18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children-article

[Catwoman]

The title implies homeschooling parents who are professionals are motivated by something different that homeschooling parents who are not professionals.

 

:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

I have no idea how you would have gotten that impression from the title of the article. It said that doctors and lawyers are homeschooling their children. Where is it implied that non-professionals have different goals? Are you sure you're not reading a lot more into that title than is really there? Because for the life of me, I can't find anything wrong with it. Do you have something against doctors and lawyers?

 

 

She specifically stated that the stereotype was what she was expecting. A very naive view to hold of a group of people numbering in the millions. My point was not that she realized things were different than she expected, I was pointing out there is a serious attitude problem in her that created her condescending attitude to being with. Some self reflection on her part would be appropriate in her situation as it would be of anyone with such a condescending attitude toward any group of people.

 

 

I don't think it's unreasonable that she had a mental image in her mind of what homeschoolers looked like. There is a stereotype of the homeschool mom in the long denim jumper. It may or may not be accurate, but it exists, so I'm not at all surprised that the author was expecting to see that stereotype when she was getting started.

 

I don't see why she has a "serious problem" or that she is condescending, just because she admitted that she was expecting one thing and found another. :confused:

 

Additionally, she was writing about her own personal experiences. I don't think she intended to speak for the entire homeschooling community, nor was she probably even addressing her comments to all homeschoolers. I would assume that her intended audience was other professional women like herself, who might be interested in hearing more about homeschooling from a similar mom who has BTDT.

[Catwoman]

I do not understand the animosity. You know what is funny about stereotypes? They don't make themselves up. For every person ranting about stereotypes, there are a hundred who fit it to a tee. So what? She is not saying there is anything wrong with being a right-wing, skirt-wearing fundamentalist. Just that that is not who she is. Why hate her for saying so? You have been to homeschooling conventions, correct? Ever looked around? I can see why one might walk in and say, "These are not my people." So maybe she did, but she got over it. Good for her.

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

This is very, very true. The only homeschool conference DH and I ever went to had a TON of denim skirted people and sporting crosses. Just an utter ton. We looked at each other, looked at the crowd and burst out laughing. And we didn't stay very long.

 

That's exactly what happened to us, too! We went to a conference to try to learn more about homeschooling, and we'd just about walked through the doors when my dh commented, "Are you really sure we're going to fit in with these people?" And he looked at me like this: :eek: Well, not exactly like :eek: but pretty close. ;) But I couldn't blame him because I was secretly wondering the same thing -- the first several families we saw were "stereotypical" in that the moms were wearing the long denim jumpers and ultra-modest clothing, and we definitely looked out of place! (Yeah, I know. I'm condescending. Shoot me now. :rolleyes:)

 

Once we were there for a while, we saw a wider variety of people, but I will fully admit that I had the "denim jumper stereotype" in my mind when we started thinking of homeschooling. I ended up being completely wrong (and some of my favorite homeschoolers wear denim jumpers!) but I don't think I have a "serious problem" or that I was "condescending" because I had the wrong initial impression.

[Jennifer3141]

:iagree:

 

 

 

 

That's exactly what happened to us, too! We went to a conference to try to learn more about homeschooling, and we'd just about walked through the doors when my dh commented, "Are you really sure we're going to fit in with these people?" And he looked at me like this: :eek: Well, not exactly like :eek: but pretty close. ;) But I couldn't blame him because I was secretly wondering the same thing -- the first several families we saw were "stereotypical" in that the moms were wearing the long denim jumpers and ultra-modest clothing, and we definitely looked out of place! (Yeah, I know. I'm condescending. Shoot me now. :rolleyes:)

 

Once we were there for a while, we saw a wider variety of people, but I will fully admit that I had the "denim jumper stereotype" in my mind when we started thinking of homeschooling. I ended up being completely wrong (and some of my favorite homeschoolers wear denim jumpers!) but I don't think I have a "serious problem" or that I was "condescending" because I had the wrong initial impression.

