed his chin. “That’s a good question. Why, indeed?” He turned to Ms. No-Bread. “What do you think?”
“I don’t think,” she snapped. “I just do my job. Smarter people than me came up with this system.”
The judge turned to Mother and raised his eyebrows.
“The history of our system is another story,” she said, “and there’s not time to get into it now. But common sense serves just as well to determine what’s right. We may deem other people’s imperfections worse than our own, but that does not give us the right to take away their children and indoctrinate them according to our own perceived perfection —“
At this, Ms. No-Bread stood and blurted out, “What about people who abuse their children? How will we ever know if they aren’t in school?”
Mother nodded. “Child abuse is a horrible thing, but most abused children already attend state schools where the abuse goes unnoticed or even ignored. Some are even abused in schools without any repercussions. But again, are we prepared to monitor all families because a few do wrong? Is that what you would want if you had children?”
Ms. No-Bread didn’t respond. She sat down and glared out a window.
“People are not perfect,” Mother said. “There is plenty that needs to be done to help parents do their job better. But that is not the role of the state. The perfecting of imperfect human beings by their fellow imperfect human beings should be done by persuasion, not coercion.”
Brother had drifted off to sleep and Mother shifted him on her lap so his head rested more comfortably against her shoulder. A heavy silence hung in the atmosphere, one of thoughtfulness.
“I won’t take much more of your time,” Mother said. “But I would like to emphasize that I did not bring children into the world to fulfill someone else’s vision for the future. As you well know, there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of competing visions within education circles. And, as I’m also sure you know, the winning theories are those of people with the most will and money to influence politicians and others in authority. The law then attempts to take my children by force and make them submit to the winner’s ideology. The only thing that stands between this grasp for my children and their freedom is their father and me. If I won’t protect them, who will? So, yes, even if it meant breaking the law, I would protect my children from becoming pawns in this deadly game of who is most perfect and therefore justified in taking away the children to prepare them for the correct future.”
Brother stirred and looked around. “Are we done yet?” he asked. The judge stood and ruffled Brother’s hair. “Yes, son, we’re done. Go home and learn all you can so you can make as convincing a case for freedom as your mother has done.”
Brother leapt from Mother’s lap, ran over to Ms. No-Bread and threw his arms around her. “You can come visit us sometime,” he said. “We can give you roast beef instead of bread.”
Ms. No-Bread looked bewildered and embarrassed, but also a little less stern. A tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded as Brother ran back to his mother.
Tammy Drennan homeschooled her own sons from 1985 to 2003. She has worked as a homeschool leader, tutor, workshop leader and writer since 1986. Visit her blog and her web site.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/mr-pointy-nose-returns/
Friday, September 3, 2010
Got to read this! Mr.Pointy Nose
Mr. Pointy Nose
Once upon a time, there lived a happy family in a great wood: Mother and Father, Brother, Sister and Baby. Father went off to work each day, and Mother planted seeds and tended her garden and loved her children and taught them to read and write. At night, when Father came home, the family sang songs and laughed and played together.
One day while Father was away at work, a knock came at the door of the family’s home. Mother opened the door and found a stern man with sharp teeth and a very pointy nose standing on the doorstep.
“May I help you?” Mother asked.
“I am here,” snarled the man, “to inspect your home and your children.”
Mother was surprised. “Whatever for?” she asked.
“It has been reported,” snapped Mr. Pointy Nose, “that you do not institutionalize your children, as is the norm. It has been reported that you spend an abnormal amount of time with your children, and you have been seen laughing with them, and they with you. It has been reported that your teen child is not embarrassed to be seen with you and that she smiles while working in your garden and hanging laundry. I will have to inspect your house and ask you some questions.”
Mother invited Mr. Pointy Nose in and offered him a cup of tea. Mr. Pointy Nose pulled a great pile of papers from his briefcase and began asking important questions: “How many television sets do you own, how often do you dine out, why do you have so many books, what do you have against institutions, why do you grow your own food, do your children know who Madonna is, how about Beavis and Butthead?”
