Lori wrote:

>Last year, while reading Johnny Tremaine and also reading about the Boston Tea Party he made comments about the "taxation without representation" and he thought in some ways that described our situation. We have to pay taxes but we don't have the right to the services our taxes pay for. He sees problems with our education system and even our form of government that I never questioned when I was a child and he is only nine.

Lori, I’m coming to admire your son more and more, even though I’ve never met him!

I do think there is an inherent dynamics to the homeschooling situation that causes homeschooled kids to question the legitimacy of authority, even if that’s not what the parents intend at all.

One reason that I’m not bothered by the evangelical homeschoolers, even though I strongly disagree with them on numerous points (starting with evolution), is that I suspect that some day it is going to dawn on a lot of their kids that if it is okay to question the authority of the public schools, the government, etc., then just maybe you should also consider questioning the authority of the church, the Bible, etc. also. I suspect there may be more anarchists-atheists being bred by evangelical homeschoolers than their parents realize.

There is sometimes an irresistible tide in the affairs of humanity, and I think your son, and a lot of other kids nowadays, are riding that tide.

Of course, I’ve already admitted to being a bit of a starry-eyed optimist, but sometimes optimists turn out to be right.

All the best,

Dave

Dave - I like this line of thinking! Call me a bit starry eyed as well.

I have been in this situation, and I AM a homeschooling parent!

Me: Oh, what grade is your daughter in?
HS mom: Well, she's 5 so she should be in kindergarten. But we homeschool and she is already reading on a first grade level.
Me: (biting my tongue furiously): Oh, that's lovely. So I was just thinking that as a five year old, it makes sense....(bringing the conversation back to the original topic).

I tend to feel awkward when anyone brings up accomplishments or giftedness out of context. It would never occur to me to declare my kid's abilities to a near stranger unless there was some good reason.

Here's an oldie but a goodie on homeschooling: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/humor/076.htm

enjoy!

Well, i just found another reason for homeschoolers to be defensive. DS and I just saw Horton Hears a Who, and the mean kangaroo mom said she's "pouch-schooling" because she didn't want her kid to be using his imagination like the kids being taught by Horton.

That's a great one, Lorel, love it.

I

"Isn't it amazing how they all develop? Kids are so great!"

That's my standard because I mean it and can deliver it with honest enthusiasm.

Dottie - maybe she just feels like it's safe to talk to you about her kid's accomplishments? Or maybe that's not it, but might still be a useful interpretation to use.

<eyeroll> So homeschoolers = mean and close-minded. Nice.

Well I have to pipe in here. I live in the South and I am sure this is part of the regional thing but the homeschoolers around here are for the most part the evangelical type and they are rather closed minded. They don't want their children in the public schools because they don't want "precious" to mingle with the great unwashed.

I even had a mother say to me that she let her daughter go to school for awhile but she just had to pull her out because when you are exposed to that "filth" all day the "stink is going to rub off" on you. And me with my kids in public school!!! I didn't know what to say to be honest.

Until I came to this board I had a VERY negative view of HSing. I have to say that you all have changed my mind. I think in certain instances HSing is the best thing to do for a child. But before I came here that wasn't my take on HSing at all.