ARE HOMESCHOOLERS OPINIONATED ?
This is also something that homeschoolers have a giggle about because we know that we are and that's why we're homeschooling. The homeschoolers that have read my book Oracle in the Mist do not question the strong and opinionated Bobby - many of the children and the adults that I have met through homeschooling have strong opinions about all kinds of subjects and we listen to each other and allow the other person to have their say, because that is what we want for ourselves. I remember the days when I was young; I agreed with everyone about everything all the time, to my detriment. Enter one large Italian family and now I find myself quite attached to many of my opinions as well and I'm much happier this way.
But there are a handful of homeschoolers that give the rest of us a bad name and I guess you find them in all walks of life. Instead of listening and trying to reach compromises with important decisions they are shoving their opinions down other people's throats and expecting to get away with it. These are the ones who end up putting their kids back in school or they become isolated which is also a shame for the children. There have been a few examples of this that I have come across that have even shocked me (I don't shock easily) eg:
- A family who were so strongly atheist that they demanded that Christmas and Easter not be mentioned in a class that my child attended (that had already been established for some years).
- A couple who refused to let their young children read any fairy tales or bible stories or basically anything that didn't have a scientific foundation (I would say this is child abuse but there I go again with my strong opinions!)
- A couple who refused to allow their children to read Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia because they were thought of as nonsense that took them away from their studies of Christ.
- A single mother (and I have nothing against them; I was one myself) who declared that all women who married were weak and just wanted to be rescued. How do you explain the vocation of marriage to someone with that opinion - believe me it's not worth it to try, just walk away.
- A couple who thought that doing lice checks was "an interruption to the natural cycle of things." Yes we did end up with lice.
- And then there's the handful that allow their children to do absolutely anything they want. I was referred to as the "sleep nazi" once because I had set bedtimes for my children. Some children commence having sex when they feel it is the right time eg: 12 or 13 years of age. Many are walking the streets and going long distances in dangerous areas. The main philosophy here is that the "children are responsible for their own lives and the parents mustn't interrupt the lessons that they have to learn." In some cases even guidance is seen as taboo.
But mostly what I see are people who have strong opinions on education, environmental, lifestyle and animal rights issues and they are to be congratulated - if more people stood up for what they believed in the world would be a much better place, that is my very strong opinion on this matter.
Please feel free to leave me your feedback. If you are having problems with my "leave a comment" button (we're still working on this) you can email me on the above address.
But there are a handful of homeschoolers that give the rest of us a bad name and I guess you find them in all walks of life. Instead of listening and trying to reach compromises with important decisions they are shoving their opinions down other people's throats and expecting to get away with it. These are the ones who end up putting their kids back in school or they become isolated which is also a shame for the children. There have been a few examples of this that I have come across that have even shocked me (I don't shock easily) eg:
- A family who were so strongly atheist that they demanded that Christmas and Easter not be mentioned in a class that my child attended (that had already been established for some years).
- A couple who refused to let their young children read any fairy tales or bible stories or basically anything that didn't have a scientific foundation (I would say this is child abuse but there I go again with my strong opinions!)
- A couple who refused to allow their children to read Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia because they were thought of as nonsense that took them away from their studies of Christ.
- A single mother (and I have nothing against them; I was one myself) who declared that all women who married were weak and just wanted to be rescued. How do you explain the vocation of marriage to someone with that opinion - believe me it's not worth it to try, just walk away.
- A couple who thought that doing lice checks was "an interruption to the natural cycle of things." Yes we did end up with lice.
- And then there's the handful that allow their children to do absolutely anything they want. I was referred to as the "sleep nazi" once because I had set bedtimes for my children. Some children commence having sex when they feel it is the right time eg: 12 or 13 years of age. Many are walking the streets and going long distances in dangerous areas. The main philosophy here is that the "children are responsible for their own lives and the parents mustn't interrupt the lessons that they have to learn." In some cases even guidance is seen as taboo.
But mostly what I see are people who have strong opinions on education, environmental, lifestyle and animal rights issues and they are to be congratulated - if more people stood up for what they believed in the world would be a much better place, that is my very strong opinion on this matter.
Please feel free to leave me your feedback. If you are having problems with my "leave a comment" button (we're still working on this) you can email me on the above address.
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