Woke up this morning at 7 am. Thought everyone was running late, but then realized that my kids are off school today for a teacher day. Adam is lying there like he is dead with a killer cold and suprisingly I do not have it .. yet. Let's pray I don't get it, usually I catch everything.
I had another VERY peculiar dream last night.. I remember it from when I woke. I wanted to come here and write all the details about it down, but then thought you all would think I was nuts. So, if ya'll don't already think I am a tad off my rocker .. lol.. I am going to share it anyway.
I was helping at a church function ... and Michelle Duggar was supposed to come to our church and a church in Walnut Grove, Minnesota to publically speak. (Ya'll know I admire her) so anyway - he came in a (haha) HOT AIR balloon. (ok, stop laughing) and she was alone and told us of her trip from Arkansas in the balloon. I was suprised that she knew so much about them and could travel so far. We had a great church function and raised some money and had a resale of Goodwill like donated items to help out families. Her and I had some time to talk and became friends. Then when she had to go, her hot air balloon had a hole in it and they let her use one from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago - it had zoo animals all over it and was crazy looking.
- - - Like I said when I first woke up there were alot more details that I remember, but that is it that I remember now .. it was just another crazy dream. Geesh.. they seem to get weirder and weirder ! I think it is my hormones ... seriously !
So anyways .. back to the "FURIOSITY" of my blog. (I made that word up I think... ha ha ha )
Seems as though I am some sort of an example over at Brittany and Hannah's school. SIGH ... because if you know me, it is soooo not intended and not something I want to be. It has to do with homeschooling and my stand on everything that has been going on this year at thier school.
A teacher of Brittany's called me yesterday morning and wanted to know why Brittany had not filled out her schedule for high school for the next coming year. She said that she had asked Brittany all week to fill it out and it was still not done. I then told her it was because I told Brittany she did not have to fill out the form, they are being homeschooled next year.
Well - shouldn't I just know that I breed controversy in saying that ... lord ... she got all balistic with me over the phone and tried to tell me that I should not keep my kids sheltered from public life and in a box away from others because I disagree with a few things. She asked me ..... IF I knew whether or not the kids would be home all day from school and at home all the time ! Yes, she asked me that ! REALLY ? I am thinking that if she had not told me .. I would have never known ... so yea... then she still goes off on some tyrade about how my daughters education and her well being depended on school and homeschooling is such a farse of hard work and only for the best of parents to consider ... blah blah blah ......
I was polite, but now I wish I had not been. Seems as though some others have my similar ideas around here about what should and should not be taught to some children in school anymore and who get s to make that decision. So, I hung up, not saying too much other than polite words and being Christian .. we are defititaly home schooling no matter what you think kinda stuff .. but now I kinda wish I would have told her ..
Who do you think you are?? .. Who says showing my daughters the replay of John F Kennedys head being blown off is something I WANT them to see ? Who cares if it is something that happened and is history or not. We do not let them watch TV or movies here for that reason ... we do not let them listen to rock music, be on the internet - unsupervised - or be around certain types of people anymore for these reasons .... If I wanted my children to veiw violence I didn't think I would have to send them to school to learn the details of it and actually veiw it .. Just because YOU think it has some sort of value of education does NOT mean that WE do. We think that you can tell history and NOT have to show it, not in the detail that you do. And further more my children have also learned this year that they cannot say Grace before eating thier meal - Lord knows it might offened after all - they have also learned that appearantly it is ok to not stand up for yourself and let people walk all over you, let teachers yell and shake you and if it had not been seen, nothing would have been done .... they have also learned that some things also go on in others homes that I wish they didn't have to hear about, they have had to learn things of a sexual nature that we feel has NO place in school and that clothes are sometimes more important to make that all imporatant statement of fashion - rather than learning. They hear the songs anyway that we let them not listen to here ... they get influenced by others actions at school and is now affecting things at home .. why does so and so get to do this and we don't kinda stuff ... we are no longer hearing the Yes Ma'am and Sirs here anymore - instead it has been replaced with words they have learned from thier peers and what might be acceptable in thier homes.
So besides the fact that I can tell you that from my own experience at school growing up that I learned far more hate than acceptance and tolerance.. I wish it to be different for my children. I SHOULD have made these decisions YEARS ago, but let people such as yourself talk me out of it .. but no more .. they are being home schooled and that is a fact. If it offeneds you or bothers you that you think the majority of children or that every child is influencing my kid then you have a complex, Not every child can have a say about the things that go on in thier lives .... and not every child is at fault for the way things are percieved ... but the simple fact is that I am in charge of my childs future ... not you.
Yes ... that is what I should have said.
Sooo... I am coming reallllllllly close to pulling my children out before I am supposed to - to homeschool them. I will NOT have someone basically tell me that my choices are wrong and thiers are right ..not like that. I mean, if you have a different opinion - then fine, voice it, don't look down on me and judge me ... My opinions are my own and we are free to all have our own.
