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Why do egocentric parents attempt home education?


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Ah - see, I never thought that I had to have a positive impact on the people in our group. I was there to answer questions (along with everyone else with answers), to keep the conversation going, to sometimes direct someone to someone else with answers but there my involvement ended. How they used the information given them was up to them. I just answered their questions how ever many times they asked. Sometimes what I was saying actually did get through and sometimes I found out that I wasn't really understanding their question to begin with (more often than I would like, actually) and sometimes something someone else said would suddenly resonate with them. If I felt that frustrated about facilitating then I would quit facilitating.

Thank you for the advice Jean!

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I've never encountered the kind of homeschoolers you are describing. :confused: I only know a few, though, and those are about 40-50 miles from me. I am the only homeschooler I know of in "my neck of the woods."

 

So, all the craptacular ones here would be me! But, in my defense, I didn't know we were supposed to keep score.

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I am not sure I would ever think that other parents are "egocentric" because they do things differently from me. If it works for them....maybe their kids are having an interesting life, too? Many families are much closer to their extended families than I am and that might be a good thing for them. And I am not sure that it is particularly virtuous to spend all day every day with my 6yo. There are many ways to live.

Surely we are all egocentric to some extent? We all tend to think we are the centre of the universe and that our reality is the most right one- it is human nature. Whose to say whose reality is better, or the right one? There are almost 7 billion separate realities on the planet- which one is right?

Maybe you are just venting- thats ok.

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Like others, I've never met a homeschooler like what Kalphs is describing and I know a LOT of homeschoolers, at least of kids near to my own childrens' age and younger.

 

I love being able to drop my kids off at activities and playdates with friends - especially to spend the night and things like that. And when we're out and about, such as at the park, honestly, I expect them to amuse themselves. I've had the experience before where I see other parents, especially on the weekends, interacting with their kids much more while I sit and socialize or read a book and a few times I've felt there was a sort of judgement there from other parents. I like to relax when I can and I'll freely admit that like to veg out with the TV or a book whenever I get a chance, even if there's dishes in the sink. We're pretty free range and it's definitely true that we can go to the park and I'll not know just where they are at times. But then I think how these other parents don't know how much time I spend with my kids every day and how much quality time that includes.

 

I guess I'm just saying that just because someone *seems* like a "slacker" doesn't mean they really are. I also work hard for my kids. But if someone saw me dropping them off at ballet, telling them to leave me alone at the playground, etc. then they could easily assume the wrong thing.

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I ran myself ragged the first 6 months after I quit my job and pulled my oldest out of full-time daycare. She did co-op preschool two mornings per week AND gymnastics AND ice skating AND an art class. I was insecure and felt like we had to have some organized activity scheduled every single day or I wouldn't know what to do with her.

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Perhaps they are doing the best they can for their child's education, in their life circumstances. It is not always easy to see THEIR picture, their circumstances, unless you are involved in their life immensely. It is too easy to judge from the outside.

 

:iagree:

 

I like to think people are doing what they can given their background and circumstances at the moment. It's not fair to judge. Maybe it's the simple fact that the kids are highly extroverted? Every family dynamic is different.

 

I'm homeschooling due to a reaction to the public school system. My son is highly gifted and wasn't learning a thing at PS. If I can find classes where he can get some social and academic needs met, then HOORAY! I LOVE spending time with my kids, but if someone can teach a skill or present something better than I can (like hands on biology, engineering team, circus classes, music lessons) I embrace those opportunities. I would also add, both my kids are extroverts.

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I guess I'm just saying that just because someone *seems* like a "slacker" doesn't mean they really are. I also work hard for my kids. But if someone saw me dropping them off at ballet, telling them to leave me alone at the playground, etc. then they could easily assume the wrong thing.

 

LOL - this is exactly me too. The 1 1/2 hours my daughter is at dance every week while my son and husband are out at another activity are my only guaranteed alone time every week. I cannot hit the door fast enough! :D

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In a homeschool parent support group, people often come to vent or ask questions just like they do on this board. So they will describe the problem and ask for advice. Unless I'm mistaken, that's the kind of situation that the OP is describing. It does get tiresome when the same person comes every month (or how often you meet) describing the same situation with no sign of taking any of the advice given. I've seen it happen here on our electronic parent support group! But that's the nature of people - and support groups. You can write them off or you can just realize that it takes patience to answer those kinds of questions and that people have to own the solutions themselves. (Hmmm. . . sounds like homeschooling my young teen!)

