Posted on 12/03/2004 7:01:43 AM PST by grellis
First, I'd like to ask all of you to say a prayer for one of our moms, backinthefold, whose son broke two foot bones recently. Can we have an update, BITF?
Next...well, I'm not sure where to begin. Earlier this week a thread was run, "A Paradigm Shift in Parenting" (sorry folks, I've forgotten the html for links) in which many of the FFT parents posted comments. The discussion among FReepers on the thread began as a look at the economics of parenting, a topic which we have discussed a number of times in the past. What the discussion turned into was just ugly, on many different levels. A few of the prevailing attitudes seemed to be "I am a stay at home mom so I'm a better parent than you are;" "I homeschool my kids so I'm a better parent than you are;" "I live in an afforable community so I'm a better parent than you are"...one complete (insert expletive here) even had the raw nerve to refer to the adoptive parents of foreign-born children as traitors to America.
What goes on here? Do we realize how hurtful some of our comments are going to be before we post them and have at it anyway, or is it just that we don't think about it? Do we make an effort to try to understand someone's situation before we pass our judgement upon them? Which begs the obvious question: Who are we to judge? I freely admit that I have done this in the past. When a poster gripes about the high cost of living in their community, my first thought is "So move!" Yet, recently, when I had occasion to gripe about the slumlords in my own community, I took great offense when I was told--you guessed it--"So move!" Is there some way that we can be more supportive of the choices of other parents? If that is not possible, could we at least try to be a little more constructive in our criticism?
Is this going to be the first FFT thread in which comments are removed by the mods??!
I have a feeling I'm supposed to laugh - but since I've got no clue what you are talking about.........
The identity of the expletive poster. I got pissed an reverted to Philly grammer.
OK - gotcha!!!!!
Sis, if you have the time read that thread (Tax chick linked it at the start of this thread). I know you, and you get as steamed as me. He's on the second page and is so condescending you want to smack him through your monitor.
As Grellis said at the beginning of the thread "So Move" is his mantra.
StarCMC...I will be calling on you!!! I have learned so much about public schools lately, and I have learned that I cannot paint them all with a broad brush stroke. I especially like Annyokie's and Gabz points of view because they make public school work for their family.
They both have reminded me that they enjoy their right to choose an education that works for them as much as I do. I don't think one is better than the other, if it works for the family.
It is so hard to explain this to some people, though. I feel like I am beating my head against the wall at times. And as a homeschool mom, I literally hate being beat up by fellow homeschoolers. They have the freedom to homeschool, buyt should not have the right to dictate this form of education on everyone.
If you ever need a little back-up, PING ME!! Those of us on the family table obviously care about family and all subjects related, and I am grateful to have found and be included on this forum.
I openned tax-chick's link - I guess I better go back and re-read that second page. OTOH - There is enough there irking me as it is, should I really???
Thank you! Gabz and I have truly taken a whipping about sending our children to Public School. Both gabz and I are are well educated and have had unusual careers for women but don't feel that home-schooling is the best choice for our children.
In my case, and I speak for my only; I have a lot of things to do. It's enough to have my retired husband at home all the time, let alone two kids, three dogs and a cat.
I will speak for gabz in this; we both applaud you who homeschool but resent the living blazes out of those who wish to say we are BAD BAD mamas for sending our children to schools we pay taxes for. Our children learn much at home. I find it awfully smug for some homeschoolers to claim that all my children are learning is sex education.
My youngest just announced tonight at supper that they had decorated a Christmas tree in his classroom today and were learning carols.
All PS are not the same. Thank you again!
BTB - you sum it up so well when you comment about homeschoolers beating up on each other. SHEESH.
It's bad enough some of them (not you) beat up on public schoolers, but the idea of eating your own? That I've never understood.
If you want to get a rant on, read the whole thing! Holy moly!
I was 3/4 way through it, but now have had to go back to find the one you're talking about..........
The one BTB pinged me to this morning, which I missed, and resurrected has me on a pretty good roll........not sure I need another one at the moment.
I like FReepers - maybe I should just go harass my favorite lurkers on their sites - and vent on them instead.........
Sheesh! Talk about smug! He's the one.
How sweet about Jax and the Christmas chain.
Well, this is what really irks me. Homeschoolers have long fought for their protection of rights to homeschool.
My family has to pay for "legal insurance" to make sure we are protected in the event we have a run-in with the Public School District or the State. There are risks involved with homeschooling, and those risks vary from state to state. If a person slips up, you can be gauranteed a visit by truancy or the Department of Social Services.
These Zealots who think they are better by their choice to homeschool do not realize the consequences of their loud mouthed push to promote their agenda. If a Church, for example insinuates that all members need to homeschool their children, it really puts honest and legitimate homeschoolers at risk.
Homeschooling is not for everyone, and I truly believe there will be negative outcomes from ill-equiped parents doing what the church asks them to do. I don't want anyone knocking on my door and nosing around because there is a large influx of un-prepared homeschoolers who cannot take on the task and were probably doing well in public school to begin with.
So, I get beat up over this idea. I don't understand why the freedom we have fought for to homeschool should be shoved down everyone's throats. It disgusts me that I am out of the loop with what most families do (public school), and beat up by those who should be standing beside me.
Well, I am going to go outside for a minute for a SB (code for smoke break..hehehe).
But I wanted you to know that you both are so fortunate to have good schools who still include God.
You can Ping me anytime, and I will be glad to be there!
I thought the Christmas Chain was really cool......most especially with all the talk about public schools and no mention of Christmas.......
A HS mom who smokes will always be on my ping list!
Seriously, I have read more garbled posts from home schooling zealots that basically boil down to them being so isolationist that they may as well go burn their homes and go sit on a mountain while they wait for the Rapture.
Witty HS like you and many others on here are a different story. For Pete's sake! We live in the 21st century. You gals drive and shop. The ones who wish to hole up in a cabin with no electric are beyond help.
How hard can the world's corners be padded?
We have two, count 'em, two Nativity Scenes on public property here in Hicksville. No Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah on the bank signs.
Stars, snowflakes and candy canes on all the lamp posts, too.
Too funny! I don't think there is enough padding on the corners for as many as I've come across lately.
I had mentioned to Gabz on another thread that I have been completely out of the loop lately; I am a night-owl by nature, and I've been missing this thread on Friday mornings. I hate to miss this one in particular, there's some really nice people here, with good insights.
Sometimes, I am just going to sleep when this thread and a few others are getting started. It's too bad there isn't a "wacky parents who don't fit the mold" weekly thread that starts around 9:00 pm!
So here's my truth. I stay up late, I go outside for SB's, and I don't go to Church on a regular basis. How's that for an over-zealous homeschooler? hehehe!
I'd be willing to bet a lot of the loud mouths have their own little skeletons dangling around as well. It just makes them feel dandy to "sound" as if life is completely perfect for them.
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