 

 

We hit exactly two modules before we got the halibut out of there. One was on curriculum and they slammed Calvert because there was no religion so of course, we know that's how we'd go! And then we hit one on saving money because, hey I like saving money too. It started out with cloth wipes for adults instead of TP and a recommendation to go without electricity after dark. I love my DH. Dearly. But the idea of washing his poo stained butt wipes made me literally nauseous and the image of sitting there with my family in the dark with a candle for 5 hours before we went to bed had both of us hysterical.

 

And for the record, I cloth diapered and used cloth wipes for both my babies until they toilet trained. It's my personal opinion that once you are on a pot or two of coffee a day, your butt crack is no longer under my purview.

[amyrobynne]

 

2. I, for one, relate to my children better through academics. I enjoy teaching grammar and history and math. I do not enjoy Monopoloy or card games. That is my husband's domain. Reading books together or talking about math in the car? Count me in. Need a kidney? Sign me up. But please, do not ask me to play Battleship! Whether that has anything to do with being an attorney, I do not know, but that is a big reason that I like homeschooling. It is not why we started, but it is a perk.

 

 

Oh my gosh, yes. I do. not. care. about my kids' train simulator games or minute Star Wars details. I do like explaining multiplication to them. I love reading everything with them. I'm actually happy playing card games and real games now that they can handle Settlers and whatnot. But Battleship? No. I threw out Chutes and Ladders and Candyland because I didn't feel like anyone should be forced to deal with those horrible things. But in general, I feel like I relate to them through their academics now instead of not wanting to share their freetime fun.

 

I always think it a lovely, metaphorical "spit in the eye" to "the establishment" when public or private school educators homeschool their children!

 

My husband didn't enjoy telling his coworkers that we were taking the kids out of his fancy private school to homeschool but everyone's been supportive now that they know. It's fun to talk to them about what was and wasn't working.

[Forget-Me-Not]

LOL, my DH has been known to stack the Candyland deck to make a game go faster :D

[elegantlion]

I read the bullet points. I think she's glossing over the bumpy surface of homeschooling, which might be for her target audience. I also didn't like she felt she had to hide homeschooling for a year and now she wants to be a stand-up spokesperson for the professionals who homeschool? Meh.

 

I do think it's important that homeschoolers speak of its benefits to those within their own circle of influence. I don't personally hold doctors, lawyers, pastors or car repair men in such high esteem that I take their word on everything outside of their own expertise. I also don't have a degree, my audience would be those who have been through the graduate school at the School of Hard Knocks.

 

She is also homeschooling 2nd and 4th grade, of course it's fun and easy. I hope she is still able to hold that fun when they reach high school because it's a whole new level of work.

 

Personally, I prefer to hear from veterans of homeschooling, not people who have been doing it for year. To me, it's like taking marriage advice from a newlywed. One good year does not a success make.

 

I think her target audience was different than my needs, however. I don't need 18 bullet points to tell me how cool it is to spend time with my own child.

[bettyandbob]

I thought it was a nice blog post from some one who had a successful first year experience homeschooling. She admitted that homeschooling was an "out there" concept in the circles she associates. She talked about the positive experiences she had. I think it was meant to present homeschooling as an alternative to people who had never considered homeschooling--not necessarily to convert the masses, but show that it's a reasonable thing to consider along with public and private school depending on a family's needs. She doesn't claim massive success or expert status.

 

I didn't read anymore into her blog than that.

[Catwoman]

I thought it was a nice blog post from some one who had a successful first year experience homeschooling. She admitted that homeschooling was an "out there" concept in the circles she associates. She talked about the positive experiences she had. I think it was meant to present homeschooling as an alternative to people who had never considered homeschooling--not necessarily to convert the masses, but show that it's a reasonable thing to consider along with public and private school depending on a family's needs. She doesn't claim massive success or expert status.

 

I didn't read anymore into her blog than that.

 

 

I didn't read any more into it than you did. I was quite surprised to hear that some people took offense at the author's attitude, because if anything, I thought she was a little too " happy happy puppies, kittens, rainbows, and rose-colored glasses" about homeschooling. She didn't seem at all condescending to me.