S/O: Who are the people in your neighborhood?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Tibbie asked this question in Joanne's blog post thread on teens and homeschool. I thought that it was such a good question that I'm reposting it as a thread of it's own. To give some context, the question is asking what kinds of persons with different degrees, hobbies and expertise are your children exposed to?

 

In own neighborhood (ie. community, village, contacts, whatever you want to call it!) my son has spent time discussing physics with a physicist, has long discussions with explanations on anatomy with our chiropractor, is tutored by a mathematician and a chemist, has met and discussed computers with innumerable IT people (we're in a big IT area), has met an archeologist. We are friends with a professional tympanist, a number of men who have been in Special Forces, a couple who are both skilled carpenters, engineers and linguists. My dd9 has exchanged recipes with a friend who has a culinary arts degree and is very gifted in hospitality. We know and correspond with people who live and work around the world. Our neighbor is a gifted amateur artist and has given us tours of her studio.

[Orthodox6]

I am impressed that you live in a neighborhood and know who anybody is! (or they, you)

[Daisy]

We live in a more working class neighborhood. Not many have college degrees, but our city doesn't have a high percentage of college graduates. We have..

 

A construction worker

Three teachers

Maintenance worker (plumber)

Nurse

Pilot Car driver

A few retirees (these houses were built in the 60's)

Oil field workers

Agriculture employee (Animal inspector for the fairs).

 

Most of the families that have school-aged children homeschool because the school in our neighborhood is terrible.

 

We are good friends with most of our neighbors. The kids play together, etc.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am impressed that you live in a neighborhood and know who anybody is! (or they, you)

 

I'm using neighborhood in a broader "village" context. Some of these people actually do live in our neighborhood. Some are people who we've met and become friends with over the years but who live anywhere from 20 miles away to 3000 miles away!

[Daisy]

I'm using neighborhood in a broader "village" context. Some of these people actually do live in our neighborhood. Some are people who we've met and become friends with over the years but who live anywhere from 20 miles away to 3000 miles away!

 

Oh. My kids meet all kinds of people in our city. I wouldn't even know where to begin. I just stuck to the folks who live on our street. LOL.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh. My kids meet all kinds of people in our city. I wouldn't even know where to begin. I just stuck to the folks who live on our street. LOL.

 

Tibbie was using the question to show that you don't have to join a co-op to necessarily be exposed to people with a wide variety of experience and knowledge - people who, if they are willing, could make wonderful mentors for our older children. Of course, these people have to be willing to actually talk to teens and to build a rapport with them.

[Orthodox6]

Thanks for explaining! There do seem to be some occasional folks living in neighborhoods home to people who see each other's existence, and who talk regularly.

 

Randomly chosen "neighbors", then . . .

 

a concert pianist who trained at one of the most prestigious conservatories in Russia; a scientist who combines an M.D. in pediatrics with a Ph.D. in biophysics; Orthodox Christian military chaplain in the U.S. Navy; multiple Orthodox Christian priests; multiple restaurant owners; former choir director for the large Cathedral in Tallinn (Estonia); self-employed building contractor; two former pilots for Pan Am Airlines; chief of surgery at a hospital in Mexico City; . . . (I'll stop here.)

 

I'm using neighborhood in a broader "village" context. Some of these people actually do live in our neighborhood. Some are people who we've met and become friends with over the years but who live anywhere from 20 miles away to 3000 miles away!

[momma2three]

Tibbie was using the question to show that you don't have to join a co-op to necessarily be exposed to people with a wide variety of experience and knowledge - people who, if they are willing, could make wonderful mentors for our older children. Of course, these people have to be willing to actually talk to teens and to build a rapport with them.

 

:iagree:

 

It's nice that he's had conversations with all these people, but how many are sustained intellectual relationships? Were they all prearranged conversations where your son went in prepared to discuss the topic? Your description just doesn't really make clear what kind of conversations they are. I've met many interesting people in my life that I've picked up some interesting things from, but I wouldn't call them mentors and I wouldn't consider their cocktail banter (brainy though it may be) any more than a surface scratch of what they are interested in that day.

[regentrude]

Not in the sense of physical neighborhood as in "our street" - we know the people, but most we interact rarely - my kids are interacting with quite a few adults:

DD interacts with her riding teacher, all kinds of people at the barn, trainers from other stables, boarders - she spends many hours there and is surely exposed to a variety of people.

