Re: Recess Cartoon
Becky Wollenslegel
Hello Everyone,
and
reasoned response reflects better on homeschoolers as a group.>
Here is what I sent:
August 22, 1999
To the Editor
There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. Perhaps
there is a child somewhere who fits your cartoon. However, I've never met
one.
We don't attempt to "do school" at home. We don't rise at 6:00 every
morning, sit at a desk, eat lunch at 11:23 or raise our hands to use the
bathroom. Does that mean my children have had no childhood? I think not!
My 7 year old would not know what recess was because he has never had one!
If you asked him about recess you would probably just get a blank look. If
you asked him does he play every day, does he swing, climb, ride his bike,
play baseball, go swimming, go bowling - well then he could answer you!
And he has friends, but they are not all 7 years old.
Unlike many teenagers, my 18 year old feels just as comfortable around
adults as teens. He has been working along side adults for years. Does that
mean he has missed out on being a teenager? Hmm - he drives to fast, stays
out to late, always has a phone in his hand (sometimes 2 at once) and thinks
his parents don't know anything. Isn't that a typical teenager? He also
has a paper route, a fulltime job and plays tuba in the high school band (we
live in a very enlightened school district). He has lots of friends, some
are kids and some are adults. I don't think he's missing out on much.
My children aren't sheltered from the world by being homeschooled - they are
living and learning in the world.
Anyone else have a comment?
Becky in Ohio
>The email address for the newspaper's editor is:(stwgztte@...)Please take a moment to let the editor know how you feel. I think a calm
and
reasoned response reflects better on homeschoolers as a group.>
Here is what I sent:
August 22, 1999
To the Editor
There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. Perhaps
there is a child somewhere who fits your cartoon. However, I've never met
one.
We don't attempt to "do school" at home. We don't rise at 6:00 every
morning, sit at a desk, eat lunch at 11:23 or raise our hands to use the
bathroom. Does that mean my children have had no childhood? I think not!
My 7 year old would not know what recess was because he has never had one!
If you asked him about recess you would probably just get a blank look. If
you asked him does he play every day, does he swing, climb, ride his bike,
play baseball, go swimming, go bowling - well then he could answer you!
And he has friends, but they are not all 7 years old.
Unlike many teenagers, my 18 year old feels just as comfortable around
adults as teens. He has been working along side adults for years. Does that
mean he has missed out on being a teenager? Hmm - he drives to fast, stays
out to late, always has a phone in his hand (sometimes 2 at once) and thinks
his parents don't know anything. Isn't that a typical teenager? He also
has a paper route, a fulltime job and plays tuba in the high school band (we
live in a very enlightened school district). He has lots of friends, some
are kids and some are adults. I don't think he's missing out on much.
My children aren't sheltered from the world by being homeschooled - they are
living and learning in the world.
Anyone else have a comment?
Becky in Ohio
[email protected]
In my response I pointed out that all of my children's friends are jelous
(they want to be homeschooled too!!) and I always seem to have a gaggle of
neighborhood kids in my kitchen concocting something or in my garage being
artsy...quite different from what they can do at home. I just noticed this
year how different my 8 yos is from other boys his age. They kept teasing him
for being gullible and I realized the problem was that he is not dishonest
and therefore does not expect anyone else to be either. In light of that I
see the sadness of these young children already sifting through the words of
others for truth.
Anyway, now I am rambling! Blessings, Lori in TX
(they want to be homeschooled too!!) and I always seem to have a gaggle of
neighborhood kids in my kitchen concocting something or in my garage being
artsy...quite different from what they can do at home. I just noticed this
year how different my 8 yos is from other boys his age. They kept teasing him
for being gullible and I realized the problem was that he is not dishonest
and therefore does not expect anyone else to be either. In light of that I
see the sadness of these young children already sifting through the words of
others for truth.
Anyway, now I am rambling! Blessings, Lori in TX