Re: Being open about unschooling/homeschooling
Lynda
Can't answer for any other state or even part of a state but up here we've
been asked "is it a school holiday" or things like that and youngest kidlet
(she's 7) always tells them she is homeschooled. To which she usually gets
a "oh, that's nice" and I get a "I wish I could." The few that have had
questions like the usual socialization/friends are easily answered with
lighthearted comments like "if we had anymore kids at the house we'd have
to add on a room and get a third phone line." I don't think we had more
than 2 or 3 that were obnoxious and one was put in her place by the kidlet
and the other two were given "the" look <g>
Of course, we have a multitude of options (ISP, charter, community,
continuation, OJT, apprenticeships, etc.) here and we also have 45/15/s
(year-round schools as some call them), so folks are kinda use to seeing
kids out and about.
Lynda
----------
From: "Beth Burnham" <beth2002@...>
Hi all,
I recently spoke to a hs mom in charge of coordinating hs groups up here
she said the local groups or families in NH don't like to be open when out
and about with their kids esp. during school hours and also that they don't
generally like to take them shopping during those times etc.because they
want to avoid harassment. That put a damper on things for me and saddened
me till I spoke to a close friend in OH who unschools and doesn't worry
about a thing and even had a neighbor try and report her for it (of course
they couldn't do anything but still that really is a bummer!)
I am not the type to hide indoors during school hours and lately my son
hasn't been going even though I haven't taken him out officially yet. I
don't plan on worrying about others reactions but found it curious that she
wanted to share this with me and protect me by letting me know this as a
newbie to kind of lay low or at least not wear a T-shirt that says "I
homeschool and I'm proud". Any thoughts or experiences from anyone here on
this topic I'd like to hear from you.
Beth
Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
been asked "is it a school holiday" or things like that and youngest kidlet
(she's 7) always tells them she is homeschooled. To which she usually gets
a "oh, that's nice" and I get a "I wish I could." The few that have had
questions like the usual socialization/friends are easily answered with
lighthearted comments like "if we had anymore kids at the house we'd have
to add on a room and get a third phone line." I don't think we had more
than 2 or 3 that were obnoxious and one was put in her place by the kidlet
and the other two were given "the" look <g>
Of course, we have a multitude of options (ISP, charter, community,
continuation, OJT, apprenticeships, etc.) here and we also have 45/15/s
(year-round schools as some call them), so folks are kinda use to seeing
kids out and about.
Lynda
----------
From: "Beth Burnham" <beth2002@...>
Hi all,
I recently spoke to a hs mom in charge of coordinating hs groups up here
she said the local groups or families in NH don't like to be open when out
and about with their kids esp. during school hours and also that they don't
generally like to take them shopping during those times etc.because they
want to avoid harassment. That put a damper on things for me and saddened
me till I spoke to a close friend in OH who unschools and doesn't worry
about a thing and even had a neighbor try and report her for it (of course
they couldn't do anything but still that really is a bummer!)
I am not the type to hide indoors during school hours and lately my son
hasn't been going even though I haven't taken him out officially yet. I
don't plan on worrying about others reactions but found it curious that she
wanted to share this with me and protect me by letting me know this as a
newbie to kind of lay low or at least not wear a T-shirt that says "I
homeschool and I'm proud". Any thoughts or experiences from anyone here on
this topic I'd like to hear from you.
Beth
Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
Beth Burnham
Hi all,
I recently spoke to a hs mom in charge of coordinating hs groups up here she said the local groups or families in NH don't like to be open when out and about with their kids esp. during school hours and also that they don't generally like to take them shopping during those times etc.because they want to avoid harassment. That put a damper on things for me and saddened me till I spoke to a close friend in OH who unschools and doesn't worry about a thing and even had a neighbor try and report her for it (of course they couldn't do anything but still that really is a bummer!)
