Do your DC associate/play/hang out with homeschooled kids of a different method?

[Stacey in MA]

I'm specifically asking regarding unschooled kids. In my area, there are SO many more unschooled homeschooling families than traditionally or classically homeschooled. Therefore, many of our homeschooling friends "do school" in a different way. My son asked me today about one of our friends, and why he "doesn't do school work" (a.k.a. table work). I had to do the dance around it a little and explain how all families choose what they think is right, and have different ways of doing things, different ways of learning things, etc. But it does seem awkward and weird to explain this. The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with their educational methods, and we won't ever choose to do things that way. But of course, I don't say this to DS....I try to spin some positive light on what they are doing so as not to sound critical of our friends.

 

Has this happened to you, and how did you respond to your DC? I'm looking for a more articulated answer to give DS.....

 

Thanks! - Stacey

[mcconnellboys]

Sure, we know kids who run the entire gamut of homeschooling styles. Differences don't come up often, but when they do, I explain why I think our method is best for us and the way we live, what I want for my children in the future, etc. They've always seemed to accept this without any problems.

[Night Elf]

I have never steered clear of anyone for their religious beliefs, educational methods, race, gender, etc. FWIW, parents of unschoolers have to explain to their children why other kids live differently as well. The world is full of unique people and parents get to decide how their families will live. We do not judge others based on our beliefs. I teach my kids that is very wrong.

 

Then again, we have no friends. Well, my son has 1 friend and that's it. We'd be open to befriending anyone but I guess we're too weird for others. But I'd still rather live honestly to my own values and be lonely than jump on someone else's bandwagon just to have company. I can't be a hyprocrite that way and certainly don't want to model it for my kids.

[Karen sn]

I consider myself an unschooler.

I have read A.S. Neil's Summerhill and my dd went to a school based on this school.

http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

 

Outdoors one can learn about everything. As my dd grew up we began finding reasons to sit at a desk. (Kitchen table for a few hours every morning). I feel like a slacker when I read the curricculun board and other 5th graders have 6 hour or more actual schedules. We wake up on our own and then do whatever I feel like doing. Sometimes I will actually wake her from a sleep to get going with school - but that is only so she'll go to bed earlier.

 

I think how you are explaining it to him is great. It's not for you. You respect it's for them.

[flyingmommy]

Our homeschool groups are very mixed bags. My girls and I enjoy spending time with them all. We all do school differently because we are all different kinds of people. One of the reasons I laugh about all the "socialization" comments. Have you ever met a more varied group of people than a bunch of homeschoolers?

 

Jeannie

[Karen in CO]

Diversity is good. My kids have unschooler friends, ps friends and workbook friends. I explain to my kids how they parents school if it comes up and if I know just like I would for any other difference that comes up. I even get to say that I disagree about it.

 

What makes you uncomfortable with having unschoolers for friends? They don't bite - at least not any more than kids from any other schooling method. ;)

[sassenach]

Almost all of my kids' friends are public schooled. Just tell the truth, we all are choosing the best things for our individual families. Not much more to it than that. I have found that HS kids (at least the ones I know) NEVER talk about curriculum or methods.

[JWSJ]

I try to spin some positive light on what they are doing so as not to sound critical of our friends.

 

Our family doesn't care what educational method others use. Our children understand every family is unique.

 

However, I have had to "dance around" when talking to other HSing parents.

 

For example, I once innocently said, "Unschooling doesn't work for OUR family." I meant it - my family needs more structure. Someone was insulted by this and became verbally defensive when no insult was intended. Anything but unschooling was unacceptable to them.

 

Since then I don't talk with other HSers about methods unless I know what they already do or they approach me.

[Michelle T]

I guess most of the homeschoolers we are friends with are eclectic, not hard core in any particular method. We might talk about homeschool, but not usually indepth discussions of our methods.

 

About half our friends are public schoolers, and the same there. It's discussed, but not indepth.

 

Michelle T

[KristineinKS]

Oh my, I'm in the same situation here - most of the local homeschoolers we've met are unschoolers (and very, very relaxed unschoolers at that) & are quite vocal & almost pushy about the "superiority" of their method. Any new homeschoolers that join the group are set upon immediately as potential converts. In fact, we've only been on one outing with them because of this (when they found out that we actually use curriculum, they just clucked about how "new" I was at this, LOL).