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They called themselves slackers.

 

About a year ago, I met a homeschooler in a park by my neighborhood where she was playing with her 5 y.o.

I had my five younger dc with me so she figured out I homeschooled too and began telling me all her plans for her ds's first grade schedule.

 

It was sweet to see her excitement and eagerness, but I was a little annoyed by the way she made sure I knew she had her degree in education so (obviously) she knew what she was doing. Maybe she didn't mean anything by it, but what can I say~I was having a bad day and that's why we were at the park :tongue_smilie:

 

So when she looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear what curriculum I used, I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Well, I usually try and start them reading at 4 or 5, but I'm not sure when I'm going to get around to Eli. That's ok, it all comes out in the wash anyway~you won't know when he's 17 that he learned to read later than his older sibs."

 

Omw...you should have seen her face.

 

I see her around town a lot now and she usually pretends she doesn't see me unless we come face to face at Kroger.

 

I've told a few friends that story and they told me I was awful to do that to a new homeschooler (while they're snickering into their sleeves.)

 

But I came to a point where I don't try and explain myself to anyone~least of all people with a condescending attitude.

 

Maybe the people you're meeting are playing you.

It's really not hard to figure out when someone else thinks they have all the answers.

 

eta: For those of you wondering, Eli is reading well now ;-)

Edited by Sophia
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Maybe the people you're meeting are playing you.

It's really not hard to figure out when someone else thinks they have all the answers.

 

 

:iagree: My first thought was the parent calling herself a slacker was doing it as a self-deprecating way to diffuse someone she perceives to be...too competitive? Too intense? Something along those lines.

 

Barb

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yes!

 

I homeschool. No, I don't find a "co-op" that is drop off interesting or something I would want. I wanna know why all those parents think it's so great??? :001_huh:

 

Aren't you homeschooling to be home with your child? He's a 6 year old. he doesn't need to be dropped off. That is what public school is for. :glare:

 

Why homeschool if you are going to drop your kid off for 'classes' so you can have me time from your only child? It's hard to respect some people and their choices.

 

I drop my kids off at classes that I think will enrich their education and their lives. My son takes a writing class because I don't feel confident teaching writing and I found a fabulous teacher that can do a better job than I can. I still spend hours with my children each day, so it's a far cry from the time I would get with them if they were in ps. To me, one of the benefits of homeschooling is having the time to do activities like piano lessons, ballet, swim team, etc.

 

Lisa

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My Evolution as a Homeschooler, or Things My Children Have Taught Me

 

 

DD#1: Brilliant, whiny, perfectionistic, stubborn. I had none of the answers.

 

DD#2: Brilliant, cooperative, intrinsically motivated. I had all of the answers.

 

DD#3: Average, cooperative, intellectually incurious. I *still* had all of the answers.

 

DD#4: ADHD, twice exceptional (gifted, LD), immature. Suddenly I had none of the answers.

 

DD#5: So smart and so lazy. Spacy. Girly. Just wants to play. Thinking I never actually knew what I was doing.

 

DS: Thinks he's a Roomba. Obsessed with Star Wars, Math, and little else. Thinks he can't read and tells me so often even though he's fluent on a third grade level. Realizing there really aren't any answers that apply to every family or every child in a family.

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My Evolution as a Homeschooler, or Things My Children Have Taught Me

 

 

DD#1: Brilliant, whiny, perfectionistic, stubborn. I had none of the answers.

 

DD#2: Brilliant, cooperative, intrinsically motivated. I had all of the answers.

 

DD#3: Average, cooperative, intellectually incurious. I *still* had all of the answers.

 

DD#4: ADHD, twice exceptional (gifted, LD), immature. Suddenly I had none of the answers.

 

DD#5: So smart and so lazy. Spacy. Girly. Just wants to play. Thinking I never actually knew what I was doing.

 

DS: Thinks he's a Roomba. Obsessed with Star Wars, Math, and little else. Thinks he can't read and tells me so often even though he's fluent on a third grade level. Realizing there really aren't any answers that apply to every family or every child in a family.

 

This. Is. Brilliant.

 

I heart you, Barb.

 

The longer I homeschool/parent, the less I think I know.

