chessrascal Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 My niece is considering homeschooling but she has relatives that are teachers and don't believe it's the right thing to do - no socializaiton :) I'd like to give her a lot of info. to send to them. If anyone has any links to articles on this, I'd appreciate any help. Thanks! Janet M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I don't have any articles handy, though I'm sure someone will. I do recommend this book though: The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling ETA: And really, there is a discussion on the Afterschooling board (I think that's where it is) about what is going on in some of the public schools (12 year olds and s*x). I'm not interested in that type of socialization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 School's Out HS from the Extreme to the Mainstream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/7_und_trs_hsing.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Perhaps a more helpful thing for your niece would be a copy of the "bean dip" recipe... :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Sherry Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) Here are some links to some articles. http://school.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/human-relations/56224.html http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/socialization.htm http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/socialresearch.htm http://www.pearables.com/truth_about.htm I agree with what others have posted below about not being able to change others opinions with articles. But perhaps more information will help a new homeschooling Mom see that there is support for her decision and it is even supported by reputable studies. Edited February 12, 2009 by Miss Sherry to add another article link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Someone posted a good Dr. Laura link a day or two ago. But I agree with Rosie... lots of Bean Dip. Sigh. Relatives who are teachers... couldn't get much worse really could it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I'll third the bean dip. In my experience relatives who objects are doing so based on feelings or stereotypes and informative articles or research aren't going to sway them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamrachelle Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Perhaps a more helpful thing for your niece would be a copy of the "bean dip" recipe.... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Perhaps a more helpful thing for your niece would be a copy of the "bean dip" recipe... yummy - :tongue_smilie::lol: I highly recommend it. You aren't going to sway school teachers. It's just one of those things where you will wear yourself out and make no progress. Her relatives will have to see the results to believe it. My sil is a school teacher (we actually both have ed degrees from the same college LOL) and we are both highly opinionated on how we educate our children...only I'm a HSer and she is NOT - we get along by agreeing that we both love our dc more than anything and are giving them the best we can give. Your friend will have to grow to the point where she is confident in her decision to HS regardless of popular opinion...which she is probably close if she has even made the decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Perhaps a more helpful thing for your niece would be a copy of the "bean dip" recipe... :) Rosie :iagree::iagree: You can't convince anyone about homeschooling but the nice thing is, you don't have to. "Works for us, would you like some bean dip?" I know that seems trite and I totally get wanting your family to "get" what you do and why. But in the end, it is her decision and no one else's business. The proof is in the pudding. Any objections my family had have been tempered over time by how our girls have thrived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Sherry Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 yummy - :tongue_smilie::lol: I highly recommend it. You aren't going to sway school teachers. It's just one of those things where you will wear yourself out and make no progress. Her relatives will have to see the results to believe it. My sil is a school teacher (we actually both have ed degrees from the same college LOL) and we are both highly opinionated on how we educate our children...only I'm a HSer and she is NOT - we get along by agreeing that we both love our dc more than anything and are giving them the best we can give. Your friend will have to grow to the point where she is confident in her decision to HS regardless of popular opinion...which she is probably close if she has even made the decision. I agree with 3blessingmom. You cannot expect to change other peoples minds about your decision to homeschool with articles. But perhaps over time others will at least see she is just doing what she believes is best for her own children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apond Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 my FIL is a retired school teacher and was not for the Homeschooling movement. He is now all for it after seeing what it has done my children and my sil's children. Nothing else would have changed his mind. Good Luck Annmarie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Better to use your energy exploring curricula and homeschooling approaches/materials. Don't waste your breath trying to convince relatives. They'll get over it. In the meantime, you and your children will flourish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I agree with the bean dip. ;) IME, sending someone articles trying to convince them you are right when