We often host get-togethers with our colleagues and have a weekly lunch where we have lively discussions with other physics professors about politics, history, philosophy (and occasionally even science) - the kids grow up with this culture of intellectual sparring ;-)

DD talks to her friend's parents (a librarian and a public relations specialist)

She sings in choir and interacts with choir members and the director

She volunteers at the public school library and interacts with people there.

[justamouse]

lobbyist, writers, lawyers, scientist, chemists (yes, more scientists) biologist, machinist, mortician, surveyor, nurse, accountant, Priest, farmers, IT. My father's family is so big, we have an aunt or uncle who does *something*.

 

that's the first circle.

Edited September 20, 2011 by justamouse

[Jean in Newcastle]

:iagree:

 

It's nice that he's had conversations with all these people, but how many are sustained intellectual relationships? Were they all prearranged conversations where your son went in prepared to discuss the topic? Your description just doesn't really make clear what kind of conversations they are. I've met many interesting people in my life that I've picked up some interesting things from, but I wouldn't call them mentors and I wouldn't consider their cocktail banter (brainy though it may be) any more than a surface scratch of what they are interested in that day.

 

Very good point. It varies. Some were prearranged in the sense that we went to lectures by these people and then stayed to talk to them further afterward. (They are people that we actually have a relationship with.) Some have been just cocktail banter which might not teach them anything new, but provides a place for mild civil debate and a cementing of ideas. Some are people that we see regularly and have what might be considered continued discourse on certain topics over a period of months.

[Impish]

Thanks so much, Jean. I now have

in my head :001_huh:

[curlylocks]

We live in a rural area -- very few "neighbors". The only family in our "neighborhood" that we spend any time with is an elderly couple that lives across the road. We mow their lawn, snowblow their driveway, etc. The wife is a housewife/mom and the husband is a woodworker. He can build anything.

 

At our church, our children are exposed to lots of people: nurses, IT professionals, teachers, electricians, heating/plumbing contractors, business owners, farmers and common laborers.

 

In our immediate family we have a chemist/mathematician that enjoys spending time with the kids.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thanks so much, Jean. I now have

in my head :001_huh:

 

It's Tibbie's fault :auto:

[Impish]

It's Tibbie's fault :auto:

Nuh uh, your thread title! :tongue_smilie:

[TheReader]

One more thing I am depressed about as far as living in a non-English speaking country, with boys who really prefer not to use the Portuguese they know. -sigh-

 

In our neighborhood, the boys have me (degree in counseling ministries), dh (chemist w/an MBA), and their Portuguese tutor (a sweet Christian lady). We don't know any of our other neighbors well enough for them to interact with our boys.

 

They are just beginning boy scouts, but at their ages the interaction with the scout leaders is kind of minimal. Lots of good peer interaction, which we are very happy about as that has been sorely lacking for them up until now.

 

Our good friends here are a construction worker/jack of all trades & his wife, a translator. They are very neat, neither speak English as a 1st language but both are fluent. I'm excited to get to know them better. Also an electrical engineer and his wife, a stay-home mom, no degree that I'm aware of; she's never said. He and my husband both interact with all our kids quite a bit, but mostly not about their careers...maybe that will come as my oldest matures even more.

 

That is the extent of their interactions with adults here. I'm now going to pretend I didn't read this so I do not dwell on what I cannot give them....

 

(I do think it's a good thread, though, and I find it helpful, or would, if I was in the US and could do this) (I probably will think about how to draw my oldest into the adult conversations more; he is outgrowing the children of the people we hang out with the most....)

[TheReader]

I'm using neighborhood in a broader "village" context. Some of these people actually do live in our neighborhood. Some are people who we've met and become friends with over the years but who live anywhere from 20 miles away to 3000 miles away!

 

Tibbie was using the question to show that you don't have to join a co-op to necessarily be exposed to people with a wide variety of experience and knowledge - people who, if they are willing, could make wonderful mentors for our older children. Of course, these people have to be willing to actually talk to teens and to build a rapport with them.

 

Woot! Feeling much better having read this far.....

 

So, in that case ---

 

-an artist

-more engineers

-a technical writer (AC/DC motor repair)

-a non-degreed engineer in a mechanical field

-a history major and business owner

-various folks in different levels of ministry

-farmers (of different levels, from hobby farmers to small family, yet commercial, farms)

 

These are the people our boys interact with on a regular basis and who they have ongoing relationships with and might be able to serve as mentors. The history major also homeschools and has offered to grade history reports for me, offer feedback, etc partly to impart her knowledge, partly to get my boys exposed to different grading styles. The artist has already taught them things, and will again, whenever we ask.