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My Evolution as a Homeschooler, or Things My Children Have Taught Me

 

 

DD#1: Brilliant, whiny, perfectionistic, stubborn. I had none of the answers.

 

DD#2: Brilliant, cooperative, intrinsically motivated. I had all of the answers.

 

DD#3: Average, cooperative, intellectually incurious. I *still* had all of the answers.

 

DD#4: ADHD, twice exceptional (gifted, LD), immature. Suddenly I had none of the answers.

 

DD#5: So smart and so lazy. Spacy. Girly. Just wants to play. Thinking I never actually knew what I was doing.

 

DS: Thinks he's a Roomba. Obsessed with Star Wars, Math, and little else. Thinks he can't read and tells me so often even though he's fluent on a third grade level. Realizing there really aren't any answers that apply to every family or every child in a family.

Keep writing Barb because you have the makings of a great book here.

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yes!

 

I homeschool. No, I don't find a "co-op" that is drop off interesting or something I would want. I wanna know why all those parents think it's so great??? :001_huh:

 

Aren't you homeschooling to be home with your child? He's a 6 year old. he doesn't need to be dropped off. That is what public school is for. :glare:

 

Why homeschool if you are going to drop your kid off for 'classes' so you can have me time from your only child? It's hard to respect some people and their choices.

Because I don't know how to do ballet, tap or jazz much less teach it. Neither do I know how to do karate, and really have no interest to learn since I'm doing another martial art on a different day.

 

Or how about because my only child is with me 22 out of 24 hours a day every. single. day. and has been for 11 years.

 

Or maybe because I haven't been out of the house in 4 days because there is no place in this burg to go and if I have to play Barbie one more time I'm going to scream.

 

So how about you take your difficulty respecting people who take their kids to outside classes and ...

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About a year ago, I met a homeschooler in a park by my neighborhood where she was playing with her 5 y.o.

I had my five younger dc with me so she figured out I homeschooled too and began telling me all her plans for her ds's first grade schedule.

 

It was sweet to see her excitement and eagerness, but I was a little annoyed by the way she made sure I knew she had her degree in education so (obviously) she knew what she was doing. Maybe she didn't mean anything by it, but what can I say~I was having a bad day and that's why we were at the park :tongue_smilie:

 

So when she looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear what curriculum I used, I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Well, I usually try and start them reading at 4 or 5, but I'm not sure when I'm going to get around to Eli. That's ok, it all comes out in the wash anyway~you won't know when he's 17 that he learned to read later than his older sibs."

 

Omw...you should have seen her face.

 

I see her around town a lot now and she usually pretends she doesn't see me unless we come face to face at Kroger.

 

I've told a few friends that story and they told me I was awful to do that to a new homeschooler (while they're snickering into their sleeves.)

 

But I came to a point where I don't try and explain myself to anyone~least of all people with a condescending attitude.

 

Maybe the people you're meeting are playing you.

It's really not hard to figure out when someone else thinks they have all the answers.

 

eta: For those of you wondering, Eli is reading well now ;-)

 

 

I wonder if she has matured a bit in the realities of homeschooling and now realizes what a condescending pain she was when she met you. Maybe she is embarrassed about how she acted. If she's not,oh well, you don't need to hear another condescending tirade again anyway.

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:iagree: My first thought was the parent calling herself a slacker was doing it as a self-deprecating way to diffuse someone she perceives to be...too competitive? Too intense? Something along those lines.

 

Barb

Funny. I had a similar thought. She may have been in a really smarty pants mood and said what she thought the OP was expecting her to say but didn't really care much what the OP really thought. I know I don't always try to answer every one's questions and if someone has the wrong impression about me sometimes I've been known to just let it be. Sometimes my thoughts and energy are just directed somewhere else and I figure they don't really need to know anyway. Especially if I'll never speak to that person ever again.

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We don't participate in any coop or activity where we drop off kids and my oldest has Asperger's and really can't be just dropped off anywhere, but honestly, sometimes I think it would be nice to get just a few hours to myself per week to get things done without the bickering or horseplay while I am trying to shop or even for the chance to get a haircut and color without having to worry about the kids.

 

I do homeschool to be with my kids, but I do miss working and I do miss having some time alone or with adults.

 

Does that make me a bad homeschooler or egocentric?

