Practical Homeschooling » rants

I Walk By Kids, They Run Away (Repost)

Laura — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:55:44 +0000

Face it, as a society, we are becoming increasingly paranoid for the safety of our children and loved ones. Despite evidence that crime rates are on the decline, the Internet and the news have managed to convince us that the opposite is true.

On her blog, Free Range Kids, Lenore posted a letter sent to her from a retired pediatrician about how children are warned to run away even from their longtime neighbors.

Here’s a note from a doctor, Par Donahue. He’s author of thebook and blog, Messengers in Denim, all about the things we can learn from teens (and life). Here’s one lesson he got from kids that he did not like. (Nor I.) — L

Dear Free-Range Kids: I am a retired pediatrician who walks my dog twice daily in our neighborhood and enjoys talking to kids — after all, that’s what I did for almost 40 years. But, now I feel like bogeyman.

When kids are outside, they see me coming and run into the house. If they are waiting for the bus, they stare at the ground or cross the street when I approach. If I say good morning, or, “Have a nice day,” they either do not respond or they grunt without looking up!

Some years ago my wife and I moved into a new neighborhood where a family with two small kids lived next to us. They were usually in the fenced back yard when we came home from work and would always run into the house as we walked from our garage to the house. After 6-8 months of this the younger boy, 4 or 5 years old, stayed out and actually said, “Hi.” His older brother, 6 or 7, quickly grabbed his arm and said, “Don’t talk to them, they might be kid-nappers.”

What a terrifying life parents make for their kids when they teach them to be this afraid. With very rare exceptions, kidnapping is done by estranged parents or other relatives. We, of course, hear about the half dozen kids in the USA who are kidnapped each year by strangers. Fear, as Michael Crichton said in “State fo Fear” controls! So sad! — Par Donahue

If you appreciate the sentiments expressed in this letter, I HIGHLY suggest that you subscribe to her blog so that you can meet about the triumphs and trials of raising children today. While you’re at it, subscribe to Practical Homeschooling so that you can receive automatic updates via your inbox or favorite RSS feed.

Labelling Our Children

Laura — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:25 +0000

We all do it. We see a hyper six-year-old boy who refuses to sit down quietly and decide that he MUST have ADHD. If your 12-year-old daughter is quiet, introverted and prefers being by herself rather than spending time with friends, she must be depressed.

Why must we jump the proverbial gun and assume that any time a child behaves outside what we consider normal for our society that there is a problem that must be immediately addressed? Children are still trying to find themselves. They will go through all array of behaviors and feelings as they grow up and become adults.

While there are cases where a child should justifiably be diagnosed with a mental condition, we shouldn’t hurry to label them before it presents as a justifiable problem.

I see many children being diagnosed as having ADHD. When I meet them they seem like healthy active boys. Of course they’re hyper, they’re children! They have energy to burn and nowhere to burn it. If you give them the tools that they need, in the environment that they need, you’ll find that the drive and even move beyond expectations for any child that age.

This is where homeschooling is a big advantage. More often than not, children who spend most of their time in a home environment have more flexibility to play and dispense extra energy. Children are allowed to feel happy, sad, angry or confused without someone questioning whether they are ‘normal’ or not.

I found this video moving its way through YouTube and it does a great job of expressing what I feel about this. (For those of you reading this to a feed, please click through to the site to access the video.) Again, let me say that I do strongly believe that these are legitimate medical conditions. I just happen to think that doctors need to take a closer look at the child’s environment before deciding the problem is from the child.

New Year’s Resolutions, Anyone?

Laura — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:13 +0000

It’s the beginning of another wonderful year. I look forward to it, and all the activities and discoveries that it may bring. I want tobecome a better mother, a better teacher, a better person. What about you? Do you have New Year’s resolutions?

Last year, I made a point of not having any New Year’s resolutions. It was simple. I was tired of resolving to do things that, in the end, does it change. I took the time of reflection to try to figure out what did work in my life and how I was able to accomplish it.

I learned that instead of setting set goals, I was better at taking direction towards these goals. It was setting the little steps towards my goals that enabled me to achieve the ultimate goal. What about you? Are you able to keep your New Year’s resolutions? What are they?

