12/16/06 10-day holiday cruise Part 3

[Thistle]

When I was a kid, the school always gave you your homework ahead of time so you could do it on your family holiday. I guess they felt family time was just as important as school time.

Of course we're all finding out that isn't the case any more. They either won't give out any homework in advance or if you try and make it up when you get back they give you a penalty for it.

I've wondered why they have gotten so strict about it, I mean if you go to them ahead of time and all, but most just won't work with you. I think it might have to do with funding, that if the kid isn't in school for that day they get less money or something.

I mean, why must we take our kids to the dr if they have the sniffles? Why is our telling the school they were out sick not accountable?

This is my youngest child, she's 15 and I have to say things have changed so much since my oldest was in school. There are still great teachers out there who go above and beyond the calling.. but so many seem to be unhappy with their jobs. Don't even get me started on administrators!

I'm on the verge of homeschooling my own, she loves her one college class that she takes, wish I could just enroll her in college but she's not even near being able to do that. Once you have wonderful teachers for your child it's so hard to see the ones who won't put any effort in teach them.

 

[DCLgodess]

took a really big CS test...it was pretty easy...just long

 

[3pirates]

I'm on the verge of homeschooling my own, she loves her one college class that she takes, wish I could just enroll her in college but she's not even near being able to do that. Once you have wonderful teachers for your child it's so hard to see the ones who won't put any effort in teach them.

OK, there's my reality check! Much as I want to complain about the rules, there will be no home schooling here!! I"ll get their silly notes, beg for forgiveness, make my vacations convenient for THEM if they'll just take them and teach them, PLEASE!

 

[DCLgodess]

i would never want to be homeschooled. kids who are homeschooled are usually extra anti-social....at least from what i've gathered

 

[3pirates]

it sure doesn't give them as many chances to practice socializing? Does it?

The only situation where I've seen it done well was a lady I know who did it because her daughters were exceptional athletes and spent a lot of time training--competed nationally. They were teenagers, so they did most of the work on line. They did it short term, alternating semesters of school. They stayed involved socially through their sports activities, training, and groups like church youth.

For most kids and moms, "real" school is probably the way to go.

 

[DCLgodess]

it sure doesn't give them as many chances to practice socializing? Does it?

The only situation where I've seen it done well was a lady I know who did it because her daughters were exceptional athletes and spent a lot of time training--competed nationally. They were teenagers, so they did most of the work on line. They did it short term, alternating semesters of school. They stayed involved socially through their sports activities, training, and groups like church youth.

For most kids and moms, "real" school is probably the way to go.

no it certainly doesn't...Stay at home all day and get made fun of. In my town..if you were home schooled you were considered less popular than dirt.

 

[3pirates]

I'm on the verge of homeschooling my own, she loves her one college class that she takes, wish I could just enroll her in college but she's not even near being able to do that. Once you have wonderful teachers for your child it's so hard to see the ones who won't put any effort in teach them.

Why is your daughter taking a college class? Do you mean an A/P or is something else going on there? My son took an A/P last year, and I honestly think his favorite thing about it was the debates and discussions that took place in the class. I agree with everything you say about mediocre teachers. The great ones are my heroes, the others..... I have told my children, though, that as with everything they should really appreciate their great teachers because you can't expect everyone to be great. You're lucky for each great one you get!

 

[3pirates]

no it certainly doesn't...Stay at home all day and get made fun of. In my town..if you were home schooled you were considered less popular than dirt.

Sorta everyone assumed that the ones being home schooled did it only because they couldn't handle the social situation?

That's part of it here when someone is home schooled, but I'd say half of those I've seen have reasons that I wouldn't have thought of but make sense once I hear them.

 

[3pirates]

And now for something completely different.......

I think now I have seen it all - I was reading the "Families Forum" and someone came on to tell the story how she had gotten busted lifting Alien Green Mickey Head samples from HD . You, know - meant to be a light hearted, funny kind of story. Don't you know, people come along telling her she's stealing, bad example for her kids, what if some comes looking for a sample to paint their room and it ain't there 'cause you stole them all, blah, blah, blah. Are ya kidding me????? Man, some people are just wound too tight .

Guess I'm getting the bad parent award - AGAIN (she says in her Forest Gump impression), since I have swiped an Alien Green Mickey once or twice myself.

Hey, Home Depot gets people coming into their store to pick up a piece of paper shaped like a mouse head. In the mean time, they are walking by other things like light bulbs and Christmas Decorations, probably picking up some of those too. (Not that I would ever "steal" samples.) OK, I can't lie--of course I did! But I bought stuff too! Sounds like a win-win to me!

 

[xsjackson]

Homeschooling is quite popular here in WA, but I have only had one student come from homeschool to Jr high that hasn't suffered here (in 11 years). Most don't know how to socialize and they really have a hard time keeping up in 6 subjects and meeting expectations not of their own making.

 

["Got Disney"]

And now for something completely different.......

I think now I have seen it all - I was reading the "Families Forum" and someone came on to tell the story how she had gotten busted lifting Alien Green Mickey Head samples from HD . You, know - meant to be a light hearted, funny kind of story. Don't you know, people come along telling her she's stealing, bad example for her kids, what if some comes looking for a sample to paint their room and it ain't there 'cause you stole them all, blah, blah, blah. Are ya kidding me????? Man, some people are just wound too tight .