 

Dawn

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Sometimes I feel like I'm spending so much time with my student I don't have time for my daughter. :crying:

 

I'm always wearing my teacher hat and truly wanting to wear it less and spend more time wearing my mommy hat. I don't think the answer is shipping her off to school or a co-op, though. We are struggling to find the answer we need (we suspect it may be a "boxed" curriculum for a while). Still, I could imagine someone feeling the same way and not really knowing how to find her mommy hat for all the teacher hats sitting around on top of it. Maybe they're just casting about for the answer trying different ways. Maybe they don't feel satisified with this route either but it's something to try.

 

Maybe they need support from someone who has found a real workable way to manage.

 

I could use that.

:iagree::iagree:
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The topic of discussion is "Why do egocentric parents attempt home education?"

If you would like to post. please stick to the topic in the op.

Thank you!

 

Well, then, perhaps the moderators would be nice enough to remove that little sidebar about Pink's nursing school plans, as it distracted me from the topic...

 

However, I do believe my question pertinent to your OP. I have been trying to gain a sense of the perspective from which you make your observations. To answer your original question with all fairness. But now, I'll just march on...

 

For the first few years of my home schooling mission, I thought much like you do (as gleaned by this post and by the many other posts of yours that I looked up yesterday). I did and said a lot of the same things you have said, and said you have done.

 

I was an overbearing snob and I alienated a lot of people. My kids were (and are still) impressive, yep, photographic memories and all.

 

There was a huge lack of grace shown toward others in my life. My kids got a great education, but I lost the opportunity and ability to speak the Truest part of wisdom to those who needed that more than any schooling tip I could give them. I stood neither in a place to graciously share the Gospel, nor to offer real Christian fellowship to those hurting around me. I was so busy exhorting good reading, writing and logic skills that I had neither the heart nor the time to exhort my fellow moms in the trenches to simply stay the course, even if their school routines were not as excellent as the one I provided and in which I was an expert.

 

I see traces of this attitude in your board voice.

 

Many events conspired to slap me around and snap me out of this attitude towards my fellow laborers. It is with great sadness that I realize I will never have the opportunity to undo my words and deeds that led others to discouragement. I hope your life (with apparently one young daughter? Please correct me if I am wrong...) continues along a smooth, trouble free path that permits you to always offer your child all of your own personal time and energy, if that is your choice. I also hope you realize that there are many out there who love all their children at least as much as you love your own, who also see that martyrdom on the altar of a perfect education is not their top priority. And that is okay.

 

I am sorry if you feel this too harsh, I hope you will take it in the manner of Bunyan's characters in The Pilgrim's Progress, as an exhortation between sisters in Christ towards more graceful living.

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Well now I'm super curious about how old your kids are. :001_smile: Is there a reason you don't want anyone to know?

 

This thread wasn't about getting an nursing degree but you spent some time talking about that :confused:

 

The fact that someone has been evasive is enough to make me glad I didn't even get into the conversation. To me, it just makes it seem like something isn't "right".

 

 

People each choose to homeschool for different reasons and in different ways for different reasons. It's alternative schooling and that will look different for each family. Personally, I think it's offensive that any of would think that we have it all down as though we're doing it perfectly. Sorry, but no parent, teacher, homeschooling method, etc is perfect. It's all full of imperfections and we all work to deal the best with the situations we have. Alternative education (homeschooling in the case of the majority of this board) is one of the ways we do this. (and some of us have also had to make other choices, virtual, private, public, charter, early cc, etc

Edited by mommaduck
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Well, then, perhaps the moderators would be nice enough to remove that little sidebar about Pink's nursing school plans, as it distracted me from the topic...

 

However, I do believe my question pertinent to your OP. I have been trying to gain a sense of the perspective from which you make your observations. To answer your original question with all fairness. But now, I'll just march on...

 

For the first few years of my home schooling mission, I thought much like you do (as gleaned by this post and by the many other posts of yours that I looked up yesterday). I did and said a lot of the same things you have said, and said you have done.

 

I was an overbearing snob and I alienated a lot of people. My kids were (and are still) impressive, yep, photographic memories and all.

 

There was a huge lack of grace shown toward others in my life. My kids got a great education, but I lost the opportunity and ability to speak the Truest part of wisdom to those who needed that more than any schooling tip I could give them. I stood neither in a place to graciously share the Gospel, nor to offer real Christian fellowship to those hurting around me. I was so busy exhorting good reading, writing and logic skills that I had neither the heart nor the time to exhort my fellow moms in the trenches to simply stay the course, even if their school routines were not as excellent as the one I provided and in which I was an expert.