Mother was very kind and reassuring: “We have one television set in the closet,” she told Mr. Pointy Nose, “and we dine outside several times a week in nice weather. We have so many books because we love to read. We have no personal grudge against institutions — we simply choose not to institutionalize. We grow food to eat, and of course my children know who the Madonna is. I’m not sure what a beavis is, and while butthead is a rather crude term, I have known a few.”
Mr. Pointy Nose seemed insulted by this last statement and jumped up in a huff. “I must speak with your children,” he announced.
Mother called Brother and Sister. Baby was too young to speak. Brother was six years old and Sister was 13. Mr. Pointy Nose asked Brother, “Have you ever heard of Beavis and Butthead?”
“Yes,” said Brother. “We have beavers in the creek, and Butthead is my uncle’s boss.”
Sister giggled, but Mr. Pointy Nose was not amused. He addressed Brother again. “Do your parents ever yell at you?”
“You better believe it!” said Brother. “One time I climbed clear to the top of a 30 foot tree, and Dad yelled and yelled at me to stay up there till he could climb up, too. He doesn’t get much time to climb trees, and I think he yelled so much ’cause he was excited at the chance.”
Mr. Pointy Nose turned in disgust and asked Sister, “Wouldn’t you like to be institutionalized with other children your age?”
“Well, most of my friends are institutionalized,” Sister told him. “And I haven’t been too impressed with it. They can hardly read anything — they don’t even like Charles Dickens. And they all hate history and math. I like playing jump rope with them in the evening, but they talk about the most boring things, like clothes and make-up and what’s on TV, and… oh — I know who Beavis and Butthead are. Do you know who Mr. Pickwick is?”
“No,” said Mr. Pointy Nose curtly. “What sort of music do you listen to?”
“Oh, Beethoven is my favorite. Did you know he went deaf and just kept on writing music?”
“No,” said Mr. Pointy Nose impatiently. “Why don’t you listen to popular teenage music?”
Sister was surprised that a grown-up would ask such a question, but she answered as politely as possible, “Because it sounds simply wretched.”
“Wretched! Wretched!?” screeched Mr. Pointy Nose. “That is not a seventh grade word! Where did you learn it?”
Mother had been in the kitchen preparing a snack of homemade bread and strawberry preserves. When she heard Mr. Pointy Nose screech, she rushed to the living room. “What’s wretched?” she asked, a little alarmed.
“This child,” Mr. Pointy Nose said indignantly, “correctly used the word wretched.”
“Oh, I’m sure she wasn’t referring to you,” Mother said gently. “Here, have some fresh bread and jam.”
Mr. Pointy Nose looked at the tray in Mother’s hands suspiciously, then cautiously took her offering. As he ate he began to relax a little. “You made this yourself?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” said Mother.
“And I helped,” chimed in Sister. Then she added, “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t know you had an aversion to that word, or I would never have said it.”
“Aversion?” Mr. Pointy Nose sighed. He slumped in his chair and looked at Mother. “How do you ever expect your children to fit into the world if you don’t institutionalize them, and you encourage them to develop advanced vocabularies and you teach them self-sufficiency. This does not coincide with the new way — they must follow the new standards.”
Mother looked at Mr. Pointy Nose thoughtfully. “I appreciate your apparent concern, kind sir,” she said, ” but you see, I am not raising children to follow standards — I am raising them to set standards.”
Mr. Pointy Nose looked around in a musing way and murmured, “Yes, yes. I can see that.” He left with a bread recipe and an invitation to visit again some time.
Tammy Drennan homeschooled her own sons from 1985 to 2003. She has worked as a homeschool leader, tutor, workshop leader and writer since 1986. Visit her blog and her web site.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/mr-pointy-nose/
Once upon a time, there lived a happy family in a great wood: Mother and Father, Brother, Sister and Baby. Father went off to work each day, and Mother planted seeds and tended her garden and loved her children and taught them to read and write. At night, when Father came home, the family sang songs and laughed and played together.