they disagree, no matter the topic, gives the other person the idea that your decision is open to discussion and debate. If your niece WANTS to be on the defensive about homeschooling, by all means. DH had a couple of relatives that didn't like the idea. We waited til the last minute to tell them our son was being homeschooled for kindergarten. We did not try to convince them. Lo and behold, months later, one of these people told us he had looked into homeschooling and read up on it on his own, and come to the conclusion that it was a sound idea. LOL! Gee, thanks for the endorsement. A teacher may not have the same reaction, but OTOH, a teacher is less likely to change his mind about hs, probably. Sending an article written by homeschoolers won't change his mind and only invites more criticism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellycbr Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 It's true! My SIS and BIL are both teachers. We just don't talk about it. But my parents and DH parents wanted to talk about it in the beginning. We just said we're doing what is best for our DS. End of discussion really. When I mention the fire was going out, and we want to light a fire not fill a bucket, they get it. They also appreciate that we worked with the fabulous school teachers (really they were great!) and even one of the teachers said, "off the record, he's an excellent homeschool candidate." It may ease their discomfort if you praise or say something positive about PS teachers. When we mention the great teachers, but the frustrating system they're stuck teaching in, it seems to strike the right tone for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 In my opinion, if the teachers, who are in that system every day, don't get why intelligent, sane parents want to pull their kids out of school -- then they've been drinking the punch too long and they'll never get it. Of all people: they should get it. Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Yeah. None of those public school teachers have any sense. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 In my opinion, if the teachers, who are in that system every day, don't get why intelligent, sane parents want to pull their kids out of school -- then they've been drinking the punch too long and they'll never get it. Of all people: they should get it. Alicia :lol: Trouble is that if they do get it they are left with just a few options 1/ pull their own kids out and homeschool them if they are parents 2/ leave the system and get another job 3/ stay in it and be depressed I think they choose to push it to the backs of their minds. lalalalalalalalalala don't think about the elephant in the room! I know quite a few ex-teacher homeschool Mums. I also have a friend who started teaching less than a year ago and her increasing disillusionment with the system and unhappiness to be in it is heartbreaking to me. She had such high hopes and she would be a great teacher if she were allowed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I wouldn't even BOTHER trying to convince relatives, my lands. People who are antagonistic to homeschooling may be slow to come around or have perpetual reservations. You have to do what's right and move on. I have friends who send their kids to school, and we just don't talk about it. Any weakness you show is like opening yourself to a snake. If she wants a basic reply that might actually alleviate their fears a little, she could connect to other homeschoolers in her area and find out what resources she has, in other words make a plan. If she can retort quite simply that she has that covered, and list the 13 ways she is planning to keep them integrated and maturing socially, she'll have a sensible, irrefutable response. (youth orchestra, lego competition teach, chess club, co-op classes, community sports, weekly play dates, community service, church, mentoring relationships, lessons, blah blah) I got the socialization thing for some time because my dd was an only. Finally they shut up because they could see she was SO integrated and turning out SO well. You can't convince people ahead of time. Just make your plan, have a polite response, and let them eat crow with your success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 It finally dawned on me that we're not being very helpful to your niece (me included). When I first started considering home schooling, I read every book I could find in the library. I started with A Well Trained Mind and went from there. I've probably read 20 books cover to cover on the subject. And I'm still ordering books on the subject. Funny enough, I haven't read a single John Holt book so I ordered him. That's what helped me the most as a newbie: information. Because what happened was this: the stronger I felt, the easier time I had feeling good in the face of naysayers. It was an "inside out" type of job. Not to belabor the point, but as I felt more and more like I was taking the right steps, then when people looked at me funny and said rude things (my dad told my son that hs was "stupid". My dad is extremely mature), in my heart I felt like I had to do what was best for my children. I hope that's more helpful. Also, the longer one reads and becomes educated on hs, the clearer it becomes that many ps teachers are never going to understand. Tell your niece good luck!! And put her on this board! Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Tell your niece good luck!! And put her on this board! Alicia That's probably the best advice so far! We'll all tell her how wonderfully she's doing whenever the rellies get snooty. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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