 

I see traces of this attitude in your board voice.

 

Many events conspired to slap me around and snap me out of this attitude towards my fellow laborers. It is with great sadness that I realize I will never have the opportunity to undo my words and deeds that led others to discouragement. I hope your life (with apparently one young daughter? Please correct me if I am wrong...) continues along a smooth, trouble free path that permits you to always offer your child all of your own personal time and energy, if that is your choice. I also hope you realize that there are many out there who love all their children at least as much as you love your own, who also see that martyrdom on the altar of a perfect education is not their top priority. And that is okay.

 

I am sorry if you feel this too harsh, I hope you will take it in the manner of Bunyan's characters in The Pilgrim's Progress, as an exhortation between sisters in Christ towards more graceful living.

 

I know you weren't writing to me, but I think I bend towards this too much in my speech (certainly in my own head) - I needed to hear this wisdom today!! Thank you!

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Well, then, perhaps the moderators would be nice enough to remove that little sidebar about Pink's nursing school plans, as it distracted me from the topic...

 

However, I do believe my question pertinent to your OP. I have been trying to gain a sense of the perspective from which you make your observations. To answer your original question with all fairness. But now, I'll just march on...

 

For the first few years of my home schooling mission, I thought much like you do (as gleaned by this post and by the many other posts of yours that I looked up yesterday). I did and said a lot of the same things you have said, and said you have done.

 

I was an overbearing snob and I alienated a lot of people. My kids were (and are still) impressive, yep, photographic memories and all.

 

There was a huge lack of grace shown toward others in my life. My kids got a great education, but I lost the opportunity and ability to speak the Truest part of wisdom to those who needed that more than any schooling tip I could give them. I stood neither in a place to graciously share the Gospel, nor to offer real Christian fellowship to those hurting around me. I was so busy exhorting good reading, writing and logic skills that I had neither the heart nor the time to exhort my fellow moms in the trenches to simply stay the course, even if their school routines were not as excellent as the one I provided and in which I was an expert.

 

I see traces of this attitude in your board voice.

 

Many events conspired to slap me around and snap me out of this attitude towards my fellow laborers. It is with great sadness that I realize I will never have the opportunity to undo my words and deeds that led others to discouragement. I hope your life (with apparently one young daughter? Please correct me if I am wrong...) continues along a smooth, trouble free path that permits you to always offer your child all of your own personal time and energy, if that is your choice. I also hope you realize that there are many out there who love all their children at least as much as you love your own, who also see that martyrdom on the altar of a perfect education is not their top priority. And that is okay.

 

I am sorry if you feel this too harsh, I hope you will take it in the manner of Bunyan's characters in The Pilgrim's Progress, as an exhortation between sisters in Christ towards more graceful living.

 

Well put. I've had my phases also. I'd go back and kick myself if I could.

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Well, then, perhaps the moderators would be nice enough to remove that little sidebar about Pink's nursing school plans, as it distracted me from the topic...

 

However, I do believe my question pertinent to your OP. I have been trying to gain a sense of the perspective from which you make your observations. To answer your original question with all fairness. But now, I'll just march on...

 

For the first few years of my home schooling mission, I thought much like you do (as gleaned by this post and by the many other posts of yours that I looked up yesterday). I did and said a lot of the same things you have said, and said you have done.

 

I was an overbearing snob and I alienated a lot of people. My kids were (and are still) impressive, yep, photographic memories and all.

 

There was a huge lack of grace shown toward others in my life. My kids got a great education, but I lost the opportunity and ability to speak the Truest part of wisdom to those who needed that more than any schooling tip I could give them. I stood neither in a place to graciously share the Gospel, nor to offer real Christian fellowship to those hurting around me. I was so busy exhorting good reading, writing and logic skills that I had neither the heart nor the time to exhort my fellow moms in the trenches to simply stay the course, even if their school routines were not as excellent as the one I provided and in which I was an expert.

 

I see traces of this attitude in your board voice.

