Comments for Skipping School

Comment on I was an experiment by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 18:08:00 +0000

That is definitely what it feels like being on the parenting end of it and homeschooling. I have not met any adults that were homeschooled and our first 4 years we did not have any community. The last 2 years though we joined a group and it has been much better. I made mistakes with my first that i didn’t make with my 2nd and now I am way more lenient. I agree with your mom. I love my kiddos and want to be with them as much as I can. They are both bright and witty and smart and well liked by people. Next year my daughter wanted to dive into a more unschooly type thing. So she will be my experiment. She is constantly rocking my world though and I gave her the choice as to what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to go to public school but was not happy with a curriculum either even though she could do it. And the thing about homeschooling I think they shoudl be happy. So next year we are changing gears or at least one of my kids. My older one wanted to stay with the curriculum that he was doing and says he is happy doing that. I am so glad a friend pointed me to your blog! It definitely makes me feel even better about the change for my daughter next year and that it will be “OK”

Comment on Race to Nowhere by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:44:43 +0000

great blog post. I loved race to nowhere! It was definitely thought provoking. It was funny how my and my husbands reactions to it were totally different. His kids go to public school and he would never consider homeschooling them. I homeschoo my kids. He thought that the race to nowhere the kids were just a bunch of whiners and they should just suck it up and deal with it, while I had a totally alternative opinion of why don’t those parents consider another option? Why make the kids go through all of that. crazy. One of my friends daughters is really struggling right now and is really in danger of doing and having bad things happen to her as she moves to middle school next year. they consider her and atrisk student. I offered to homeschool her girls along with my own kids but she didn’t want to do that as an option. The thought of homeschooling was too scary for her and she doesn’t think the girls would get everything “they are supposed to know” even though my kids are pretty smart and well adjusted and love life. It is funny how people get scared into thinking that there is the only way to do things and it is the mainstream way, if you dont go with that, you wont succeed. I see it as we are all different and are not all going to fit into the box. Great post!

Comment on Not caring so much about college by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:26:51 +0000

Just wanted to say I love reading your blog. As a homeschooling mom, it is nice to see the perspective of someone who was raised off the “traditional” bent and is smart and funny and talented. Thanks for sharing your blog and insights.

Comment on Qualifying by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:38:03 +0000

i loved this. “In college, I learned from some professors and didn’t learn from others, depending on how they presented material. Mostly, I didn’t really learn, even from the best professors. I just memorized and got good grades, because there wasn’t time to follow up and delve deeper and explore and try and fail. And that was college. Where you’re supposed to be able to do all of those things.”

I can totally relate to that. I am a full time college student and homeschooling mom and wear a multitude of other hats as well. I feel like I am not really learning a lot from college. I did go to public school growing up, but coming back into college as a adult and non traditional learner. I just dont fit in the “box” that everyone falls into and I have often contemplated why are we “learning” this stuff. It seems we just get stuffed full of information for a test and then time to move on. I really dont feel like “i am learning” that much. I have had some teachers this semester tell me as long as I can plug the equations and do the work it doesn’t really matter if I understand it or not. OK well what is the point in taking this class and why am I wasting my money if the idea is not actually to learn something. frustrating to no end.

great post and thankfully i have only had a few inquiries during my 6 years of homeschooling as to my qualifications to be the kiddos “teacher”.

Comment on Growing up without bullying by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:18:23 +0000

Excellent post. I was bullied in middle school. My stepsons who go to public school were severely bullied in middle school. My bio kids homeschool and their experiences have been much different. It is so sad that bullying happens but seems to be the way of the world – make other people feel like crap so you can feel better about yourself. Sad and glad that my kids are not going to have to go through those experiences.

Comment on Little homeschooler’s first McDonalds by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:06:35 +0000

funny. I homeschool the kiddos and we eat mostly stuff from scratch and were vegans for 15 years, took 1 year off and are heading back that direction, and do eat everything organic and grow some of our own food. Makes me laugh because my kiddos totally think like you did. lol. Though when they won the mcdonalds prize at the summer reading program, I didn’t let them go since it wasn’t kosher – I am sure secretly they wonder what it tastes like though.

great post.

Comment on sexy party for a very homeschooled idea by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:30:51 +0000

loved your article on being a Jewish homeschooled kid! That was great. We are also Jewish and I homeschool my kids and we have yet to meet any Jewish homeschooled kids.

And the comment on going to hell vs going to hebrew school. That is hilarious!!! We have come across that a few times though not with the hs group we are a part of just out in general. I will have to share that one with my kids and I am sure that they will think it is super funny.

Comment on People want to read about homeschooling by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:42:33 +0000

I read your article over at salon.com and I thought it was fantastic. I am back in college as an adult (i am in my late 30s) and honestly I feel the SAME way. I have a lot more life experience and perspective than most of the students around me and just can’t relate. I have a hard time with the way classes are set up and am often bored. I have liked the classes where there is some participation. I expected something totally different and that is not what it is.

I think it is SAD that the music professor wouldn’t let you participate after she found out you were homeschooled. Are you kidding me?? how immature is that. One of my professors last semester and I had a conversation about homeschooling and college. (because I homeschool my kids) and he said that they usually do better in college than their public schooled peers. He had a very positive spin on homeschooled kids and he has been a professor there for many many years.

Anyhow! Very well done article! thanks for sharing it over here so we could see it.

Comment on I am too negative about homeschooling by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:09:28 +0000

I think your points are fantastic. Anyone who homeschools or unschools knows that every day isn’t going to be perfect. Even going to public school everything is not going to always be perfect. Life happens. I think your list was really good though and really in my perspective not really negative.

Your blog is great!

Comment on I am too negative about homeschooling by Ariella

Ariella — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:03:38 +0000

Do you have a local homeschool group? There are several in our area. The one that we joined has park days, field trips, hiking excursions, outdoor gatherings. There seems to always be some opportunity for getting together with friends. The first 4 years I homeschooled, I had not found a group to join because most of them wanted you to be a certain religion which I was not. However, then I found this one, we joined and the kids have made a lot of friends and I have met a lot of nice parents. We have been part for a couple of years now and I would say it has definitely been worth it!