 

Also, various people pour into them in other ways -- my grandma sends them National Geographic, and I have them email her every so often to chat about what favorite article that month, for example.

 

I'm confident that, limitations of culture aside, we're exposing them to a great deal of things and providing a well rounded education. I'll quit feeling guilty now. :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

Feeling even worse now. Poor, rural " neighborhood". They have the minister, factory workers, farmers and the sweet college girl who runs the satellite Boys & Girls Club. They aren't exposed to many different careers ( neither are the kids inPS ) but they are exposed to good, decent people.

Edited September 20, 2011 by joyofsix

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm confident that, limitations of culture aside, we're exposing them to a great deal of things and providing a well rounded education. I'll quit feeling guilty now. :)

 

Good! I'm glad that you read further. :001_smile:

[Liz CA]

Feeling even worse now. Poor, rural " neighborhood". They have the minister, factory workers, farmers and the sweet college girl who runs the satellite Boys & Girls Club. They aren't exposed to many different careers ( neither ahre the kids inPS ) but they are exposed to good, decent people.

 

This is more valuable IMHO than being exposed to only highly educated people, some of whom were educated beyond their intelligence.

Decent, hard working people provide very good examples indeed.

[Jean in Newcastle]

This is more valuable IMHO than being exposed to only highly educated people, some of whom were educated beyond their intelligence.

Decent, hard working people provide very good examples indeed.

 

We've gotten a lot of very practical education from people who are hard working blue collar workers. These people might not be able to put together a paper on what they know (though some probably could do so just fine) but they can solve problems like nobody's business. I've seen engineers scratching their heads over a problem that was "outside the box" while the technician reaches in and fixes the darn thing because he wasn't afraid to just use his experience to figure it out.

[Peela]

We live in a wealthy neighbourhood and my son is friends with one neighbourhood family in particular. The mum is a SAHM and the dad is in the IT industry, works from home. Don't know how they afford to live around here. We rent, and the rent is relatively cheap because the owners inherited the house and aren't paying a mortgage on it.

 

But its not this neighbourhood that my kids relate too so much, although it is an atmosphere they live in- they have friends all over the city- originally from the Scouting movement but now its gymnastics too. They have had to get very savvy with public transport. They mix with people in working class, poorer suburbs, whose parents are rough and good hearted and take them camping and trail biking. My son has a friend on a farm, where he learned to shoot a gun. They mix with kids whose parents bought them expensive cars as soon as they could drive. It's a whole range and I honestly don't keep track of all the kids nowadays, let alone their parents' jobs.

 

I love the variety, I love that my kids have so many friends. They are exposed to many lifestyles, many careers, many possibilities.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

We've gotten a lot of very practical education from people who are hard working blue collar workers. These people might not be able to put together a paper on what they know (though some probably could do so just fine) but they can solve problems like nobody's business. I've seen engineers scratching their heads over a problem that was "outside the box" while the technician reaches in and fixes the darn thing because he wasn't afraid to just use his experience to figure it out.

 

Right. Anytime you come across a person who possesses character qualities that you desire for your children, make an effort to bring them into your family's circle.

 

Learn from the construction worker who knows how to design a finger septic system for a cabin on a hill, or how to weld together anything made of metal, or how to build a buggy to sell to the Amish. (I had a Grandpa who could do that. He could do anything!) Maybe you will become inspired to be a true D.I.Y. person, saving yourself thousands of dollars and making yourself thousands of opportunities over a lifetime. He who can diversify will thrive.

 

Learn from a country preacher who has the wisdom of Solomon, and watch him think slowly and weigh his words over years to bring about lasting peace between the Hatfields and McCoys. (I have a brother who can do that.) Maybe you'll go to work for the UN, or maybe you'll just avoid unnecessary and destructive battles with neighbors or co-workers in your life.

 

Learn from a grandmother who knows how to garden and cook everything from scratch. Her lessons might make it possible for you to have pretty good nutrition as you think you are starving through your college years. (Or during early marriage, when both babies and loan due dates come along faster than planned.)

 

Learn from a blue collar worker who knows what it is to never give in to discouragement and never take a day off of work, no matter what his boss is like or how tired he gets. Learn to emulate his work ethic no matter what your job is, and you will be kept when the other guy gets fired!

