Homeschooling Nightmares

Homeschooling Nightmares

I just liked the title of this article. Our homeschool journey nightmares consisted of busybody friends and relatives who couldn't comprehend what we were doing or didn't like what we were doing. Some treated our children like lepers but we managed quite well without their company or input. Early on, once the battle for our rights prevailed, the school officials just ignored us hoping we'd go away. We were adamant no one would deny us our constitutional rights or get in the way of our learning. I say our learning because, as a homeschooling parent, you're going to get one of the best educations you can imagine when you raise homeschoolers. You will learn alongside your children and be the wiser for it.

I know many of you are just starting out on your homeschooling journey and many of you are only partially through. Once you've raised homeschoolers into their late teen and early twenty years you'll be able to look back and reflect on that time well spent. I am convinced even if you do little or nothing to teach your children they will be far better off and better educated than if they had attended institutional training in a public school all those years. This discovery appears to be the impetus for the unschooling movement that many parents are now leaning toward.

While we were homeschooling, to us unschooling meant doing things to undo the schooling we parents had as children. We purposely tried to find ways of learning or teaching that did not resemble what was done in public school. If we were tested or graded in school we refused to test or grade at home. If we were made to raise our hand for permission to talk we refused to do the same at home. We deliberately didn't use the many trappings used in schools such as classrooms, desks, text books, study units and the like. There was no teacher and student just parents and children. Today though unschooling has taken on a whole new meaning. No longer does there seem to be a deliberate attempt at not replicating the public school. Now children are simply allowed to be the naturally growing, curious, inquisitive little creatures they are while living within their family unit and in their communities. Unschooling is no longer a way of teaching. It has become a lifestyle.

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Sarcasm, sometimes not the best choice for a given situation.

Sarcasm, sometimes not the best choice for a given situation.

Just a quick snapshot of unschooled life from the crazychicknlady. Cute!

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Off with their heads...the youth of the world will unite

Watch the Net Neutrality Act.

The youth of the world are attending colleges for years, wracking up mounds of debt, getting worthless pieces of paper called degrees and are not able to find employment. Celente says youth have "...mountains of debt to climb and no way to get to the top." See what the National Inflation Association has to say about the 'College Bubble' here.


He also sees trends for 2011 that include alternative energies and organic food growing. Watch for roof gardens, lawn gardens and buying local. Think organic!



Austerity measures? Homeland Security hammering down? Cyber wars? Buckle up America, we're in for a bumpy ride!

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How Congress helped created the very mental illness that resulted in the Giffords shooting

How Congress helped created the very mental illness that resulted in the Giffords shooting

"This simple truth is still not widely recognized in conventional medicine, nor is it common knowledge among the American people, most of which continue to feed their children processed, nutritionally depleted junk foods. And then they wonder why little Jonny is angry all the time. So they put him on ADHD drugs, SSRI drugs and other psychiatric chemicals. Before long, little Jonny is emptying a 30-round magazine into his classmates at school. And the parents, teachers, Sheriffs and members of Congress stand around scratching their heads, wondering to themselves, "Why does this happen?" So they blame Rush Limbaugh."

Is there a way out of all this? Is Congress so far removed from our day to day lives as parents they can legislate us into oblivion? Maybe it's time we all take a breath, sit down and really think about our lives. Do we truly need to be this hurried and in possession of mountains of 'stuff' and debt? Less is more as we would say in the theater. It may be time to bring the children home, simplify our lives and live in accordance with nature. We need to focus our attentions on our children and grandchildren as though they were the only ones on this earth. When I say 'our' children I don't mean the ones the government thinks belong to the village! Just my opinion.
 

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Bill Ayers, communist provided Arizona shooter's curriculum?

Bill Ayers, communist provided Arizona shooter's curriculum?

It is so sad that it takes a tragedy to make people aware of what students are being taught in public schools nowadays. Do even half the parents know what their children are learning in school each day?

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New Jersey Town's Education Board To Vote On Middle School Drug Tests CBS New York – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of NY

New Jersey Town's Education Board To Vote On Middle School Drug Tests CBS New York – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of NY

"The program is voluntary and both parents and students must consent. School officials said it was important to note that if a student tested positive, they would not be suspended or have the results sent to the police."

No, the results will just end up on the internet somewhere for the whole world to see! You better believe the results will be made public at some point in the child's life.

"A number of parents and students in the close-knit town said they would be signing up for the testing."

What are they thinking? Why would they give up their constitutional rights so easily?

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First Look at the Groundbreaking Documentary *Class Dismissed: Education and the Rise of Homeschooling in America*

First Look at the Groundbreaking Documentary *Class Dismissed: Education and the Rise of Homeschooling in America*

This is a huge milestone for homeschooling in America. Can't wait to view the film.

Growing Up Unschooled...With Siblings

Growing Up Unschooled...With Siblings

"To me, one of the greatest benefits of unschooling is the relationships I've developed with my family, which I definitely attribute at least in part to unschooling. When in school, siblings spend every day apart from each other, in separate grades, classrooms, and even schools (though seeing as you're not supposed to be socializing in class, I suppose it wouldn't make much of a difference if siblings where in the same class, anyway). Evenings are usually spent doing homework, or spending time with other friends. There's a stigma attached to hanging out with people of different ages, and I've definitely also encountered a stigma to liking family members. To many young people, actually liking a sibling enough to spend time with them just isn't cool."

This 20 year old author expresses her experience growing up unschooled with her sister well. She seems very insightful for such a young writer.

