October 12, 2004

  • Man did I underestimate my children.


    For several years we've had open dialogue as to why my children don't go to school.   This isn't that abnormal.  Most of my kids friends homeschool.


    But they've watched Barney, and several other tv shows and were quite convinced all school was about was extremely awesome craft projects, and singing and dancing.   Oh yes and the big yellow school bus.


    In the meantime Zeria's battle with a little girl who is NOT nice at Awana and SS continues.   The little girl comes from messed-up parents who really don't care much about her.  The only reason she is at both programs is due to a elderly couple who have essentially adopted them and drive them back and forth to these functions.


    So we started discussing bully's once again.   And then it dawned on me that though *I* knew why Rob was so adament against the public school she didn't....


    My husband was a nerd.  Not a geek...wasn't quite smart enough for that   But he was a nerd.  He liked school, he respected his teachers, and he was tiny.   No joke.  When I met him he wore a size 28 pants.   He looked like he was 13.  He was 19.     Anyhow public school was a living nightmare for him.  Because he had beat me up written acrossed his chest in huge letters.  


    Oh they didn't necessarily get away with it "in" school  (although bathrooms they did.)   But school buses were a true torture chamber for Rob.   At the age of 13 he began to walk a mile and a half back and forth to school just to avoid the bullies...mostly it worked.   He refers to Junior High as pergatory.    And he's not catholic


    I told Zeria a little bit of how daddy was treated.  She doesn't need the gory details...shoot I still don't know all of them.    And said "That is one of the main reasons we home school.  No matter how hard the teacher tries, their will always be bullies.  Daddy doesn't want you treated like that.   Its bad enough that "H"  does it to you in SS & Awana.  


    Zeria's eyes grew wide.   And all of a sudden it was like   "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that."  


    And then we changed the subject.     For a couple minutes.  


    Rainee began to sing "I'm the king of de jungle."   (Jungle Book."  It was fairly hysterical to hear a two year old do this.   And we were all giggling in the car.


    At which point it occured to me we'd never discussed evolution with our children.  "Did you know there are people that believe man came from monkeys??"  I asked.   "That is also a reason we homeschool.   We want you to learn from the perspective of God."


    "MOOOOONKEYS??"  Zeria queried with incredulousness.   "Thats stupid!"   (Out of the mouths of babes.)


    Suddenly Zeria was on the homeschooling band wagon.


    These have always been the reasons we homeschool.  But I never told my children the real reasons.  I told them we homeschooled cause it was easier for them.  And they wouldn't have to spend so many hours sitting down.   They hate sitting still.   But I could tell somehow that they just didn't buy it...and were still thinking that Barney must be right about school. 


    So instead in a teachable moment out of nowhere.   They are quite convinced that they would never want to go to p/s.   Because p/s's don't believe in God.   And there are bullys there.     Fascinating.