 

Three of my kids were completely freaked out by the idea that these kids don't "do" school in any traditional sense and have openly wondered what kind of future they'll have. While I would love to be able to socialize with the group (for the sake of socialization), quite honestly I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with it - and I'm really afraid my kids will innocently say something that they might find offensive (my kids are big on what curriculum they're using because it's such a novelty to be able to choose after so many years of public school). Also, my eldest would love to play video games all day, so to meet another boy his age who actually does play video games all day (because, as his mother says, he's reading & learning critical thinking from them) isn't exactly helpful. I'm just not sure the socialization is worth [what I perceive to be] the negative influence.

[NorthwestMom]

I think you gave a lovely and articulate answer. We have a variety of people in our lives with so many differences: religious, behavioral, political, cultural, gay families, etc, that for me it isn't about explaining the teaching method, it's explaining that we don't always believe what our friends and neighbors believe. The trick is not let yourself get uncomfortable when considering all of the differences. Focusing on differences emphasizes what separates us instead of what connects us.

[Mandy in TN]

I have never steered clear of anyone for their religious beliefs, educational methods, race, gender, etc. FWIW, parents of unschoolers have to explain to their children why other kids live differently as well. The world is full of unique people and parents get to decide how their families will live. We do not judge others based on our beliefs. I teach my kids that is very wrong.

:iagree:

 

But honestly although most of my 17yo ds's friends are homeschooled- I have no idea what method of homeschooling their parents use. Frankly, I just don't care what they study or don't study.

 

My 15yo's friends are mostly in ps.

 

My 6yo doesn't have any little guy friends. :confused: All of my friends have little girls and so far he is alright playing with them. I keep hoping we will meet a family with a little guy, but it hasn't happened yet. Like ds, all the little girlies are eclectically homeschooled.

 

Mandy

[Jean in Newcastle]

One of our best homeschooling friends do a child-led schooling method and parenting method. I do a parent-led schooling and parenting method. We go on field trips together - she asks me to pick since she knows that I'm usually choosing something to go along with something we're studying. We don't do organized activities together. My kids will happily do the organized activity - hers will not because it is not totally child-led. Our children read a lot of the same books and enjoy many of the same things. I just tell my kids that we use a different method. With my 11 year old I will explain a bit more about why I choose the method I use. But it has never led to a feeling of judgment for any of us.

 

Coincidentally, when I first met this friend, before she knew what method of homeschooling I used, she told me "I like all homeschooling methods except those anal classical homeschoolers." :D Hopefully I've changed her mind!

[Jenny in Florida]

When we were trying to be involved in homeschool groups, we were surrounded by mostly unschooly types. And, yes, it did cause some friction. I consistently said more or less the same thing you did, that each family has to choose its own path and that parents do their best to make choices that are appropriate for their children.

 

In our case, my kids very quickly decided that the grass was not greener on the unschooling side of the fence. I worked hard to require them to be respectful of other people's choices and to just not talk about school too much with other kids.

[dymphna57]

We left an area full of "anal Classical" :lol: Homeschoolers to an area with mostly unschoolers. I admit to avoiding other homeschoolers here. Truthfully I don't have the time and we have plenty of socialization with ps near us, read no driving or appointments.

Recently an unschooler wants her eight yr old to socialize with my eight yr old. I agreed to one visit and now she is clamoring for more. Sigh.

I think I am going to try it slowly and be ready to pull back.

What is so hard? People who are so sure you are wrong that they try to convince your kids. I really need that, not.

[Osmosis Mom]

I can commiserate. I have met all tons of people incl. a WTM-family who did not have time for any socialization or impromtu fin (as in a planned park day).

 

My kids are different ages, but honestly they are a bit snobs when it gets down to it and are not too enthused with *some* of the unschoolers they have met who in their teens couldn't care less about spelling or having an actual knowledge base. Personally then I have not been able to mesh with those unschooling parents who have absolutely no ambitions for the kids but that they are happy, not wanting to push them or have any kind of academic expectations (one such parent had to send her children to ps because they craved structure and competition).

 

I am not bashing unschooling. But the forms of unschooling we have met with children who couldn't care less does not seem conducive to forming pal-ships with a lot more structured children. So in that way I do see barriers to the older children.

 

I guess it'd be the same with totally different forms of parenting; the children find just too many obstacles to playing with a child who fx. can't go play in the dirt or run around for fear the clothing might get messed up!!

 

I used to think we could all get along fine and all be pals, but in actuality then I just could not stand parents who actively did not want to push their children towards high achievement or fx. college. Yes, to me, college is a natural continuation of high school because I believe that the more knowledge you have the higher personal satisfaction you'll feel (not material nor work-related).