I am not the type to hide indoors during school hours and lately my son hasn't been going even though I haven't taken him out officially yet. I don't plan on worrying about others reactions but found it curious that she wanted to share this with me and protect me by letting me know this as a newbie to kind of lay low or at least not wear a T-shirt that says "I homeschool and I'm proud". Any thoughts or experiences from anyone here on this topic I'd like to hear from you.
Beth
I recently spoke to a hs mom in charge of coordinating hs groups up here she said the local groups or families in NH don't like to be open when out and about with their kids esp. during school hours and also that they don't generally like to take them shopping during those times etc.because they want to avoid harassment. That put a damper on things for me and saddened me till I spoke to a close friend in OH who unschools and doesn't worry about a thing and even had a neighbor try and report her for it (of course they couldn't do anything but still that really is a bummer!)
I am not the type to hide indoors during school hours and lately my son hasn't been going even though I haven't taken him out officially yet. I don't plan on worrying about others reactions but found it curious that she wanted to share this with me and protect me by letting me know this as a newbie to kind of lay low or at least not wear a T-shirt that says "I homeschool and I'm proud". Any thoughts or experiences from anyone here on this topic I'd like to hear from you.
Beth
David & Betsy Wright
Beth,
I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that there may be people staying home during school hours, because people give them a hard time - how awful!
We are fairly new homeschoolers, but we go wherever, whenever. I have almost hoped people in the grocery store would ask my kids why they weren't in school, so I could tell them.
I did wonder what my neighbors would think, but no one has said anything so far.
We are also lucky because we live in Florida. There are always so many people who have taken their kids out of school for a week to vacaction, that nobody questions kids running around on school days.
But, the sad fact is that most people don't understand homeschooling, or that others feel strongly enough to do it. I remember a family who lived near my MIL in Michigan. She said that one of the kids had been kicked out of school, so they had taken all their kids out and were homeschooling them. MIL said that they weren't even doing homeschool, because she saw the kids outside playing almost all day. At the time, I agreed with her. Now that I understand school and learning, it's my kids who are playing outside all day! :)
Right before I started homeschooling I was in Hallmark and there was a lady there with several middle school aged kids and there was "just something about them". They seemed very self confident and happy and it really made me wonder. When I saw her pulling out of the parking lot, she had a bumper sticker that said "When it comes to school, there's no place like home".
Imagine That!
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights
email: deejay@...
I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that there may be people staying home during school hours, because people give them a hard time - how awful!
We are fairly new homeschoolers, but we go wherever, whenever. I have almost hoped people in the grocery store would ask my kids why they weren't in school, so I could tell them.
I did wonder what my neighbors would think, but no one has said anything so far.
We are also lucky because we live in Florida. There are always so many people who have taken their kids out of school for a week to vacaction, that nobody questions kids running around on school days.
But, the sad fact is that most people don't understand homeschooling, or that others feel strongly enough to do it. I remember a family who lived near my MIL in Michigan. She said that one of the kids had been kicked out of school, so they had taken all their kids out and were homeschooling them. MIL said that they weren't even doing homeschool, because she saw the kids outside playing almost all day. At the time, I agreed with her. Now that I understand school and learning, it's my kids who are playing outside all day! :)
Right before I started homeschooling I was in Hallmark and there was a lady there with several middle school aged kids and there was "just something about them". They seemed very self confident and happy and it really made me wonder. When I saw her pulling out of the parking lot, she had a bumper sticker that said "When it comes to school, there's no place like home".
Imagine That!
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights
email: deejay@...
Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall
a
Nanci K.
>T-shirt that says "I homeschool and I'm proud".Hey! Where can I GET one of those?
Nanci K.
Lynda
We're in CA, way out in the boonies or up in the boonies, I guess one would
say <g> I don't know how the rest of the state is but never had any
problems back in the dark ages either when we were living about an hour
from SF when I hs'd my neices and nephews in the late 60's, early 70's.
