Parents have to teach their kids at home, imagine that?

Hendersonville Times News ^ | 11/13/2004 | Mandy Bisland

[Marinefamilyx3]

To The Editor: I have a daughter in first grade in Henderson County schools. She gets off the bus at 4 p.m., dinner around 5:30, and bath/bed by 8 p.m.

That in itself is a busy enough night. But she has spelling words (writing 10 words five times each), reading a book (first grade, 100 words), nursery rhyme, memorization goals.

Where does family time, playtime, or just sit and stare time go? And then there are families with multiple children in school. And you can forget it if they participate in Scouts, dance, sports. There's just no time!

We spend at least 1.5 to two hours a night on homework. My child is 6 years old! With barely enough patience to sit through an episode of Pokemon.

I can't blame the teachers. Sorry, but I can't. The schools are overloaded, the classrooms at capacity. And then you throw in the language barriers, and various learning disabilities, and the teachers aren't able to do their jobs.

So we're having to do it at home. There has got to be something that can be done within our schools to get this problem under control.

[borntobeagle]

Well, I feel this way as well, there can be too much overkill in a lot of cases.

Gabz: have you tried the "bunny ears" for tying shoes? lol!

[annyokie]

BBL, I have to feed the family! {{hugs!}}

[borntobeagle]

Just to throw this bone out there....

Do you think the Southern Baptists were in the right frame of mind to try to mandate that all Southern Baptists should homeschool their children.

This was actually being considered at their last convention. Thankfully it did not pass.

I just cannot conceive the notion that a church would attempt to impose this on many families who really are not able, or want to homeschool.

I am a Southern Baptist, but I would never support my church in creating a doctrine on all of its members to homeschool their children. God gave us free will, to decide what is best for us and for HIS glory. Homeschooling is not a cookie cutter, "one-size fits all" way of living.

As you've read in previous posts, I am a homeschooler, and I think it was the best choice for my family. I promote it when I can, as an alternative to families in troubled schools for two reasons. (1) you can educate your children without government imposition on their thoughts and needs, and moralities, and (2), you can show a form of protest by not allowing the state to receive the tax dollars your children would give them.

Homeschoolers need to be careful when imposing our belief of education on others. It is not the right choice for everyone, and when we go overboard, we promote the stigma we are zealots. With that stigma, it allows our government an easy-in to examine our education choice. I personally do not want the government at my door demanding to see my children's transcripts or attendance records.

[Destro]

Even though I said it poorly - my point is not against homeschooling - more power to you. Only bringing up a point that it is not something the vast majority can undertake.

[Gabz]

LOL on the "bunny ears".........hubby has a story about a buny in it's hole and a tree or some such for the tying shoes.

There are just some things I am totally inept at.....I'm capable of teaching her how to cook and crochet but fail miserably in teaching her how to tie her shoes!

I'm human, and am the first to admit my shortcomings.

[Gabz]

I did the same - but now I'm back!!!!

[annyokie]

Sis, did you do the spare kid hand-off yet?

[Gabz]

Your point about a church mandating their members to a certain form of education is spot on target. The Southern Baptist Church mandating homeschooling is no different than the Catholic Church mandating attendance at Catholic school.

I sure as heck know neither my brother or I would have spent 12 years in Catholic schools if the Church had mandated my parents send us there. Of course many would consider my parents strange - both born and raised (and still live there) in NYC, Catholic, blue collar union (my dad was NYPD) and REPUBLICAN!!!

[Gabz]

Yes - the hand off occurred about 5:30 - however, I'm about ready to call them (again) to find out why no one has yet to show up to retreive the school bag left behind. For obvious reasons (I was still posting after 3 this morning) I want to go to bed.

[annyokie]

TG! Send the bag with J tomorrow. Get some sleep!

[Edgewood Pilot]

We drive some pretty old equipment and live in a small home.

[hindsfeetnhighplaces]

If things really worked that way you would be right. However, I know many families who tried this course and only met with a brick wall. Schools regularly allow book reports on occlutic topics but the bible is a no-no. In CA where I live some of the schools have required all children to participate in classes on the Islam religion, learning prayers etc.

The thing is that schools aren't really interested in separation of church and state but in suppressing Christianity.

Also, I didn't say anything about homeschool being an answer to too much homework. I did say that there are more important things to consider when it comes to what our children face on a daily basis.

I do think that if a parent could be a fly on the wall watching everything your child is being told and taught that you would be shocked. My Mother used to work for an elementary school and what she has told me is one of the many reasons I have chosen to homeschool.

Things were bad when I was in high school and they have gotten so much worse. Did you know that school councilors will help your daughters get an abortion and that some will even arrange for transportation to the clinic? What about sex ed? When I was in school they only thing they taught us was the phone number for the free clinic and how to put a condom on a banana. Abstinence was NEVER mentioned.
There was a school here in California that had the entire school chanting "I'm gay and it's ok" at a school wide assembly. Maybe it's just California. But somehow I doubt it. While homeschooling might not be for everyone I do believe that leaving our kids in the PS system is not the answer either. Complaining to the school board doesn't help but targeting their pocket book does. While home schoolers might be in the minority our numbers are on the rise and for good reason.

[thinkingman129]

Very eloquently stated. Particularly the last paragraph. When zealously advocating homeschooling, as many on this thread did, the concept of homeschooling appears as objectionable as the zealot's continual reassertions that one ought to consider it.

[Gabz]

I wish I could - but they go to different schools.....and at opposite ends of the county!!!!

[annyokie]

Argh! Let her careless parents make the drive tomorrow.

Check your home mail and see if you got my message. (It's all about me, yeah.)

[thinkingman129]

Very eloquently stated. Particularly the last paragraph.

When zealots continue overstating their commitment to homeschooling, they risk alienating those who believe homeschooling is a fine endeavor for families who choose to teach at home. Problem is, zealots usually don't recognize themselves in their fervor to convince others that what they are doing is ok. It IS ok that they're doing it, just don't force it down others' throats.

[luckystarmom]

The problem is that in the early grades the parent has to listen to the children read about 30 minutes a night. I have twins, so that makes me listening to them for an hour.

Then I have to give them practice spelling tests on a few nights before the weekly tests. That takes about 1/2 an hour on two nights.

Then my kids do ask questions. They need ideas for writing sentences out of their spelling words. That's more time.

Then my 5th grader has projects that need all sorts of supplies and definitely need parental supervision (filming a California mission).

It's tooo much!

[thinkingman129]

Enjoyed both of your posts! Thank you for a good day's discussion and insight. :-)

[Gabz]

I'm sorry to say - but it is people like you that give homeschoolers a bad name.

Contrary to your view, not all public school systems are ungodly amoral denizens of perversion.

[Gabz]

LOL!!!

the backpack has been picked up!! YAY!!!!!!