So with that being said .. that is all I got to say today.
While writing this every one got up and now wants to leave .. what the hec... so out the door I go. Have a good day everyone !
TAMMIE
I have noticed that the most vocal critics of home schooling are also the most ignorant people concerning the subject. The home school movement has been gaining a lot of ground lately due to the reasons you have mentioned in this very blog. Bravo to you and good luck.
ReplyDeleteAmen......sister!
ReplyDeleteTammie please visit the WPA website and borrow a copy of their handbook from the library. You can pull your children out as soon as the DPI receives your PI-1206 form. You don't have to wait until next year. Some school officials are threatened by home schooling because in order for schools to receive state money, they need enrollment numbers. Your child unfortunately, means dollar signs. This is one reason why public schools are now bringing virtual schooling into the mix, trying to attract home schoolers back. Virtual charter schools however, are set up to provide public school curriculum to students in their homes, (and state money back to the school district administering them.) Home schooling is legally seen as a private, home based education, administered by a parent. You have the right to administer a home based education to your children, you only have to file a PI-1206 form with the DPI. You can call the DPI at 888-245-2732 and they will send you the form. (They usually mail them out on Fridays.) Once you are already home schooling, they will automatically send you the PI-1206 every year. Please let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to message me personally.
ReplyDeleteI would definitly look into pulling them out this year. I'm sure you'll love homeschooling. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't agree with your decision 100%, they are your children and you need to do what you feel is right for them. I'm sorry that your public school has failed you.
ReplyDeleteMatt said exactly what I was thinking. The biggest issue is not whether it's right or wrong, it's how much effort you put into it when you do it. With the advent of the internet, it's easy to do your research, find the homeschooling curriculum that is best for you and do it with no adverse effects to the kids (or you! LOL)
ReplyDeleteA good friend of our home schools her boys and they were provided with laptop computers and everything to assist in the homeschooling process. I'll have to ask her what curriculum she uses and get the info for you. She LOVES it. My sister home schooled her high schooler when she moved to Floriday because where they had to live while her husband was in school was pretty much inner city Orlando, and she refused to make her daughter go from a very small school to a huge inner city one.
Do your homework, and make your decision with pride. Don't worry about what people think. You aren't home schooling THEIR kids, for goodness sakes! LOL
Wow...I'd love to know where homeschoolers can get free laptops! However, I am one to believe that the less the government meddles with my home school, the better. I don't want vouchers because that would make me subject to them.
ReplyDeleteAs for curriculum, there is everything available under the sun. If you desire unit studies that cover a variety of subjects, if you like workbooks and student led curriculum, or if you like detailed teacher guides and teaching the lessons...it is all available. The beauty of it is that you choose what fits with your personality and your family. You may even find that you need to customize and choose different curricula for each child. It isn't anyone's business otherwise, as long as you are complying with the laws of your state. And there are even some very creative ways to teach math, science, and other subjects without buying any curriculum at all, especially for elementary aged children. It all also depends on what your older children desire to do after high school. No use teaching them college prep courses if they want to go to a trade school or cosmetology. The beauty is that they are free to learn what they are interested in, not what some school district says is the standard for everyone. They can also get jobs without sacrificing their education. My daughter loves working her part-time job...in the middle of the day while other kids are in school. She makes pretty good money, and she loves it!
The important thing to remember is that the state has no right to tell parents how to raise their children and what they should believe. The whole notion of "socialization" is a bunch of bull too. For one thing, your children get plenty of socialization right in their own home. My children have no problem making friends wherever we go; and when there are problems, it is because of other children who are into popuarity and cliques. What we find more often than not is that our children are the leaders and role models for the other kids because they are confident and don't worry about what other people think of them.
Pulling your children out early, if you can, is your best option. The sooner, the better! It won't have any adverse effects on them at all.
I totally agree ... Thank You. :O)
ReplyDeleteThank You guys for your input .. we are going tommorrow to look into getting the forms in hand and let our school system know that this is going to happen sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to get this done.
well, they are only for the school year and have to be returned. And it wasn't a laptop, it was actually just a desktop. whoops! :) Anyhow, it's not a government curriculum, it's some other one, and the computer was to help facilitate the learning curriculum. I really don't know which one it is, but they love it.
ReplyDeleteYou go girl! I cannot believe she said that to you!
ReplyDeleteOH I think I would of slapped that teacher!! Grrrrrrrrr on people thinking kids that are homeschooled are sheltered and in a box. My kids have had some great field trips and can cook and do laundry and clean. I have been told many times how polite and kind my kids are and I was even told by a couple people one time how nice and kind our home school group was compared to a public school group that would be at the park. You go girl and stand your ground!!! Hugs your way!!
ReplyDelete