 

Your curriculum should be supplying the genius fodder. But the academic knowledge and ability are not the entire equation! Who you are is more than what you know.

 

A kid who has...

1. An ethical personal character

2. A love for his fellow man

3. Reasonable skill in his hands

4. The humility to always wonder what he can learn from others

5. and a WTM education in his head...

 

might someday be President.

 

Or at least he'll be something! He won't be a failure. I know that.

[bettyandbob]

Am I the only one who thought this would have something to do with Mr. Rogers

 

OK

In my neighborhood:

at least 9 public school teachers

2 social workers

1 person in charge of grounds at a community college (don't know job title)

at least 2 geologists

several lawyers

several IT professionals

some nurses

a montessori teacher

methodist minister

 

we've got a variety. If my kids have a question about a special topic, I can usually think of a neighbor to talk to (as well as look it up).

[RoughCollie]

Our "neighbors" are farmers (dairy cattle; beef cows) and a few retired people who have lived here all their lives.

 

The closest neighbor is a retired tree surgeon, never married, super introvert. He brings me tomatoes, zucchini, and homemade bread from a recipe he developed especially for tomato sandwiches. I bring him homemade cookies. Sometimes when it snows, he plows our driveway, and DH goes over there to thank him. This guy has a lot of equipment I've never seen before -- probably from when he had his business. He seems to be very security conscious -- cameras outside his house, and he practices shooting his handguns quite a lot. In 2 years, we've probably talked a total of 30 minutes. Last time he came over, I made him sit down and suffer through talking to me for 10 whole minutes!

 

Our landlord's parents, who are in their 80s, live about 1/4 mile away. They are lovely people. The Mr. gets quite a kick of out of educating this Citiot. :-)

Edited September 20, 2011 by RoughCollie

[Orthodox6]

This is more valuable IMHO than being exposed to only highly educated people, some of whom were educated beyond their intelligence.

Decent, hard working people provide very good examples indeed.

 

:iagree: -- and that whole heartedly!

[FaithManor]

In terms of "physically residing close to our home" neighbors, we have a LOT of retired folks, my brother - an IT nerd, a guy who drives an awesome, cool, MASSIVE, Caterpillar piece of equipment for the county road commission...I'd love to get a ride, one high school math teacher whose wife homeschools and who claims that his school - ranked the best in our county - is the last place his children will ever attend, my parents who own a business in another town, and our pastor.

 

As for our "village", this would include a number of major IT nerds - serious, profound computer geniuses who cannot identify a noun from a verb and say things like, "Shakespeare who? Didn't Harrison Ford play him in some movie?" Yes, I do a lot of secret eye-rolling. One dentist, one doctor with "Doctor's Without Borders" so technically he is in our "village" much of the time by Skype and email when he is near internet connection, one PH.D. environmental researcher who doesn't live close by but because she is my cousin, belongs to us, my sister the social worker/almost psychologist, one fully qualified psychologist, a worship team leader that does amazing things with some speciality welding device he was trained on as a high school senior, a dear friend now on her third degree and this time in nursing (so add that to the biology and chemistry degrees), a dear friend that works for Wycliffe Bible translators and speaks some dialect of some small tribe in Papua, New Guinea...so again, skype and email, dh's mother who is a retired nursing professor, a guy with a degree in communications who is now a solar/wind alternative energy contractor, a fiber farmer - sheep and llamas, and numerous 4-H reps from both the local office and Michigan State University, and one dear friend who is honestly a master quilter and makes my quilting look sad; mine is considered quite good according to the quilt store owner :D.

 

It's a pretty good size village and yet, it doesn't feel that way. I guess that most of the time I don't really take stock of the depth and breadth of knowledge that srrounds us.

 

Faith

[justamouse]

Right. Anytime you come across a person who possesses character qualities that you desire for your children, make an effort to bring them into your family's circle.

 

Learn from the construction worker who knows how to design a finger septic system for a cabin on a hill, or how to weld together anything made of metal, or how to build a buggy to sell to the Amish. (I had a Grandpa who could do that. He could do anything!) Maybe you will become inspired to be a true D.I.Y. person, saving yourself thousands of dollars and making yourself thousands of opportunities over a lifetime. He who can diversify will thrive.

 

Learn from a country preacher who has the wisdom of Solomon, and watch him think slowly and weigh his words over years to bring about lasting peace between the Hatfields and McCoys. (I have a brother who can do that.) Maybe you'll go to work for the UN, or maybe you'll just avoid unnecessary and destructive battles with neighbors or co-workers in your life.

