May. 16, 2008 - girls and school
I know I like to rant about people leaving homeschooling but I guess every family has to make their own decisions. I'm trying to set up some interviews with parents whose children are now or will be going to schools and in the meantime I was talking to someone who knew them. She said that in one family the girl was doing well in the public school elementary level, but the boy was struggling. We agreed that girls usually do better since they like to sit and do workbooks and follow the rules. Whereas boys show signs right away that traditional schools don't fit them = they wiggle, and want to run around and look out the window - in general. I know that I tend to want to buy workbooks and my son hates them. I'm learning to save my money. But then I was thinking - what happens to all these "good" girls? After years in school do they really learn what they need and want to have a fulfilling life? I know that I was quiet and good and followed the rules but now I'm not as good an entreprenuer as I could be and in some jobs trying to follow the rules hurt me (especially when other people didn't follow the rules and try to blame the institutions problems on me!) And I never learned how to run a household or even figure out that working outside or inside the home you still have to clean, cook, and take care of the cars! I wonder how much I could have learned if I was homeschooled? I wonder how much more confidence I would have had and would've figured out earlier what I really wanted out of life instead of an extended adolescence way into my 20s. At a cafe where I use the wireless they sell crafts by local people. Some of the jewlry is made by a 12 year old homeschooler who figured out to sell it at the cafe and to make nice information signs to go with each piece and a write up about herself. How many more girls could find their way like her?
Comments
May. 26, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>
Posted by TroopersForChrist
Hi, I saw you on my account and I hadn't added you as a friend. My apologies. I've been busy doing all sort of spring weather things like riding horses, gardening and such. Of course, we still do 'school' too. I've been hanging out at the HSLounge a lot. Are you over there?
I enjoyed your post and was one of the good/compliant girls as well. I recall some wiggly boys and it was a joke that bad boys in my school days were named, "Michael". We heard that name a lot!
I eventually got good grades in high school, perfect attendance, honor roll and all that but was a terribly shy, ugly nerd. Confidence? Nope.
Our two homeschooled young people have lots more confidence than I did. It will be interesting to see how our dd fairs as she becomees a teen but so far so good and I really try to work with her on things. Our son came out confident and has a great attitude that way. Maybe that goes with being male, I don't know.
He is movemovement oriented and very athletically gifted. We lived on a cul de sac street when he was 5. There were several other grade school boys just a bit older than him. They were all being evaluated for ADD, ADHD and other quirks. The moms were having fits and upset over it. I figured our son would be too but we were homeschooling and it was working fine. He was ahead of the older boys by what the moms said when the saw his work I had put on our pantry door. I told the moms I thought their boy seemed like normal, active boys to me.
Even when our dd was grade school age she was making beaded items and selling them. Our son wanted to do a garage sale so we did and I took him to the bank like a business man and we got the cash for change etc. Great fun. He likes to sell on Ebay and Craigs now. Not a lot but he does.
Just great opportunities to do all sorts of things. So you made a video about homeschooling or will be?
Today I did a lot of weeding/gardening by hand and with a hoe. I'm going to be sore. I have blisters. Sigh. My heart was into it but my body can't keep up.
Marie
Edited by TroopersForChrist on May. 26, 2008 at 1:08 AM