 

Sorry this got long.

[lionfamily1999]

We are the only 'classical' homeschoolers I know. There are some unschoolers, but mostly deeply Christian homeschoolers around here. As far as the unschoolers go, I've told Drew it's a different approach and that I'm not confident I could give him the education he needs using that approach. IOW, it's a valid method, but I cannot teach that way.

 

If we weren't friends with people that used methods different from ours, then Drew would have no friends.

[klmama]

Yes. My dc have several friends who are unschoolers, as they share similar interests. The difference in the amount of schoolwork is obvious to them. They see that there are things their friends don't know or can't do, even as they see that their friends know things they don't. They do get frusrated sometimes with the amount of free time they see their friends have, so then we have to discuss different choices families make, and how I believe it will benefit them to learn what they are. They seem to understand.

[Haiku]

I had to do the dance around it a little and explain how all families choose what they think is right, and have different ways of doing things, different ways of learning things, etc.

 

Why did you have to dance around this? This is a fundamental reality of life, and your kids will learn it whether you explain it to them or not.

 

The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with their educational methods, and we won't ever choose to do things that way.

 

The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with their religion, and we won't ever choose to do things that way.

 

The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with their veganism, and we won't ever choose to do things that way.

 

The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with how many kids they have, and we won't ever choose to do things that way.

 

The fact is, even though I enjoy their friendship and love the kids having play time together, I disagree with their decision to buy things made in China, and we won't ever choose to do things that way.

 

Would any of those things make you choose to drop friends? Would it be ok to drop friends for any of those reasons? Honestly, who cares how they educate their children? If they put their kids in school, would you drop them because you disagree with their educational choices?

 

Tara

[Kelli in TN]

Absolutely. And I answer the question pretty much the way you did, every family gets to choose how they homeschool.

 

What gets me is when my kids get the grass-is-greener-at-someone-else's-house syndrome! Ack. Then I turn into my mother and say things like "Well, I am not so-and-so's mother, I am your mother and you will just have to deal with the way I do things.":001_smile:

[Snickerdoodle]

My kids are younger so they don't talk about curriculum or lessons or whatnot so it hasn't been an issue in that regard for us yet.

 

What has been an issue for *me* is the completely permissive parenting and lack of parental intervention when the situation clearly requires it.

[TxMama]

We absolutely play with homeschool kids of a different method. After 15 years of park days I have to honestly say that non of my kids have ever asked or commented on another family's homeschool philosophy! If they did I'd just make a comment similar to yours. Different family-different rules......

 

 

Don't discount the unschooler. You will be pleasently surprised at how well some of them do.....even the ones that appear to spend their time playing video games. Even though it is a philosophy that I'll never practice in my home I cannot deny their success.

 

The families I tend to avoid are the ones who think their child is "perfect" and are overly pushy about their homeschool philosophy as the "one and only true way" and everybody else is just wrong. I find it difficult to deal with these parents and painful to watch these children grow up. "Perfect" children have a long way to fall.....

[dangermom]

I'm almost the only hard-core classical homeschooler in town, so yes. Most of our close friends are unschoolers, with some middle-of-the-road types as well. I also go to a mom's group that is nearly all evangelicals except for me.

[HRAAB]

I have never steered clear of anyone for their religious beliefs, educational methods, race, gender, etc. FWIW, parents of unschoolers have to explain to their children why other kids live differently as well. The world is full of unique people and parents get to decide how their families will live. We do not judge others based on our beliefs. I teach my kids that is very wrong.

 

Then again, we have no friends. Well, my son has 1 friend and that's it. We'd be open to befriending anyone but I guess we're too weird for others. But I'd still rather live honestly to my own values and be lonely than jump on someone else's bandwagon just to have company. I can't be a hyprocrite that way and certainly don't want to model it for my kids.

 

I got as far as this post, and it summed up our situation perfectly. Right down to the fact that we're too weird for others. I have one dd that was radically unschooled, one that did a virtual charter school for high school and three whose school is 'classically relaxed'. Too many times we've been left out due to religion, schooling choices, reading choices, on and on, that I will not do that. Unschooling can work; a structured classical education can work, with all the variations in between. My girls learned young that many people do things differently than us; just the way it is.

 

Janet

[dymphna57]

When did not getting along with another homeschooling family mean isolation?

I think one of the problems is that we expect to have so much more in common with a homeschooling family and then we don't because perhaps kids don't have interests in common and or we can't really share our difficulties as it all becomes who is right.