Guess I'm getting the bad parent award - AGAIN (she says in her Forest Gump impression), since I have swiped an Alien Green Mickey once or twice myself.

Gosh I fell asleep for 2 hrs and wake up to lots to read!
There is also a debate in one of the threads going on about "Bingo" and children on the DC...some say it is immoral and gambling others say it is "Just Bingo"
Funny to read about some people getting there pantys all in a bunch over the kids playing bingo with the adults.

 

[Thistle]

I actually looked into homeschooling several years ago for my oldest. It's not as socially deprived as you think. The group I was going to go with met once a week, each parent was responsible for teaching a subject to the others children in addition to what they taught at home so they got another perspective. The group would go to mueseums, do 4H projects, art projects, etc. It was really incredibly enriching. You can buy complete curriculums, so it's not as if you have to come up with all of this knowledge by yourself.

I have met some homeschooled kids that are a bit 'odd' but there are plenty out there who excel and thrive at it. I talked to my son's dad about it and he thought it was a great idea, knew people who also homeschooled. His new wife put her nose in it and he took back his agreement, so I didn't get to do it.

I was also concerned about the amount of time I would have spent with my child. Familiarity breeds contempt! It might have been the best thing for him though since the school he was at was just not meeting his needs. He was in a special ed class that had all sorts of kids, they treated them like cattle and held them to a higher standard than the rest of the school population, they were set up for failure. It was a pretty painful time for us. Luckily we moved to MA, they didn't have a class for him so he was put into a regular class room. He thrived. But by then the damage was done.

 

[yargrnhoj]

Yep, the older ones are at that tough age to pull them out.

We did it on our last cruise a couple of years ago when oldest was in 4th grade and middle child was in 2nd. Their school at the time gave them homework ahead of time and we made them work on it every day on the cruise.

But our middle child did not complete his work and ended up having to spend all day Sunday after we got back doing homework, which really dampened the experience for him.

So we are wary. This time, our school says the policy is not to give out homework ahead of time.

 

[DCLgodess]

Sorta everyone assumed that the ones being home schooled did it only because they couldn't handle the social situation?

That's part of it here when someone is home schooled, but I'd say half of those I've seen have reasons that I wouldn't have thought of but make sense once I hear them.

Yeah that's what we figured...i mean we have 3500 kids in a high school (and there are 2 high schools)...my class was 650...lol...We had from the very rich to the dirt poor....it was def. a social scene...lol

 

[yargrnhoj]

Gosh I fell asleep for 2 hrs and wake up to lots to read!
There is also a debate in one of the threads going on about "Bingo" and children on the DC...some say it is immoral and gambling others say it is "Just Bingo"
Funny to read about some people getting there pantys all in a bunch over the kids playing bingo with the adults.

Wow, I am a bad parent. I took my 9-month-old daughter and six-year-old son to Bingo on a cruise. My son played half the cards and we won. (I called Bingo and pocketed the cash... I think I bought him a cookie or something.)

 

[Thistle]

Why is your daughter taking a college class? Do you mean an A/P or is something else going on there? My son took an A/P last year, and I honestly think his favorite thing about it was the debates and discussions that took place in the class. I agree with everything you say about mediocre teachers. The great ones are my heroes, the others..... I have told my children, though, that as with everything they should really appreciate their great teachers because you can't expect everyone to be great. You're lucky for each great one you get!

In Florida they will let sophomores take college class at the community college. She's taking a psych class and loves being treated like a thinking human being. She took an AP class last year and passed and is taking another one this year. In her Individual Education Plan I had them put in place that she is to take one each semester. The one she had last year had the debates and all the cool naughty stuff you learn in college. This year she's getting all book work and the lectures she gets are cleaned up. She dislikes the class immensely. Can't say as I blame her the teacher is just a tad to strange for me. He teaches like it's 5th grade and talks that way too, even to the parents.

 

[DCLgodess]

I was thinking that for the sailaway party i would give everybody my cell number and you all can call me or i'll call you all when i get a spot. Since i don't know exactly where we'll all fit lol

 

[3pirates]

Wow, I am a bad parent. I took my 9-month-old daughter and six-year-old son to Bingo on a cruise. My son played half the cards and we won. (I called Bingo and pocketed the cash... I think I bought him a cookie or something.)

So I guess letting my high schooler run a fantasy football league where his high school friends all put in $30 per person toward a jackpot and end of season party pretty much puts me in the record books!

He had a funny story about a teacher that kept seeing him collecting the money--the guy was RELIEVED that it was for a fantasy league. (That's not the first thing teachers think when they keep seeing a kid collecting money!)

 

[DCLgodess]

Garry's daughter won bingo last 10 day cruise

 

[3pirates]

I was thinking that for the sailaway party i would give everybody my cell number and you all can call me or i'll call you all when i get a spot. Since i don't know exactly where we'll all fit lol

That sounds OK to me, but you SURE don't want to put it out on these boards! I know, doing the mom thing again!