Don't ask, I'm old as dirt <g> but was actually young then and sil was ill
and we ended up with 5 kids! Being a mere child myself at the time, I
"accidentally" ended up unschooling them because all the paperwork was
enough to choke an organized person, let alone a professional "file by
piles" kinda person <g> No one bothered us and when they went back to
their mom, they were tested and placed back in ps according to their
scores. No big deal.
In fact, we've had the local school district refer kids to "real"
homeschooling and to the local charter that is as loose as they can get and
still get state approval.
Lynda
----------
say <g> I don't know how the rest of the state is but never had any
problems back in the dark ages either when we were living about an hour
from SF when I hs'd my neices and nephews in the late 60's, early 70's.
Don't ask, I'm old as dirt <g> but was actually young then and sil was ill
and we ended up with 5 kids! Being a mere child myself at the time, I
"accidentally" ended up unschooling them because all the paperwork was
enough to choke an organized person, let alone a professional "file by
piles" kinda person <g> No one bothered us and when they went back to
their mom, they were tested and placed back in ps according to their
scores. No big deal.
In fact, we've had the local school district refer kids to "real"
homeschooling and to the local charter that is as loose as they can get and
still get state approval.
Lynda
----------
> From: "Beth Burnham" <beth2002@...>move
>
> Lynda cool what State are you in sounds much more progressive than here!
> Ijust learned we have a child molester in our neighborhood and want to
> seriously!philosophy
> BTW does anyone ever want to vote for a candidate based on their
> towards hs and right to choose etc? They are all talking about imposingBradley's
> stuff on public schools which makes me very nervous, and I went to
> billboard since I live in NH I figure and one of the only registeredto
> democrats here I asked him about it and how his proposal to make kids go
> preschool would really bother me unless it could be a babysitting option!I
> homeschooled my kids during their preschool years and I wouldn't have hadit
> any other way. I was naive to think ps here would be better than beingwith
> me! But happy to learn that I can and will be doing something about it.It
> seems none of the candidates except maybe Orin Hatch would be for hsfolks!
> He is also an advocate for freedom to use herbs and vitamins withoutHere</a>
> government intervention. It is funny being a democrat and liking lots of
> different things about some of the candidates and not liking any of them
> enough to make a decision now unless I know how they feel about
> homeschooling and freedom to choose.
> Beth
>
>
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Beth Burnham
Betsy,
I love that bumper sticker and the connection to the Wizard of Oz my favorite story of all time! I have been to your web site it is fantastic and have enjoyed reading your wonderful journal. I did sign your guest book. Please don't stop it is a masterpeice IMHO. (It is good enough to publish in a book). Last year I know I had my kids in FL visiting with my Dad during school week and not during vacation time. It was great I didn't think about us being the only ones there with school age kids. One big reason I want to hs is because of the flexibility you can go to places wherever and whenever you want to. The person who I spoke to is not a true unschooler perhaps she still has one foot right in the door of propriety?New Englanders are big on that and are responsible for IS I believe it originated in Mass. I live here but am a New Yorker flamboyant at heart! Anyway I'd love to meet you all when we do go down there some time next year. When someone does ask you i'd love to read about how you respond to them!
Take care,
Beth
I love that bumper sticker and the connection to the Wizard of Oz my favorite story of all time! I have been to your web site it is fantastic and have enjoyed reading your wonderful journal. I did sign your guest book. Please don't stop it is a masterpeice IMHO. (It is good enough to publish in a book). Last year I know I had my kids in FL visiting with my Dad during school week and not during vacation time. It was great I didn't think about us being the only ones there with school age kids. One big reason I want to hs is because of the flexibility you can go to places wherever and whenever you want to. The person who I spoke to is not a true unschooler perhaps she still has one foot right in the door of propriety?New Englanders are big on that and are responsible for IS I believe it originated in Mass. I live here but am a New Yorker flamboyant at heart! Anyway I'd love to meet you all when we do go down there some time next year. When someone does ask you i'd love to read about how you respond to them!