 

Many events conspired to slap me around and snap me out of this attitude towards my fellow laborers. It is with great sadness that I realize I will never have the opportunity to undo my words and deeds that led others to discouragement. I hope your life (with apparently one young daughter? Please correct me if I am wrong...) continues along a smooth, trouble free path that permits you to always offer your child all of your own personal time and energy, if that is your choice. I also hope you realize that there are many out there who love all their children at least as much as you love your own, who also see that martyrdom on the altar of a perfect education is not their top priority. And that is okay.

 

I am sorry if you feel this too harsh, I hope you will take it in the manner of Bunyan's characters in The Pilgrim's Progress, as an exhortation between sisters in Christ towards more graceful living.

Thank you for your post. :)

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This straying from the topic of the OP is permitted?

 

I think we can all agree that as much as we would like to be able to control what people will post in "our" threads, this is a public message board where people can and will post whatever they like. Whenever I see someone telling us to stick to a certain topic, I always have this crazy desire to go into 30 different threads and try to bring up pie.

 

"That's an interesting problem you're having with your child, have you tried to feed her pie?" "Yes, I know this one time that happened to me when I was eating some pie." "Once I saw something like that happen when I was on my way to buy a pie."

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I think we can all agree that as much as we would like to be able to control what people will post in "our" threads, this is a public message board where people can and will post whatever they like. Whenever I see someone telling us to stick to a certain topic, I always have this crazy desire to go into 30 different threads and try to bring up pie.

 

"That's an interesting problem you're having with your child, have you tried to feed her pie?" "Yes, I know this one time that happened to me when I was eating some pie." "Once I saw something like that happen when I was on my way to buy a pie."

 

"Is eating pie Biblical?"

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Well, pie isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible... Perhaps if we put a Bible verse on it, you know, cut out of pastry or something?

 

If it's not in Scripture, then it's forbidden...and Pagans ate pie, you know ;) :P

 

(totally kidding! Anybody like apple? Dang, that was the fruit that started it all...or was it the pomegranate?)

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If it's not in Scripture, then it's forbidden...and Pagans ate pie, you know ;) :P

 

(totally kidding! Anybody like apple? Dang, that was the fruit that started it all...or was it the pomegranate?)

 

I don't like apple pie. I think it is the inferior pie. All the good homeschool moms eat coconut cream pie. :D

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Well, pie isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible... Perhaps if we put a Bible verse on it, you know, cut out of pastry or something?

 

If it's not in Scripture, then it's forbidden...and Pagans ate pie, you know ;) :P

 

(totally kidding! Anybody like apple? Dang, that was the fruit that started it all...or was it the pomegranate?)

 

:lol:

 

You ladies are so funny!

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If it's not in Scripture, then it's forbidden...and Pagans ate pie, you know ;) :P

 

(totally kidding! Anybody like apple? Dang, that was the fruit that started it all...or was it the pomegranate?)

 

 

It's ok to eat pie as long as you are not wearing pants or a bikini while doing so.

 

(all ingredients must be completely natural and it must only be sweetened with honey)

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For the first few years of my home schooling mission, I thought much like you do (as gleaned by this post and by the many other posts of yours that I looked up yesterday). I did and said a lot of the same things you have said, and said you have done.

 

There was a huge lack of grace shown toward others in my life. My kids got a great education, but I lost the opportunity and ability to speak the Truest part of wisdom to those who needed that more than any schooling tip I could give them. I stood neither in a place to graciously share the Gospel, nor to offer real Christian fellowship to those hurting around me. I was so busy exhorting good reading, writing and logic skills that I had neither the heart nor the time to exhort my fellow moms in the trenches to simply stay the course, even if their school routines were not as excellent as the one I provided and in which I was an expert.

 

I see traces of this attitude in your board voice.

 

 

Beautifully written and incredibly true.

 

When I only had a couple young children, I had a tendency to "grade" myself on a sliding scale. As long as I was doing "better" than those around me, then I got an A, or at least a B. So I felt the need to console myself with the many ways I was providing a superior education.

 

Oddly, as my homeschooling experience grew, and my experience with more children grew, I found I changed how I defined education. And I certainly had been humbled enough to show grace to others.

 

Living life in theory - how people "ought" to do things is wonderful. It prevents us from too much self inspection. Living life through application, year after year, is incredibly difficult. It requires us to look to our own flaws. And generally, I'm so busy working on me, I don't have time to see what everyone else is doing right or wrong.

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