Criticism of Homeschooling

So I was looking for anti-homeschooling stuff, and came across an old article

The author asked "To be specific, do you have seven hours each day to sit by and instruct your child to the fullest?" and I was all "WTF? 7 hours? For one kid?"

Truly, do kids get 7 hours of actual instruction per day in a public school classroom? Really? Seems to me that when one is dealing with a single child, as opposed to 20-30, and therefore can move on at the child's pace rather than the group's, a lot can done in a significantly shorter amount of time.

Homeschooling

So, I have become obsessed with the topic of homeschooling and have bored my interested friends to tears with it...the interested ones. Those that aren't interested just won't discuss it at all. I can find lots of pro-homeschool websites, but nothing seems to mesh, and I can't find much by way of debate.

So, I thought I'd dust off this blog and bore myself. Or post my research and thoughts as they come to me.

For the record I am most attracted to unschooling. The thing that appeals to me most is that my state is wide open...no testing, no curriculum requirements, truly I could use any teaching method, no teaching method, combine whatever shit I find, let the Kiddo take the lead. NO RULES!! No draconian attendance laws! No limiting travel to school holidays! No bullies and apathetic teachers and useless busy work!

I am having a hard time coming up with cons, personally.

In other hardass parent news

I was informed this week that there are new rules against name calling in my sister-in-law's house. "Stupid", "butthead", etc. are no longer allowed because they're hurtful. Great, that's cool and positive. What's the consequence for infractions? Is there a jar that offenders have to pay into? How about a positive chart with rewards after so many bad word free days? Time-out? Loss of privileges like their Wii or giant screen TV or time in their several-hundred-square foot, toy filled playroom?

Nope, for the 8 and 6 year olds it is hot sauce in the mouth. Tabasco to be exact. Fucking brutal in my opinion. How does that teach children not to be hurtful? Seems to me it will only teach them not to get caught.

Hardass parents

I am a bona fide hardass. I have little patience for mewling, no time for sugar coating, and no inclination to be bubbly or cheerful....but my god the way some people discipline children makes even me squirm uncomfortably. I have been to various parenting forums and read suggestions to spank, hand-smack, and time-out toddlers and even infants as young as 8 months.

I have never, for one minute, looked at my now 18-month old and seen a rational, moral agent purposefully trying to piss me off, and deserving of violence or forced isolation. I have never even fought an impulse or urge to hit him or punish him...it simply has never entered my mind even involuntarily. I don't understand how anyone can look at a baby and truly believe there is some kind of malice or manipulation in their actions. He is curious about the world and everything in it, as a person who has been in existence for less than two years should be.

My job is to allow him to explore and experience life to the fullest, safely, and teach him as his faculties allow. What do these parents, who choose to be scary hardasses towards tiny people, think their job is?

Where The Stupid Things Are

So, to try to re-jumpstart my interest in online communications, I have been frequenting Yahoo Answers and the Ask Me Help Desk.

I am stunned at how idiotic people can be.

I can't even explain it, just go to one of them and choose a topic you have even just a smidgen of knowledge about and read the questions. Whoever said there is no such thing a stupid question never went to an online Q&A forum.

Cyber-existential angst

I have been part of cyber communities on and off for over a decade now. With every community, it seems like I just "come to the end" one day. That day may be after a few months or even a few years, but it always happens. Maybe I feel I have learned all I am going to from and taught everything I had to teach to that particular group, and simply have nothing more to discuss with them, or I have lost interest in the subject matter, or I have gotten the support I needed for a specific issue and am ready to move on....always something, but usually there was something or someplace new to go to.

I have "come to the end" with most of my current communities, and have no place new to go, and nothing new to explore. For the first time in my life I am pretty damned content, feeling pretty damned competent and confident in all aspects of my life, am not needing to do research for any pressing cause or concern. I don't need a community right now, but I still want one...after all I do have hours per day to kill on the computer.

Yes, I have adoption reform, but really I have a pretty good handle on the issues, the needs, and how to move forward. I have a kid to raise, but think I am doing really well at it; I have read dozens of books and websites and am confident in my methods and Kiddo is thriving. I am not planning any major surgeries, don't have any illnesses, am not having marital or family problems, so support boards aren't necessary.

Where do I go now?

Giftedness

I was labeled "gifted" as a kid. My niece has been labeled gifted. I have reason to believe the Kiddo might be gifted.

So yesterday I mention to hubby "Hey, according to the Internets, Kiddo is showing all the signs of being gifted." his answer? "So what?"

So that got me thinking, what difference did being "gifted" make to my education or childhood? Does it matter if Kiddo is gifted? If it matters, how so? Just what exactly does a parent do with that label that they wouldn't do without it?

I don't have an answer yet or anything, just throwing shit out there.


Tangential Hmmm: Only children seem to be called "gifted" alone like that. Adults are intelligent, educated, insightful, or perhaps gifted at something (ie: a gifted artist or a gifted orator), but I have never heard someone say "Oh Bob in accounting? He's gifted.". I wonder why?