Take care,
Beth
deejay
Hey Beth!
It would be cool to meet you and your family next time you're in Florida. We're right between Tampa and Orlando, so how can you go wrong?
Thanks for reading my journal - it would be great to get it published. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to it. LOLOL.
I promise a full report whenever that poor person happens to be the first one to question me about homeschooling. No, really, I'll be gentle.
P.S. I am a flamboyant New Yorker too - albeit Northern New York
Ciao
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights/
Send email to: deejay@...
It would be cool to meet you and your family next time you're in Florida. We're right between Tampa and Orlando, so how can you go wrong?
Thanks for reading my journal - it would be great to get it published. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to it. LOLOL.
I promise a full report whenever that poor person happens to be the first one to question me about homeschooling. No, really, I'll be gentle.
P.S. I am a flamboyant New Yorker too - albeit Northern New York
Ciao
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights/
Send email to: deejay@...
Beth Burnham
Lynda cool what State are you in sounds much more progressive than here!
Ijust learned we have a child molester in our neighborhood and want to move
seriously!
BTW does anyone ever want to vote for a candidate based on their philosophy
towards hs and right to choose etc? They are all talking about imposing
stuff on public schools which makes me very nervous, and I went to Bradley's
billboard since I live in NH I figure and one of the only registered
democrats here I asked him about it and how his proposal to make kids go to
preschool would really bother me unless it could be a babysitting option! I
homeschooled my kids during their preschool years and I wouldn't have had it
any other way. I was naive to think ps here would be better than being with
me! But happy to learn that I can and will be doing something about it. It
seems none of the candidates except maybe Orin Hatch would be for hs folks!
He is also an advocate for freedom to use herbs and vitamins without
government intervention. It is funny being a democrat and liking lots of
different things about some of the candidates and not liking any of them
enough to make a decision now unless I know how they feel about
homeschooling and freedom to choose.
Beth
Ijust learned we have a child molester in our neighborhood and want to move
seriously!
BTW does anyone ever want to vote for a candidate based on their philosophy
towards hs and right to choose etc? They are all talking about imposing
stuff on public schools which makes me very nervous, and I went to Bradley's
billboard since I live in NH I figure and one of the only registered
democrats here I asked him about it and how his proposal to make kids go to
preschool would really bother me unless it could be a babysitting option! I
homeschooled my kids during their preschool years and I wouldn't have had it
any other way. I was naive to think ps here would be better than being with
me! But happy to learn that I can and will be doing something about it. It
seems none of the candidates except maybe Orin Hatch would be for hs folks!
He is also an advocate for freedom to use herbs and vitamins without
government intervention. It is funny being a democrat and liking lots of
different things about some of the candidates and not liking any of them
enough to make a decision now unless I know how they feel about
homeschooling and freedom to choose.
Beth
[email protected]
Hey Beth!
It would be cool to meet you and your family next time
you're in Florida. We're right between Tampa and Orlando,
so how can you go wrong?
Thanks for reading my journal - it would be great to get it
published. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to
it. LOLOL.
I promise a full report whenever that poor person happens
to be the first one to question me about homeschooling.
No, really, I'll be gentle.
P.S. I used to be a flamboyant New Yorker too - albeit
Northern New York
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights/
Send email to: deejay@...
---------------------------------------------
This message was sent using WebMail by CyberGate.
http://www.gate.net/webmail
It would be cool to meet you and your family next time
you're in Florida. We're right between Tampa and Orlando,
so how can you go wrong?
Thanks for reading my journal - it would be great to get it
published. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we come to
it. LOLOL.
I promise a full report whenever that poor person happens
to be the first one to question me about homeschooling.
No, really, I'll be gentle.
P.S. I used to be a flamboyant New Yorker too - albeit
Northern New York
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights/
Send email to: deejay@...