We socialize regularly with a lot of different families with many different approaches to child rearing and education. We get along with people who respect each others differences.

One of my families closest friend families are unschoolers and we find our biggest problem is the distance. We find new things to share especially because they are coming from a different angle than we are.

I just wanted to empathize with someone's experience of not getting along when you expected to.

[bkpan]

I could not care less about what method another family chooses to home school their dc. And, I cant imagine my dc being concerned about it either. Any more than they are about all the other ways their mom and dad are unfair. An old time poster gave me my forever response to that -

 

Life aint fair and momma dont care, :lol:!!

 

 

Kim

[Tree House Academy]

Sure...but I stay away from discussing school curriculum and such with the mom. ;) But no, we aren't "school method snobs." LOL

 

I do have a friend who schools her kids very strangely (to my tastes) and her oldest child is in middle school and does not know multiplication tables. This does bother me a bit....but other than that, the child is super smart, well-rounded and one of the nicest kids you will ever meet. She may very well just have a hard time in math, IDK, but the mom admits to hating math herself and not teaching it well. That gives me an "eeeekkk! Find a co-op" type feeling, but it is not my place to interfere. Her daughter passes the state tests...

Edited March 22, 2009 by Tree House Academy

[Avila]

We almost have to or we would have nobody to talk to at all, between curriculum choices and being Catholic. There are not too many Catholic or classical homeschoolers in my immediate area.

 

My one caveat is that I only want to be around people I feel like I can actually talk too. No walking around on eggshells. Or even feeling like I am just tolerated. Or it is a deal breaker. I would rather be alone than always feel like I can't say anything without being jumped on or ostracized.

 

As far as explaining things to the children, to be honest that is not really an issue. WE are usually the ones in the minority, and most of the time, it just doesn't come up anyhow.

[angela in ohio]

I avoid having my children spend a lot of time with children of families that don't value education and learning OR that are rabid in their views of the way others should homeschool. (That meant us leaving a homeschool group altogether way back when.) It does tend to mean that we hand out with people with a similar homeschooling style.

Edited March 22, 2009 by angela in ohio
Repeated use of the word 'other'

[dragons in the flower bed]

Birds of a feather flock together.

 

I completely agree with everything Night Elf said about respecting other people without regard to choices that should be individual. I've been excluded SO often because of homeschooling (back in the nineties especially), being Pagan, choosing long-term romantic partnership over marriage, being a younger mom, not punishing my kids, letting them make their own often weird clothing choices... My point is I can't afford to exclude somebody for any reason that even has a hint of the arbitrary on it. I don't think unschoolers are lesser human beings or less worthy of my time and attention or less capable of being good companions to my kids. I likewise take no issue with people who are Christian, public schooled, married, enforce a dress code and use punitive discipline with their kids.

 

But I do hang out with the only other Pagan classical homeschooling mom in the area more than any of the other families in our homeschool group. My kids play with her kids because I want to play with her. I like the unschoolers in our group just fine; we just don't have that rare thing in common that causes me to think, "Hey, I want to spend more time with you."

 

So I'm not saying, "no, I don't want to be around you 'cause you're an unschooler," I'm saying, "hey, I want to hang out with you 'cause you're a classical schooler," and I only have so much playdate time available in a week.

Edited March 22, 2009 by dragons in the flower bed

[Peela]

I tell my kids straight out that I disagree with how some others choose to homeschool. It doesn't mean I don't like them as people. But I don't see a problem with telling my kids what I think. After all, if I agreed, I would be doing it that way too, and Im not.

We are not presently in contact with many unschoolers, but we have in the past...not a problem. But then, we have classical homeschooling friends who work harder than us too, so its all relative, and my kids have it pretty good!

I dont see why you wouldnt just be really straight and tell your kid the truth.

[Stacey in MA]

Just to clarify a few things.... We have quite a few unschooling friends and no problem with enjoying them personally. We don't usually talk schooling or method, though sometimes it comes up when someone is trying to plan an educational outing. No conflict usually though. I am usually VERY straight with my kids about how things are, though I must be careful about how much I detail I give them because they tend to unknowingly repeat things at inappropriate times. So I attempt to keep it as simple as I can.

 

What I am referring to primarily is that DS has never really liked school work. He has (and always has had) a serious case of "the grass is greener". He thinks PS'd kids have it better. He thinks EVERYBODY has it better! He doesn't like to work very hard. And when his new buddy said something about how their family "doesn't do school", DS was curious and jealous. The other unschoolers we know don't do much table work, but they do do plenty of intentional learning. So this idea peeked his interest and envy!