One day while Father was away at work, a knock came at the door of the family’s home. Mother opened the door and found a stern man with sharp teeth and a very pointy nose standing on the doorstep.
“May I help you?” Mother asked.
“I am here,” snarled the man, “to inspect your home and your children.”
Mother was surprised. “Whatever for?” she asked.
“It has been reported,” snapped Mr. Pointy Nose, “that you do not institutionalize your children, as is the norm. It has been reported that you spend an abnormal amount of time with your children, and you have been seen laughing with them, and they with you. It has been reported that your teen child is not embarrassed to be seen with you and that she smiles while working in your garden and hanging laundry. I will have to inspect your house and ask you some questions.”
Mother invited Mr. Pointy Nose in and offered him a cup of tea. Mr. Pointy Nose pulled a great pile of papers from his briefcase and began asking important questions: “How many television sets do you own, how often do you dine out, why do you have so many books, what do you have against institutions, why do you grow your own food, do your children know who Madonna is, how about Beavis and Butthead?”
Mother was very kind and reassuring: “We have one television set in the closet,” she told Mr. Pointy Nose, “and we dine outside several times a week in nice weather. We have so many books because we love to read. We have no personal grudge against institutions — we simply choose not to institutionalize. We grow food to eat, and of course my children know who the Madonna is. I’m not sure what a beavis is, and while butthead is a rather crude term, I have known a few.”
Mr. Pointy Nose seemed insulted by this last statement and jumped up in a huff. “I must speak with your children,” he announced.
Mother called Brother and Sister. Baby was too young to speak. Brother was six years old and Sister was 13. Mr. Pointy Nose asked Brother, “Have you ever heard of Beavis and Butthead?”
“Yes,” said Brother. “We have beavers in the creek, and Butthead is my uncle’s boss.”
Sister giggled, but Mr. Pointy Nose was not amused. He addressed Brother again. “Do your parents ever yell at you?”
“You better believe it!” said Brother. “One time I climbed clear to the top of a 30 foot tree, and Dad yelled and yelled at me to stay up there till he could climb up, too. He doesn’t get much time to climb trees, and I think he yelled so much ’cause he was excited at the chance.”
Mr. Pointy Nose turned in disgust and asked Sister, “Wouldn’t you like to be institutionalized with other children your age?”
“Well, most of my friends are institutionalized,” Sister told him. “And I haven’t been too impressed with it. They can hardly read anything — they don’t even like Charles Dickens. And they all hate history and math. I like playing jump rope with them in the evening, but they talk about the most boring things, like clothes and make-up and what’s on TV, and… oh — I know who Beavis and Butthead are. Do you know who Mr. Pickwick is?”
“No,” said Mr. Pointy Nose curtly. “What sort of music do you listen to?”
“Oh, Beethoven is my favorite. Did you know he went deaf and just kept on writing music?”
“No,” said Mr. Pointy Nose impatiently. “Why don’t you listen to popular teenage music?”
Sister was surprised that a grown-up would ask such a question, but she answered as politely as possible, “Because it sounds simply wretched.”
“Wretched! Wretched!?” screeched Mr. Pointy Nose. “That is not a seventh grade word! Where did you learn it?”
Mother had been in the kitchen preparing a snack of homemade bread and strawberry preserves. When she heard Mr. Pointy Nose screech, she rushed to the living room. “What’s wretched?” she asked, a little alarmed.
“This child,” Mr. Pointy Nose said indignantly, “correctly used the word wretched.”
“Oh, I’m sure she wasn’t referring to you,” Mother said gently. “Here, have some fresh bread and jam.”
Mr. Pointy Nose looked at the tray in Mother’s hands suspiciously, then cautiously took her offering. As he ate he began to relax a little. “You made this yourself?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” said Mother.
“And I helped,” chimed in Sister. Then she added, “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t know you had an aversion to that word, or I would never have said it.”
“Aversion?” Mr. Pointy Nose sighed. He slumped in his chair and looked at Mother. “How do you ever expect your children to fit into the world if you don’t institutionalize them, and you encourage them to develop advanced vocabularies and you teach them self-sufficiency. This does not coincide with the new way — they must follow the new standards.”