This year I resolve to spend more one-on-one time with each of my daughters. I want each one of them to have time by themselves, with me, following some of their favorite pursuits. I also resolved to bring you better quality content, so that you too, can improve your own homeschooling journeys with your children.

May you all have a happy New Year!

Seriously? High School Kids No Longer Allowed to Light Bunsen Burners???

Laura — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:56:44 +0000

Lenore over at Free-Range Kids received a letter from an outraged mother who reports that some schools no longer allow their students to light bunsen burners for fear they burn themselves or their schools down. Where is this craziness going to end? Before you know it, we’ll have to wear helmets just to have the pleasure of riding in a car!

This cartoon says it all:

Them Be Fightin’ Words!

Laura — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:28:07 +0000

Ok, so I’m not usually a difficult person. I’m not picky and am easy to please. I often ignore errors as long as they don’t affect me in a way that I’d feel overly upset. This is also the values I’m trying to instil upon Dawn and Emily.

(my own thoughts are indented )

Therefore, when someone REALLY gets to me, I don’t stay quiet! Tomorrow is Dawn’s 5th birthday. I wanted to make it memorable because we aren’t from here and don’t have any family. Due to her father’s PPD behaviour, she doesn’t have many friends either and I’m doing my best to see that she get out more with other children.

We went to Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall to take advantage of ‘Toddler Time’ where the kids get admission at a reduced price. They were looking forward to going to play on the slide and in the ball pits.

We were having an awesome time and while Emily was her reluctant-self, she lit up when I told her it was tome to go ‘to the balls’ as she called them. Everything was great till now…then I crossed paths with this lady:

It was just as I was crashing down the ramp (yes, it’s MUCH steeper than the legal 1:12 slope) and I learned for the first time today that wheelchair-on-a-rug don’t care if you’re pulling the breaks or not!.

ANYWAY…I had barely gotten into the area with my girls and started directing Emily to go look for the balls. She was stressed out at having to be around so many loud noises and practically having a panic-attack, and the lady in question, whom shall now be referred to as Cruella interrupted me and asked how old my daughter was.

This is while I’m trying to calm an upset child

Truthfully, I answered that she was 3 1/2. By now, Emily is crying because Dawn had already gone to play and she wanted to know where the balls were. Cruella starts in on me (though politely) that the sign by that area says it’s for kids 3 and under. Mmmkay, so what’s the problem. The sign says 3 AND under, therefore, if she’s not yet four, she’s still 3 and under.

With the state of our economy these days, they couldn’t hire someone brighter than that???

“Oh no,” she tells me, “3 1/2 is not 3 and under!”

Hmmm..yeah. She’s 3 and a half… Can you not hear the THREE in that combination?

This went on for a few more minutes, then I more or less told her whatever.

I ignored her and she went away for a while. Maybe 5 minutes later, she comes back telling me that I was wearing shoes and had to take them off! Umm…I’m in a wheelchair? “Rules are rules,” she says.

“… I can’t remove my shoes from my chair, you expect me to go find a bed (have to be sitting prone), take my shoes off, when I’m not even walking?”

“Yes!” was her reply.

Lady, the soles of these shoes haven’t seen the ground in ages! I’d rather lick them than touch a doorknob to your mall’s washrooms.

We politely argue back and forth and she finally tells me that if I refuse to remove my shoes, she’ll have to go get her supervisor.

Thank God-Almighty!

I tell her to go right ahead and she disappears. I look at two other moms whom were nearby and we rolled our eyes together. I try to get on with supervising my girls and she eventually returns alone.

Duh!

The places her hand on my shoulder and let’s me know that “the supervisor will be down shortly.”

“No problem!” I say and return to my camera, my crocheting, and the kids. Needless to say, he never did come down. I had to laugh though, because I vented the story to the girl at the entrance to the play area and she told me she’ll tell the supervisor. “No need,” I said, “it’s already been done!”

Seriously folks, what has happened with common sense? Has our society become so paranoid about liability and other such issues that they can’t see when a rule really doesn’t apply?? Emily finally did calm down and had a fun time, but this was another stressful episode that she didn’t need!