Personally, I grew up on a mountain top with 9 siblings. We were shuffled off to public school against my parent's better judgment, but the law was the law back in the 50's, 60's and 70's. However, our time at home and out of school was spent bonding, learning lifelong skills we would truly need, and developing a camaraderie that to this day is unbreakable. Even as a child to me public school didn't make sense. What we did or learned there was useless to real life application, and relationships were solely based on the one thing we all had in common...attending public school. I've learned it's the socializing you do outside of schooling that matters most and creates the true bonds of friendship and love.

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Homeschoolers hit two million, 4% of all students

Homeschoolers hit two million, 4% of all students

"Today, homeschoolers can be found in all walks of life and with a wide variety of curriculum options, and a proven record of academic as well as social success, homeschooling is rapidly becoming a mainstream education alternative."

This doesn't account for the thousands of us who are undocumented. Some of us have just gone about our business of raising our children without state involvement and the needless paperwork that goes with it.

Doctors prescribe but parents give permission to administer

Thousands of children are prescribed these lethal medications by doctors every day but isn't permission needed from the parent to administer them? Why would a parent do this? Concern? Ignorance? Convenience? Lazy parenting? Stupidity? Stop and think!

So, maybe you gave birth to a child and you no longer have custody. Does your responsibility as a parent end there? How can you not hold yourself accountable when others in this world are medicating your child? A parent is a parent for life no matter the circumstances, the same way abortion does not stop you from becoming a mother or father. Abortion simply makes you the mother or father of a dead baby. But I digress so I'll save that topic for another day.

We all need to stop listening to doctors, politicians, the media and the money mongers who promote the dissolution of the family and the murder of unborn children. Be prepared to fight for your child's health, happiness and well being or don't become a parent. In case you haven't heard sex leads to pregnancy so either take precautions or get married. Yes, this sounds harsh but it's time we humans stop making excuses for our lack of self-discipline, lack of responsibility and lack of caring for our offspring. It saddens me to see videos like this and I don't like being sad.

Since when did human life become so worthless that we think so little of our own who are born to us. Parenting is the most difficult but the most enriching task you will ever undertake. Why would you give up that calling and privilege to others who would do your child harm?

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If your child has been labeled you NEED to see this!

I've been screaming about labeling at the top of my lungs for over 30 years but no one was listening. Finally, others are catching on and speaking out too. Labeling was going on even while I was in school in the 60's and 70's but fortunately the psychiatric industry wasn't involved yet. Schooling was the main source of our frustrations and anxieties back then and still is for thousands of children today. When there is a buck to be made off children you can bet the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industries will be first in line with their hand out. This short video has got to be one of the most inspirational messages I've ever seen that gives me hope for the millions of children in America and around the world. Labeling children...we've got to stop this insanity!

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Public schools NOT failing but succeeding quite well at destroying kids!

"Education is under siege today, but more importantly children and education are under siege today in our public schools."    John Whitehead

Who is the real bully here?

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NH high school bans safe-sex kits over contents - KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |

NH high school bans safe-sex kits over contents - KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |

"Bruce Barlow of the Monadnock (moh-NAD'-nahk) High School board in Swanzey says school officials had approved the distribution but didn't know the contents."

Say what?! Didn't anyone look to see what the kits contained? Maybe the adults on the board were too embarrassed by the subject matter to take a peek. So they decided to just shove these at unsuspecting underage children without first vetting the contents? Geeeeeeeeeesh!

"The group has been banned from the school district."

Don't worry, they'll be back once the initial storm dissipates.

American Civil War 150th Anniversary

Are you aware the American Civil War began 150 years ago this year? Send your homeschooler to the Civil War Preservation Trust website to learn all about it. See how well they know Civil War facts by taking this Gettysburg quiz or the Robert E. Lee quiz. Can your unschooler pronounce the word: Sesquicentennial?

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Why Obama is ineligible – regardless of his birthplace

Why Obama is ineligible – regardless of his birthplace

"The term "native born citizen" has been erroneously substituted for "natural born citizen" by numerous commentators. Mr. Morse correctly points out that the two are not synonymous. His article also proves once again that Chester Arthur's dual nationality was hidden from the public. There would have been no point in writing the article – which doesn't mention Chester Arthur – had the nation previously condoned a president born with dual allegiance."

New Study: Homeschooling Still Growing - National Homeschooling | Examiner.com

New Study: Homeschooling Still Growing - National Homeschooling | Examiner.com

This is a round about way to the NHERI's report but the Examiner has some interesting points to make in its synopsis. There are some links to other interesting articles about homeschooling as well.

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If you think college grads are going to save the world think again!

UCLA is ranked as one of the top 25 colleges and universities in the US. I don't think this is isolated to UCLA because these students are from all over the world. Wonder how many of these students were honor graduates at their high school. Would love to hear their answers for other topics.

You really need to hear what the young woman at the end of this video wants to do when she graduates. That is some seriously scary stuff!

Homeschooling as a Single Parent

Homeschooling as a Single Parent

It can be done and with great success. Just takes some forethought and creativity, not to mention desire to accomplish your goal of homeschooling your child. Most of the time letting others know how determined you are to do this will give family members and friends incentive to pitch in and help. Go for it!

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Grandparents can homeschool too

The author of this short article barely delves into the benefits of having grandparents involved with homeschooling their grandchildren. This could be incentive for me to elaborate further how grandparents can be beneficial to their grandchild's homeschooling in a future post. Let me think on that awhile.

"For the grandparent, dwelling schooling their grandchildren is typically a opportunity for interaction. Being in a position to spend endless hours in the company of a grandchild will be the principal incentive for many grandparents, though you will discover other benefits."

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NEA celebrates 'drag queen' teachers (OneNewsNow.com)

NEA celebrates 'drag queen' teachers (OneNewsNow.com)

Why am I not surprised.