Mother looked at Mr. Pointy Nose thoughtfully. “I appreciate your apparent concern, kind sir,” she said, ” but you see, I am not raising children to follow standards — I am raising them to set standards.”
Mr. Pointy Nose looked around in a musing way and murmured, “Yes, yes. I can see that.” He left with a bread recipe and an invitation to visit again some time.
Tammy Drennan homeschooled her own sons from 1985 to 2003. She has worked as a homeschool leader, tutor, workshop leader and writer since 1986. Visit her blog and her web site.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/mr-pointy-nose/
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine freebies
Every weekday in September The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is offering a freebie! They offer wonderful e-books on a number of subjects! You'll want to keep you eye out for this! They also have a Facebook page so you can keep up with them!
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| The Old Schoolhouse Magazine |
Great Article on Accountability!
THEY’LL LOVE YOU FOR HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE
© 2000 By Jim Fay
Your life and that of your kids can be better if you hold your children accountable for
their misdeeds. Many parents want to do this, but hold back out of fear their kids will see
them as being mean. Love and Logic® offers the secret to holding kids accountable and
actually leaving children liking their parents better. You can ease into this with the
“E’s” of Love and Logic.
The art of becoming a Love and Logic parent is to tap into the two ways children learn
best. The first is by copying and modeling after their parents. Here we see the first
“E” of Love and Logic — example. Kids learn more from what they are shown than
what they are told.
The next way we learn is through experience, the second “E” of Love and Logic.
Our mistakes become our best teachers. Unfortunately many parents, in the heat of the
moment, close their children’s minds to learning through experience by resorting to
anger, threats, and lectures. This switches the child’s mind into the “fight or flight” mode
of operation.
You can open your child’s mind to learning from experience by using the third “E” of
Love and Logic — empathy. This is the secret to causing your youngster to like you
better after you have had to discipline. A heavy dose of empathy before holding children
accountable will go a long way to helping them learn from their misdeeds. And it will do
wonders for your relationships with them.
Let’s say Junior wrecks the family car. When you learn about the accident, you
experience a wide range of emotions: Worry for the child’s safety, anger over his
irresponsibility, relief that he’s OK, and stress over the cost of repairs.
During the heat of the moment, parents traditionally respond in ways that actually
encourage more irresponsible behavior. Some parents get angry, lecture, and threaten.
Some parents rush to the rescue and blame others. Allowing kids to misbehave without
logical consequences creates irresponsible children who make bigger and bigger mistakes
as they grow older. These kids aren’t much fun to be around.
Love and Logic parents approach a situation such as the wrecked car with a belief that
mistakes are great practice for the real world. In the real world of adults, no one will be
around to lecture Junior about his irresponsibility. However, there will be responsibilities
for the cost of repair and the inconvenience of the loss of transportation.
This is the point at which the Love and Logic parent opens their child’s mind and heart
to learn from the consequences. They provide a heavy dose of empathy to match
the consequence.
“Oh, son, we’re so glad you weren’t hurt. We bet you feel just awful about this. But not
to worry, you’ll be driving again some day, just as soon as you get the damage paid for.
Now give us a hug.”
Notice the child in this situation is going to have a difficult time seeing his parents as
being mean. Junior doesn’t get a chance to be defensive. He can feel his parent’s love.
The “bad guy” is his bad decision. His parents are the “good guys.” His mind is now
open to learn from his mistakes.
Look for an opportunity to experiment with this Love and Logic technique. You’ll be
amazed at the power of this approach.
# # #
Jim Fay is co-founder of the Love and Logic Institute® in Golden, Colo., and co-author of the
best-selling book, Parenting with Love and Logic. For more information about Love and Logic
parenting techniques, call 1-800-LUV-LOGIC or visit www.loveandlogic.com.
© 2000 By Jim Fay
Your life and that of your kids can be better if you hold your children accountable for
their misdeeds. Many parents want to do this, but hold back out of fear their kids will see
them as being mean. Love and Logic® offers the secret to holding kids accountable and
actually leaving children liking their parents better. You can ease into this with the
“E’s” of Love and Logic.
