Continuing on from Rants, Raves and Comments - part 1 and part 2
7/13/2006 2:29 PM JEANNE said...
"Home-schooled kids won’t be subject to drugs, bullies, violence, or peer pressure, as they are in public schools. Home-schooled children who are “different” in any way won’t have to endure cruel jokes and taunts from other children in their classes. [Note: this is a comment from Joel Turtel.]
"THIS IS THE REAL WORLD. I HATE TO SEE ANY MALADJUSTED ADULTS AFTER YOU GET DONE WITH THEM.
FACT: As a group, homeschooled children become very well adjusted adults.
The study by Brian D. Ray, Ph.D provides a good look at the adult life of homeschoolers.
* 71% of the home-educated were participating in any ongoing community service activity, while 37% of similarly aged U.S. adults and 39% of all U.S. adults did so.
* 74.2% of the home-educated had attained some college courses or higher versus 46.2% of general U.S. population in the same age range.
* Home-educated adults are more civically involved than the general population.
* Home-educated college students reported a binge drinking rate of less than 3%, in comparison to the 44% of U.S. college students.
TIME TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO DEAL WITH REALITY. THIS IS REALITY, AS MY MOTHER USED TO SAY.
FACT: Public school doesn't resemble adult reality.
As a adult, no one calls me names (well, except on this blog). I'm not bullied. I'm not forced to spend all day with people exactly my age. If someone were to mistreatment me, I am free to leave and go some place else. I only read the books I want to read. No body cares how I do my hair or if I have the "right" clothes. I don't worry that I'm too tall, too short, too thin, too fat or too smart to fit in with the "in" crowd. Heck, I don't even know of an "in" crowd. I'm not forced to listen to vulgar conversations about what someone did last weekend while they were drunk.
Sheltering children is wrong and abuse
FACT: It's the parents job to protect children while teaching them how to protect themselves.
Suicide, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy demonstrate how children respond to situations they aren't prepared to handle. Throwing a child into the deep end of a pool is not the same thing as teaching them how to swim. My children are not at home hiding under the bed. They are out in the world learning how to be adults while enjoying parental supervision and protection.
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Related Tags: homeschooling, standardized testing, school
10 comments:
Janine, have I told you that, "you rock!"
Really, these are perfect answers. I have no idea how you resisted the urge to heap scorn upon the ignorant! No, I should say, "the proudly ignorant!" I will be very surprised if she ever comes back here and reads your cogent and concise decimation of her "argument." She seems only interested in spewing, not in learning.
Most if not all homeschooled children are NOT sheltered. They are out and about in the real world more than their schooled peers.
My homeschooled kids have had some bullying and some other negative social experiences from schooled children that we know from our town, in Little League, in Cub Scouts, and the non-homeschooled relatives. They have also had some negative things including a little bullying from other HSers, it is interesting to note that the HSed kids who were the bullies were all pulled out of school where they were victims of bullying themselves.
It can get sticky when we do try to classify "HSed kids won't get bullied" or that type of thing, or "HSed kids don't call names", etc. becuase at least in my area some kids are in school, then come home to HS then go back to school or do all various arrangements. Some who are HSed learn bad habits and bullying from their peers.
I do not know of any family who homeschools who only makes contact with other HSers. I also don't know any HSers who interact only within their small family unit.
My childrens' worst exposure to some bad behaviors and profanity and bullying was at the hands of their first cousins, whose mother is a PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER (first was elementary, then Talented and Gifted Program for middle school and now a 7th grade teacher).
You countered those comments in an intelligent, rational and very well-thought-out way.
Wow, she really has issues doesn't she. And it says she is a teacher on her blog? Frightening! You handled that with grace and poise. :)
Wow! Great responses. I went to her blog and read a little, and all I can say is that that woman has anger problems. It is amazing how much more uplifting and encouraging this site is compared to hers. It sounds like she's just angry all the time. You were so calm and logical in your response. Good for you. By the way, I read an article linked on her blog about why homeschooling is dangerous. NONE of the author's points were backed up by any studies, where as yours were backed by both formal studies and first and second-hand experiences. It floors me how ignorant people can be about things they think are stupid. I bet if she met any of our kids she would begin to question her ideas. Stay strong fellow homeschoolers!!! We know we're doing the right thing.
Thanks for the kind comments.
Janine, thanks so much for sharing both her comments and your responses. Mama Chaos nails it when she describes your reactions as graceful and poised! Would that I could contain myself in such a measured fashion!
I have thus far restrained myself from posting a comment on her blog asking why she is so against homeschooling.
Often, when someone has such a pronounced dislike, it is based in a past unpleasant event or fear of something in the present.
I really would like to know.
I dunno. To identify maladjustment I look at signs such as using all-caps for entire phrases, not to mention sentences. Pretty reliable.
Peregrine John,
I suspect you may be right.
A common psychological response is to discount or disdain a person/group if you can NOT refute their arguments. I've really tried hard to give her the benefit of the doubt. But after her response to my emails (Rants, Raves and Oh well
), I'm forced to conclude she's just a garden variety malcontent. I'm sure there's a story behind it, but short of some inside information we'll never know.
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