beanmommy2

I recently attended a local homeschool group a couple times and got
to finally see what Sandra and others have been talking about. Not
that I didn't believe people, but I had not actually witnessed it
myself firsthand ...

We were at a "park day" and the mother was at the pavillion with her
daughter, who was barely seven. The girl was sitting next to her
mother doing some worksheets, and very obviously not happy about any
of it.

I heard the mother say things like:

"If you don't stop whining, I'll make you sit alone over there and
finish these!"

"You don't get credit for it unless you do the whole thing
correctly! Now try it again!"

And the kicker: "Yes, you do understand! You are just CHOOSING to be
disobedient!"

It was really painful to witness.

I always read/hear homeschoolers (who are not unschoolers) say that
homeschooling has really helped their family relationships and made
life more peaceful, but I don't see how that could be if that's the
kinds of interactions they are having.

I wonder if they are not being completely honest for whatever
reason, or if for them, that experience really IS good in their
eyes. Or if it's truly good most of the time, but just a "bad
moment" here and there.

Interestingly, as I thought about it, it reminded me of years ago
when I used to be "against homeschooling." Part of the reason was
because I imagined it being kind of like that ... mother sits trying
to "teach" their kids, and both mother and kid getting frustrated.
Now I wonder if that really IS what homeschooling looks like for a
lot of people.

Just some thoughts. Sandra had posted here recently about a book
called "Survivor's Guide to Homeschooling" (something like that) and
I just put it on reserve at our library so I can learn more about
this "other side," so to speak.

Jenny