 

Anyway, I have been pretty straight forward with this, and all of our other differences with other families. I usually explain it with "as your parents, we choose what we think is best for you and for us. Hopefully we will build a strong foundation, and when you are older you will be able to make these decisions for yourself".

 

I only posted about this issue b/c I was curious if others had a similar challenge with any of their DC. My DS would be happy to do anything except what he IS doing - KWIM? It's just a personality thing that I have had to wade through since day-one with this kiddo. It wears on me, and I need encouragement sometimes, and need to try and keep a new/fresh perspective often. The challenge also causes me to often think about why we HS so that I can articulate it on his level (not always possible), and whether it would ever be flexible (always come back to a "no" on that one). That's all...

 

Thanks, Stacey

[Haiku]

I have a grass-is-greener kid, too (won't say which of the three it is ...) and I tell this kid (jokingly), "When you are 18 you can go find a new family, but for now, you're stuck with us and the way we do things." :)

 

Tara

[Sweetpeach]

I haven't read this whole thread and this might sound cheeky but here it goes.

 

When I'm around the "super-duper-on the ball-never miss a beat" classical educators, I'm both inspired to do more and thankful I don't do that much.

 

When I'm around the "homeschoolers married to the unschooling approach", I feel a tad bit self-righteous and quite thankful for how much we do get done in the run of a day.

 

Regardless of who we're with or how they school, I've come to the place where I like how we do school. Our school reflects me . . . for the good and the bad. After five years of this journey, I'm just fine with being a middle-of-the-roader and I think our children respect this path.

 

We play with all sorts of families with all sorts of philosophies and I don't mind one bit. The families that insist "their way/method/curriculum/approach is the right way" for my kids are the ones that don't get a repeat invitation for a play-date.

 

:D Cheeky, perhaps but all the way transparent.

 

xo

Tricia

[Karis]

Sure, we know kids who run the entire gamut of homeschooling styles. Differences don't come up often, but when they do, I explain why I think our method is best for us and the way we live, what I want for my children in the future, etc. They've always seemed to accept this without any problems.

 

 

just like one would do in any other setting - private school, public school, at church, with the in-laws, etc...

[Dandelion]

My son asked me today about one of our friends, and why he "doesn't do school work" (a.k.a. table work). I had to do the dance around it a little and explain how all families choose what they think is right, and have different ways of doing things, different ways of learning things, etc.

 

I think your explanation is perfect. We have all "schooling" approaches represented in our group of homeschooling friends and one of the families we are closest to are radical unschoolers. I've explained unschooling to DS and from time to time he'll tell me "Mommy, I want to have an unschooling day today" (when he doesn't feel like doing what's on our agenda). ;) So I'll give him some say in what we're doing, and then he's satisfied... :)

[LibraryLover]

'A different method"? That just made me laugh. We belong to a very large group of extrememly diverse hsers, and our 'methods' are not much of a source of conversation.

 

That's funny. And makes me never want to move. This has got to be regional in the same way signing a statement of faith is.

Edited May 2, 2010 by LibraryLover

[6packofun]

We pretty much don't care what other families do, homeschooling or not. I think we have to field more questions from the mainly ps friends our kids have (You don't do HOMEWORK? "Well, ALL of our work is homework, haha...") than having to deal with our kids wondering about other homeschoolers.

 

There just aren't that many homeschoolers around here, though, and most of the ones we run into are not doing it independently and use charter schools. (So yeah, they're basically all public schoolers. LOL)

[StephanieZ]

"Different strokes for different folks." or something along those lines is my approach.

 

We have unschooler friends, ps friends, private school friends. . . conservative friends. . . liberal friends. . . all kinds of friends!! I even have a friend who is a fan of FOX news on fb. . . I post plenty of liberal pro-Obama stuff, and so she "suggested" I be a fan of FOX news on fb! So, I suggested. . . lol. . . We giggle about it. No big shakes.

 

Diversity is what makes the world go 'round.

 

My kids learn from day 1 that our family is . . . OUR family. . . and it's OK to be different. And, there are GOOD folks with GOOD families and getting GOOD educations. . . in all sorts of different ways. No worries.

[Peela]

Absolutely. However, they also understand what unschooling is and why we dont do it- and they agree with us- so its not an issue.

[Dawn in OH]

All of the families we have actually met in our area, with the exception of one other, unschool.

