Homeschooling: Have You Considered It For Your Children?

The Islamic Garden (women oriented Muslim site) ^ | 2002 | The Islamic Garden staff writer

[Registered]

Couldn't you be a better principal to your kids than someone else?

[freedox]

The following response(s) were posted yesterday on another thread. I'm just curious as to how representative this person's views are of the home schooling crowd. Anyone like to weigh in here?

"We also need a list of homeschool friendly doctors/dentists........A homeschool friendly doctor/dentist would be one who does not question a parent's authority, one who does not pry into a family's business, does not ask questions inappropriate for children to answer, does not order the parent out of the examining room. Will not report you to CPS if you have not taken your child to a doctor unless it is an emergency, will not report you to CPS for possible neglect because you do not have the money to pay for routine exams..........Because when a family goes against what society dictates/does, it raises red flags. Anyone who homeschools can tell you this."

[TontoKowalski]

From my perspective, the age of the child is the critical issue. My son is 7, and I wouldn't permit him to receive medical attention of any sort without my (or my wife's) personal involvement and attendance. I'd never permit any adult to question my son on our family life. FWIW, we've never been asked by a doctor/dentist to remove ourselves from the presence of our son during an examination. If we were, we would comply immediately, and take our son with us.

When he's 17, I doubt we'll hold that same view. Where the break is, I'm not sure.

[ACross]

Most doctors don't want parents in the room unless the doctors need their input. Especially if the kid is old enough to discuss complaint himself. It does not surprise me that the type of parent that homeschools would insist on being in an examining room with their child (probably all the way to age 18).

[TontoKowalski]

It does not surprise me that the type of parent that homeschools would insist on being in an examining room with their child...

It doesn't surprise me either. But I suspect we approach that statement from different perspectives.

[ACross]

Are doctors not to be trusted either? Doctors need frank communication between doctor and patient and it is neither necessary nor productive for a parent to be in the room in most cases (once a child is old enough to communicate on such matters). If the doctor thinks it would be productive to speak to the parent, the doctor wwould so advise the parent.

[TontoKowalski]

I've enjoyed the debate. It is clear that we disagree on several child-rearing issues. I doubt either of us will change our mind. We can both thank God that we live in a country where we can raise our children as we see fit (criminal activity and gross neglegence excepted, of course.)

Good luck to you.

[ACross]

As a matter of full disclosure, I am single and childless, so your opinions are better informed. The doctor stuff hit home for personal reasons.

[davidosborne]

Homeschooling necessarily deprives child of a childhood of memories and the lessons learned from friends -- and enemies -- at school and in social settings with classmates and teachers.

With all due respect that rhetoric is very offensive to me personally... All the homeschooling parents that we know do not lock their kids in the house 24/7 as you suggest....

[EdReform]

Bump!

[davidosborne]

Most doctors don't want parents in the room unless the doctors need their input. Especially if the kid is old enough to discuss complaint himself. It does not surprise me that the type of parent that homeschools would insist on being in an examining room with their child (probably all the way to age 18).

Actually I think that decision is best made by the parent and not the doctor... I would hope that my daughters would WANT us to be there to SUPPORT them in such serious matters..

[hsmomx3]

There was something awhile back where doctors would request that the parents leave the examining room so that the doctor could question the kids:

Is there a gun in the house? Where is it located? Do your parents fight? Do you do drugs? Do your parents do drugs? Do you engage in sexual activity?

I hope I can find the article or maybe someone else has it bookmarked and could post it here.

[AppyPappy]

Public schools aren't run by religions. I wouldn't have a problem with atheist administrators as long as they didn't push atheism on the kids. I feel the same way about Christian administrators. What I want is an open environment where real religious diversity is accepted. We have that in the school that my kids attend. They are allowed to talk about their religion. When the Muslims kids balk over Christmas or Halloween, they are invited to remove themselves. They don't get to drive the discussion. The atheist kids don't get to shut down discussion of faiths.

Couldn't you be a better principal to your kids than someone else?

If I wanted to be a principal, I would be one. I can't offer my kids the depth of diversity that the school can offer. 30% of the kids aren't Americans.

[AppyPappy]

A doctor can do that and you can tell the doctor to take a hike. But I have no problem with my doctor doing it because he's a good Baptist. When I threatened to hit my cyst with the family Bible (the local cure), he told me a better use for that Bible.

[rmlew]

I have to disagree. I used to be on the Sepschool mailing list, but have since come to a different conclusion.

Public schools were created to assimilate immigrants and their children and to make sure that children are indoctrinated with the values of the Constitutional Republic.
Of course this has been a complete and utter failure in the last 60 years. Starting in the 1930's, communists began infiltrating school, while leftist hijaked the Pedagogical acadamies. (Think of John Dewey at Columbia Teacher's College). Still the idea holds. We simply need to retake our schools. I see no better way to make citizens out of the 700,000 children of immigrants in NY schools or the millions around the nation.
Homeschooling might work for 3rd + generation Americans in the suburbs, but things are different in the cities.

You also forget about provate schools which are far more prevalent than home schools.

[davidosborne]

What I want is an open environment where real religious diversity is accepted.

The belief in "religious diversity" is itself a RELIGION (aka. agnostic)

[AppyPappy]

OK David. There is only one religion in the world.

[Samwise]

I respectfully agree with AppyPappy. The community needs to be very involved in the school system. Our schools are open and parents are encouraged to spend as much time and energy as they are willing to input. Our kids are the best, our parents are the best, our teachers are the best, and our schools are the best. Character is taught, God is not a dirty word, and these kids work harder than I ever had to work. Oh yeah, and the hugs are free flowing.

[freedox]

The reason I was interested in this is that my husband is a retired dentist. As a general rule, he preferred not to have parents in the treatment room while dental procedures were being performed. Parents in the treatment room can sometimes blur the lines of authority. During a delicate dental procedure, it is imperative that the doctor maintains control in such a way as to best serve the patient.

Parents who "demanded" access to the treatment room during a procedure were in effect saying that they did not trust the doctor to render proper treatment. Such attitudes are easily transmitted to a child, and for a dentist, they usually spell trouble for all concerned. My husband learned that trying to deal with a tense, distrustful parent usually wasn't worth the effort, and he referred those cases out to a pediatric specialist.

Exceptions to the "no parents" rule did exist. Generally, these were parents who were patients themselves and who were comfortable with the doctor. A parent who casually observed and chatted during a procedure presented no problems, as he/she transmitted an attitude of relaxation and trust to the child.

Oh.....and learning that a child was home schooled never raised any "red flags" for my husband. In fact, he found most of his home schooled patients to be quite exceptional and delightful. As long as a child is happy, well adjusted and well cared for, there are no "red flags" to be raised.

[SpookBrat]

I remember that article.