The art of becoming a Love and Logic parent is to tap into the two ways children learn
best. The first is by copying and modeling after their parents. Here we see the first
“E” of Love and Logic — example. Kids learn more from what they are shown than
what they are told.
The next way we learn is through experience, the second “E” of Love and Logic.
Our mistakes become our best teachers. Unfortunately many parents, in the heat of the
moment, close their children’s minds to learning through experience by resorting to
anger, threats, and lectures. This switches the child’s mind into the “fight or flight” mode
of operation.
You can open your child’s mind to learning from experience by using the third “E” of
Love and Logic — empathy. This is the secret to causing your youngster to like you
better after you have had to discipline. A heavy dose of empathy before holding children
accountable will go a long way to helping them learn from their misdeeds. And it will do
wonders for your relationships with them.
Let’s say Junior wrecks the family car. When you learn about the accident, you
experience a wide range of emotions: Worry for the child’s safety, anger over his
irresponsibility, relief that he’s OK, and stress over the cost of repairs.
During the heat of the moment, parents traditionally respond in ways that actually
encourage more irresponsible behavior. Some parents get angry, lecture, and threaten.
Some parents rush to the rescue and blame others. Allowing kids to misbehave without
logical consequences creates irresponsible children who make bigger and bigger mistakes
as they grow older. These kids aren’t much fun to be around.
Love and Logic parents approach a situation such as the wrecked car with a belief that
mistakes are great practice for the real world. In the real world of adults, no one will be
around to lecture Junior about his irresponsibility. However, there will be responsibilities
for the cost of repair and the inconvenience of the loss of transportation.
This is the point at which the Love and Logic parent opens their child’s mind and heart
to learn from the consequences. They provide a heavy dose of empathy to match
the consequence.
“Oh, son, we’re so glad you weren’t hurt. We bet you feel just awful about this. But not
to worry, you’ll be driving again some day, just as soon as you get the damage paid for.
Now give us a hug.”
Notice the child in this situation is going to have a difficult time seeing his parents as
being mean. Junior doesn’t get a chance to be defensive. He can feel his parent’s love.
The “bad guy” is his bad decision. His parents are the “good guys.” His mind is now
open to learn from his mistakes.
Look for an opportunity to experiment with this Love and Logic technique. You’ll be
amazed at the power of this approach.
# # #
Jim Fay is co-founder of the Love and Logic Institute® in Golden, Colo., and co-author of the
best-selling book, Parenting with Love and Logic. For more information about Love and Logic
parenting techniques, call 1-800-LUV-LOGIC or visit www.loveandlogic.com.
Freebie of the Day!
Head on over to Homeschool Freebie of the Day and pick up the latest free item! Today's is
Also yesterday's freebie the Banana cookbook is still available! I missed checking yesterday and almost missed this great freebie!
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| Homeschool Freebie of the Day |
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Making Relationship Deposits
For the past couple of days I've been working really hard on making deposits in my 3yr old's emotional piggy bank. Now you are probably asking, what in the world is she talking about? It's a new way helping your child grow emotionally and socially. You think of making "deposits" as the kind words, word of encouragement, or compliments that you pay to your child. Then of course "withdrawals" are negative comments to the child. I have been really trying to pay attention to how many deposits that I've made in the past few days. I was surprised to find that he was making more deposits to me than I was to him! Well now that can't be right can it? Of course it can! Sometimes we are just so busy as parents that we forget to slow down and make those deposits. Oh of course we say that we love them, hug them, etc but sometimes it's those extra deposits that make all the difference! So how many deposits have YOU made today? This not only applies to your children but the other people that you come in contact with too. If you would like to read more about this, I've placed a links at the bottom to CSEFEL's main web page plus a link to the pdf for an excellent article on this. ENJOY!
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/index.html
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/modules/module1/handout5.pdf
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/index.html
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/modules/module1/handout5.pdf
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