Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - 9

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week... I was on a recipe-trying role . . . tried a new salad for lunch one day, "lentil cups" for lunch another day, and a new pasta dish for supper one night,  Even more amazing, all three were a hit!

In our homeschool this week... we started a new nutrition curriculum (reviewing it), there's a recipe every week, the girls should like that, hee hee. this week's recipe was guacamole, yum! 

Places we're going and people we're seeing... we're spending the weekend at my parents' house. My aunt, uncle, and cousin will be here and we'll celebrate the girls' birthday with them, as well as my grandparents (who have finally decided they're too old to travel to our house for birthdays and Christmas, Grandpa will be 96 in a couple months). 

My favorite thing this week was... going on my monthly "date" with A. She's always sooo excited to get time alone with Mommy. Where we go and what we do is completely secondary, I'm cherishing every moment of it!

What's working/not working for us... Little Bit's starting to not want to sleep in the car. Does not bode well for future traveling with Daddy for his job.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have... “I believe it would be much better for everyone if children were given their start in education at home. No one understands a child as well as his mother, and children are so different that they need individual training and study. A teacher with a room full of pupils cannot do this. At home, too, they are in their mother’s care. She can keep them from learning immoral things from other children.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

Someone posted the above quote on fb this week & I swiped it & posted it as my status. What I found absolutely mind boggling was the . . . defensiveness that I got in response, from non-homeschoolers. As if I were personally attacking them for not homeschooling. I'm not sure if they didn't notice that it was a quote from a teacher who was only "homeschooled" as a child when they lived where there weren't schools, and whose mother was very disturbed by that lack of schools, and who, to my knowledge, did not homeschool her own daughter (anyone know for sure?) . . . or if they might possibly not have known who Laura Ingalls Wilder is (is that possible? I can't imagine not knowing who she is, I've loved her books since I was my childrens' age!).  But for whatever reasons, this quote solicited some defensive replies. 
A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

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7 comments:

Blossom Barden (NorthLaurel) said...

Such a sweet photo! I must admit, I didn't read all of your post before commenting but am going back now to do so. Wanted to comment though on your beautiful photo :)

Blossom Barden (NorthLaurel) said...

Okay, now I've read the rest :) I love trying new recipes- or sometimes even making up my own. :)hope you weekend is great :)

Laura Lee said...

What a great quote and soooo true! Our kids are unique and their education should reflect it. Thanks for the encouragement.

Mary said...

Love the quote! Who hasn't heard of LIW????

Mary :)

Julie Coney said...

that is a great quote. I too find much defensiveness among the non homeschooling crowd. Only thing I can think that spawns it, is that deep down somewhere in the places they don't let people see, they thought about homeschooling, and on some level feel like maybe they should have done it.

Thanks for sharing your week on the HSMJ.

Beverly said...

If I remember correctly, in On The Banks of Plum Creek, L.I.W. writes that her mother was a teacher before marrying. It don't think the quote speaks to anti-public schooling as much as being involved in your child's education. Schooling doesn't start with kindergarten.

Unknown said...

Yes, Ma was a school teacher before she married Pa, and throughout the Little House books mention is made repeatedly of how strongly Ma felt about being able to send their children to school. The lack of schools was one of her main arguments against continuing to move west. Laura also was a school teacher before she married Almanzo. So no, I don't think she was speaking against formal education, simply stating that parents should be involved first & foremost. Which was why I was so surprised to get the rather defensive replies when I posted it on my fb page.