Homeschool perks: combined lessons in football and spelling

This is from the New York Times: a picture taken from a football field where homeschool families have put together a high school football league. One of the coaches put up some inspirational signs:

Spelling isn't my strongest subject either...

Homeschool kids miss out on learning conflict resolution skills...

Although there are days when our house looks a little like a steel cage match has gone on here...

10 reason public schools are better than homeschooling...

From the Detroit Examiner...

Homeschool kids miss out on balanced teaching about the political process...

Kids in public schools get even-handed instruction about the pros and cons of each candidate...

Another thing homeschool kids are lacking...

...lessons in racial sensitivity.

Wait, all my kids have foods they don't like. Am I living with a bunch of racists???

Homeschool kids miss out on religious diversity...

Remember, it's homeschool kids that face religious indoctrination. These kids? They're just learning about tolerance and diversity...

Another thought: When these kids go through this, are they considered Muslim converts? If they are would they be considered apostates if they go back to Christianity? Because it seems like Muslim apostates don't do too well...

Something else homeschool kids don't get to be a part of...

...peaceful discussion of different religious traditions...

Something else homeschooled kids miss out on...

...quality personnel in the schools. Look at this. I can't even form words to describe it...

What homeschool kids are missing...

...socialization. You can't get socialization like this at home:

Zero tolerance, or zero sense?

Randy Castro may look like a cute little 7 year-old boy. But really, he's a dangerous sexual predator who must be stopped. At least that's what his school thinks. Watch this report from GMA.

You heard right. Schools are labeling 4, 5, and 6 year-olds as "sexual harassers" for behavior they used to call "being a kid." I thought part of growing up was learning what is appropriate, and what isn't. I guess the school district is saying that the best way to teach a kid right and wrong is to have them busted by the cops.

Here's my "big picture" take on this: when you have kids in a herd, like a school, it's hard to treat them as individuals. That's why zero tolerance makes sense to some people--everyone gets equal treatment, and no judgment is required. The problem, of course, is that most situations require some judgment. With zero tolerance, you don't see the difference between a first grader smacking someone on the butt, and some kid acting out sexually against a schoolmate.

Zero tolerance is a result of schools being unable, or unwilling, to judge behavior on a case-by-case basis. It really is craziness.

(Note to homeschooling readers: Part of the recent California court decision that banned most homeschooling read that "A primary purpose of the public education system is to train school children in good citizenship...as a means of promoting the public welfare." I think you'll all agree that having cops drag away 6 year-olds is an important part of training children in good citizenship. I know we have Little MacGyver arrested a couple of times a month, just so he'll be a GREAT citizen...)

I'm glad Christmas only comes once a year!

We've just been through a very difficult afternoon and evening. The kids are traumatized, maybe never to recover. Me and the Mighty Mrs. J are exhausted. It's something I hope we never have to go through again. But, I'm sure we'll do it again, and again, and again.

What was this tragic situation we found ourselves in? Family pictures. Oh, the horror! The school group we're part of held a fund raiser where the school got a portion of the money from each family portrait. It seemed like the other families I saw were just sitting, posing nicely for the photographer. But not my kids.

My kids? Little McGyver thinks it's funny to make goofy faces just as the photographer takes the picture. Disney Girl gets disgusted with the whole process, and refuses to face the camera at all.

Meanwhile, my wife and I resort to threats and bribery, just in an effort to get a couple of decent pictures. "Just wait until I get you outside!" "Turn around, and you'll get candy when this over!" Of course, nothing really works once the meltdown begins. We just encouraged the photographer to take the best pictures he could. The Mighty Mrs. J picked the best out of the bad bunch.

The only one who enjoyed the whole thing was Toddler Houdini. She loves pictures. She loves to smile. If she could just rub off on the other 2.

I don't think I could do it more than once a year. I've got to rest up for next Christmas' pics!















These are 3 Musketeers doing trick or treating at the zoo. Apparently, they'll only smile for pics if mom and dad aren't paying someone good money to take them...

Self-motivated to learn...

We are homeschooling our kids. I look at the educational system, especially here in L.A., and I can't imagine sending my kids to public school. But then I think of the responsibility of educating my kids, and it's overwhelming to me.

Fortunately, Little McGyver is really self-motivated to learn. He wants to learn so badly, it's scary. Last summer, when he was 4, he decided he had to know all the alphabet. I mean, he HAD to know the letters. He would burst into tears, crying, "I'll never know my letters!" I, being Father of the Year material, would say something comforting. Something like, "Would you get serious? You're only 4. You've got plenty of time." As you might imagine, this was not helpful at all. He would just walk away from me sadly. By now, he's learned that daddy is mostly good for driving him places, and lifting heavy things. (The same things my wife learned about me long ago.)

In case you're wondering, he did learn all his letters, even though I was next to useless to him. Now, he's learning to read at a truly frightening pace. I think that for him, our job is going to be facilitating his drive to learn. We can encourage him, but he's motivated all on his own.

By the way, the picture at the top of this post has nothing to do with homeschooling. But it is an awfully cute picture of my Little McGyver sitting in our tree...