---------------------------------------------
This message was sent using WebMail by CyberGate.
http://www.gate.net/webmail
Brynn Panchot
I wish I could find a bumpersticker like that. Does anybody know of anyone
that has them? The WHO convention last year didn't have any.....
Brynn
-----Original Message-----
From: David & Betsy Wright [mailto:deejay@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 5:53 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Being open about
unschooling/homeschooling
From: "David & Betsy Wright" <deejay@...>
Beth,
I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that there may be people
staying home during school hours, because people give them a hard time - how
awful!
We are fairly new homeschoolers, but we go wherever, whenever. I have
almost hoped people in the grocery store would ask my kids why they weren't
in school, so I could tell them.
I did wonder what my neighbors would think, but no one has said anything
so far.
We are also lucky because we live in Florida. There are always so many
people who have taken their kids out of school for a week to vacaction, that
nobody questions kids running around on school days.
But, the sad fact is that most people don't understand homeschooling, or
that others feel strongly enough to do it. I remember a family who lived
near my MIL in Michigan. She said that one of the kids had been kicked out
of school, so they had taken all their kids out and were homeschooling them.
MIL said that they weren't even doing homeschool, because she saw the kids
outside playing almost all day. At the time, I agreed with her. Now that I
understand school and learning, it's my kids who are playing outside all
day! :)
Right before I started homeschooling I was in Hallmark and there was a
lady there with several middle school aged kids and there was "just
something about them". They seemed very self confident and happy and it
really made me wonder. When I saw her pulling out of the parking lot, she
had a bumper sticker that said "When it comes to school, there's no place
like home".
Imagine That!
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights
email: deejay@...
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that has them? The WHO convention last year didn't have any.....
Brynn
-----Original Message-----
From: David & Betsy Wright [mailto:deejay@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 5:53 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Being open about
unschooling/homeschooling
From: "David & Betsy Wright" <deejay@...>
Beth,
I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that there may be people
staying home during school hours, because people give them a hard time - how
awful!
We are fairly new homeschoolers, but we go wherever, whenever. I have
almost hoped people in the grocery store would ask my kids why they weren't
in school, so I could tell them.
I did wonder what my neighbors would think, but no one has said anything
so far.
We are also lucky because we live in Florida. There are always so many
people who have taken their kids out of school for a week to vacaction, that
nobody questions kids running around on school days.
But, the sad fact is that most people don't understand homeschooling, or
that others feel strongly enough to do it. I remember a family who lived
near my MIL in Michigan. She said that one of the kids had been kicked out
of school, so they had taken all their kids out and were homeschooling them.
MIL said that they weren't even doing homeschool, because she saw the kids
outside playing almost all day. At the time, I agreed with her. Now that I
understand school and learning, it's my kids who are playing outside all
day! :)
Right before I started homeschooling I was in Hallmark and there was a
lady there with several middle school aged kids and there was "just
something about them". They seemed very self confident and happy and it
really made me wonder. When I saw her pulling out of the parking lot, she
had a bumper sticker that said "When it comes to school, there's no place
like home".
Imagine That!
Betsy Wright
The Wright Way To Homeschool
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/homeschoolingwrights
email: deejay@...
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Please click above to support our sponsor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
Lynda
Well, there is a website where you can go and make bumper stickers. Either
HSLinks or The Webb Crew listed it in their lists of links.
Lynda
----------
I wish I could find a bumpersticker like that. Does anybody know of anyone
that has them? The WHO convention last year didn't have any.....
Brynn
HSLinks or The Webb Crew listed it in their lists of links.
Lynda
----------
> From: Brynn Panchot <panchot@...>unschooling/homeschooling
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RE: [Unschooling-dotcom] Being open about
> Date: Friday, January 28, 2000 7:54 PMFrom: "Brynn Panchot" <panchot@...>
>
I wish I could find a bumpersticker like that. Does anybody know of anyone
that has them? The WHO convention last year didn't have any.....
Brynn