 

My children are too young to really know that the other kids are "unschooling" versus what we do, but they have commented several times about some of the kids not knowing things that they do. Their one friend looked very confused when my children mentioned "doing school work". Apparently she's never done a worksheet, whereas we do them on a regular basis. My children were shocked to learn that this friend doesn't do worksheets.

 

I simply told the kids that everyone homeschools differently and that we were doing what Dad and I felt worked best for them, and that we may continue working this way in the future or change how we do things, depending on our needs and abilities.

[RanchGirl]

I would love to hang out with other homeschoolers... I could care less what hs method they use, I just need their kids to be interested in SPORTS! All of the hs kids we meet seem to have no interest in sports at all and my kids are passionate about them (both playing a variety of sports and following college/professional teams avidly). My kids have many other interests (they play piano, read extensively, study Spanish, love Legos, excel in math, etc.), but they want to play sports with their friends and talk to their friends about sports, not any of those other fabulous things they are doing. So while they have homeschooled acquaintances, all their close buddies are public/private schooled kids they meet on sports teams. Which is great, we have met many wonderful kids and their families this way, but can't there be just one homeschooling family that lives near us and has boys involved in sports? And I know there's not because I know where all the kids go to school on my boys' teams -- I scope it out right away at the beginning of every season for every new team lol!

[orangearrow]

Sure! My kids are friends with a large unschooling family (and they are all awwwwesome!). The subject of how they "do" school vs how "we" do school has come up once, I think. Oh, actually, twice (because one of my daughters heard that video of the unschoolers who were on GMA a few weeks ago, so the topic came up again).

 

I just explain that every family does what's best for their family. For our family, it's homeschooling the way we do it. For other families, it's sending their kids to public/private school. For some families, Mom/Dad stays home - in other families both parents work. It's just what makes the world go round.... and it keeps us all interesting. ;) It'd be boring if everyone did things exactly the same way.

 

:) It's been a good enough explanation for my kids. :)

[J-rap]

I live in a small town, and there are only very traditional homeschool families here... So we haven't run into any of that! To me, what is important is not their method but their heart. If their method is very different, or if they public school or whatever, THAT is not the issue for me. Are they good, solid kids? Even if they are not Christian, as long as they are good kids with a good head on their shoulder, stay out of trouble, respect those they are with, etc. etc, then I don't mind.

My kids and I talk a lot about their friendships, and I talk to them about my own friendships as well. I think this helps us focus on what is important in a friendship.

[calandalsmom]

It would never occur me to limit our time with someone I like based on how they learn.

[Ellie]

Of course.:) Usually, we were the ones who were "different," though. :D

 

Some of our dc's friends went to public and private schools, too.

[NanceXToo]

Absolutely. We belong to a homeschool group, and in our homeschool group there are those who use a more classical method, there are the eclectic relaxed ones (like me), there are cyber schoolers, and there are even a couple of unschoolers, and our kids all hang out together when we have group get togethers for whatever reason (which is often).

 

It has never actually come up in conversation with my daughter yet as to how other people choose to homeschool, but if/when it does I would have no problem telling her that there are many different ways to learn and that different families choose different things, and that that is one of the reasons I chose to homeschool her- so that I could teach her in the way *I* thought was best. And that other families do the same thing with their kids, so they can do what they think is best and what works best for them.

 

No biggie.

[jld]

Library Lover, "signing statements of math"? That is hilarious!

 

I never thought about it before, but it does seem like people have almost religious beliefs about math instruction. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time figuring out which math is "right" over on the high school board!

[AuntPol]

We are very blessed to live in a region with a ton of homeschoolers. We belong to a religious Co-Op via our church though a good portion of the homeschoolers go to different (usually more traditional and more religious than our conservative but modernized church). Most of the members seem to do Abeka or BJU or call themselves eclectic because they do a mix of the two. There are few who do Sonlight, a couple WTMers, some with Charlotte Mason bent, a few cyberschoolers, and one unschooling family (but they don't have access to tv or video games). We also have public and privately schooled friends. I find that because we have a large selection of friends to choose from, my kids make friends with people they in which they find a commonality other than homeschool.

[Orthodox6]

We are close friends with a family of what I best can describe as "non-schoolers". (not even "un-schoolers"). The oldest children are left to scramble through a couple of subjects by themselves; the youngest children receive no education at all, as I grasp the situation.

 

I am open with my children, in private, about my worries, but in a caring way. They (my dc) know how much I love the members of this family.

 

I do not agree with the other family's ways one bit. (referring only to education) I never would cut off the friendship, though, because they all are such wonderful individuals.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Orthodox6