 

Learn from a grandmother who knows how to garden and cook everything from scratch. Her lessons might make it possible for you to have pretty good nutrition as you think you are starving through your college years. (Or during early marriage, when both babies and loan due dates come along faster than planned.)

 

Learn from a blue collar worker who knows what it is to never give in to discouragement and never take a day off of work, no matter what his boss is like or how tired he gets. Learn to emulate his work ethic no matter what your job is, and you will be kept when the other guy gets fired!

 

Your curriculum should be supplying the genius fodder. But the academic knowledge and ability are not the entire equation! Who you are is more than what you know.

 

A kid who has...

1. An ethical personal character

2. A love for his fellow man

3. Reasonable skill in his hands

4. The humility to always wonder what he can learn from others

5. and a WTM education in his head...

 

might someday be President.

 

Or at least he'll be something! He won't be a failure. I know that.

 

A-hallelujah-men.

[chepyl]

My kids have ample exposure to entrepreneurs. We own two businesses, my dad owned a business, and several other family members own their own small businesses that they run from home. We have several firemen, paramedics, and farmers in our immediate family. My mom is a CPA and DH's dad is a minister/missionary. That is who they are exposed to regularly.

[Julie Smith]

Thanks so much, Jean. I now have

in my head :001_huh:

 

Thank you for saying so. I just came to this thread to complain about that being stuck in my head. :tongue_smilie:

[Sputterduck]

I really don't know the backgrounds of the people in my neighborhood. Mine is full of ex-pats, mostly from America, Canada, and Japan. I'm not sure how everyone ended up in the same neighborhood except that, as in America, immigrants tend to flock together through a bond of confusion, unease, and lack of the local language. Most are living hand to mouth on very small pensions. Some have more, some less. Some have to watch every dime, but their lives are better here than where they came from because of the lower cost of living.

 

We have an ex-undercover ex-military guy and he's the only person who's background I know. Nobody asks that question around here. But they are ALL very interesting people. Normal men and women don't move here. HAHA

 

eta: Oh! We also have a guy who fishes all the time and writes for major fishing magazines. I know that because I have the fishing in Mexico book he published and that's why he's out fishing all the time.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Sputterduck

[Cricket]

We live in a community where we are surrounded by retired people. One man is an electrician but we recently learned that he also makes stained glass lamps. He offered to teach our oldest ds how to solder and make lamp shades. One lady has been teaching my dd how to crochet. Another neighbor is helping my ds learn guitar. Some neighbors are retired military, tile workers and plumbers. My sons especially have learned a lot by helping them do tile work and fix plumbing. Today one neighbor helped my dh fix the brakes on our car. My boys were right there helping and learning. I keep thinking that if they were in school all day they wouldn't be around for all these opportunities!

 

Among our family and acquaintances we have doctors, pastors, FBI agent, private investigator, salesmen, and antique dealers. One day I'd love for my kids to spend a week at a camp my uncle runs. He is a forester.

[Rosie_0801]

Our village isn't so large because we've moved too many times, but my kids are only little so it doesn't matter yet. :)

 

They have:

~A computer geek of a dad guy

~An uncle who is obsessed with politics and indigenous affairs

~A great aunt who has a PhD in scrounging and is reasonably proficient in all sorts of handicrafts, household DIY, gardening, food preservation and who knows what else

~A chiropractor (in my experience, part of being a good chiropractor is a willingness to talk the leg off a chair about anything from chiropractic health to nutrition to Terry Pratchett novels. :lol:)

 

We also know a bunch of medieval re-enactors who know all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Most will be more than happy to share with my kids when they are old enough to be interested and useful.

 

Rosie

[Liz CA]

I've seen engineers scratching their heads over a problem that was "outside the box" while the technician reaches in and fixes the darn thing because he wasn't afraid to just use his experience to figure it out.

 

This is exactly what I meant by "educated beyond their intelligence." I have seen PhDs, experts in their fields and they are having trouble boiling water.

I am glad you worded it nicely Jean, because as I re-read my post, it sounded a bit snarky to me. Didn't mean it that way.

[DawnM]

Hmmmm, I am not sure of them all and we only have 24 homes in our neighborhood. I only know a few of them.

 

Next door is an IT guy. Across the street is a Cardiologist. Down the road is a retired phone company engineer.

 

Dawn