Homeschoolers, why do these too questions remind me so much of each other?

Question

When I breastfed, many people asked me, looking shocked and concerned: "How will you know if she's getting enough to eat?"

Now when people find out we homeschool they ask with the same expression on their faces, "How do you know if she's learning or what grade level she's on?"

Since the answers to both of those questions are obvious to me, why are they so mysterious to others?

Answer 1

Well there are standarized tests and self evident aspects.

If you can't do geometry or trig, you obviously didn't learn algebra correctly.

If you can't work a physics problem the math is obviously above your head.

Answer 2

I've thought the same thing about those two questions.  I also breastfed, and got asked that question.

Everyone assumes that if something isn't tightly regulated that it will automatically be bad, I wonder how the human race survived for thousands and thousands of years with no bureaucracy, and no baby bottles either!

Answer 3

Were you homeschooled? BTW, it's two not too.

In response to your rude email to me, try reading what you type BEFORE sending it then no one will comment on it.

Answer 4

I dont think its a mystery so much as a judgement.  People will always judge, its part of our nature.  But some will try to pass that judgement to you in a passive aggressive way by a seemingly innocent question.

I knew my first child would eventually stop breast feeding--and she did at 14 months.  I knew my second child wasnt getting enough nourishment at 4 months because of her cries.  I knew when my oldest wasnt learning what she needed to learn or HOW she needed to learn in public schools.  

Its called good parenting skills and you seem to have em!

panta, I think your just another athiest POed at the Christian world....yep, thats my judgement

Answer 5

We have been told that we must trust the professionals and many people believe that lie.

The indications that a child is not getting enough to eat are apparent rather immediately IF we are feeding the child.  If you were sending your child to a professional nursemaid, you would not know how much time the child was nursing.  You would not know what the nursemaid had eaten that was getting into your child's system.    You would not realize that the nursemaid  was nursing more children than she had the time or resources to  feed. Your child could be very sick before you realized that something was wrong.

We send our children to public school.  The teachers are  overworked and outnumbered.   The teacher has been taught to teach the curriculum.   She has been taught to deal with different  styles of teaching but she cannot teach all styles at the same time.   Sometimes parents can see that their child is not being educated.  Sometimes it takes years to realize the neglect.    If we go to the principal, we are told to trust the professionals.    The professionals are taught to get the masses through the system not to focus on one individual child.

I am very offended by the response that grouped all homeschoolers in one class.   This is called prejudice.  

We homeschool for many different reasons.  

His  profile said " Let's spread the truth over hate ! See ya'll in the battle of wits, with the un-armed opponents !"  

That is so sad.   There is medication for that condition but he probably doesn't trust the professionals in that field.

Answer 6

First ,it is obvious that Nature can provide for a new born's nutritional needs. Second,it is also obvious that 'home schooling' is limited to whatever you teach the children.  Basically,any deficiencies in the parents education,are transferred to the children. Add to that any religious dogma,and there is a real possibility that the children will not be as intelligent as a person that was educated up to modern standards. Home schooling is popular among the religious population because it's much easier for parents to control what kinds of knowledge their children learn.  That way religious dogma and superstitious beliefs can be passed on to the next unfortunate generation to be raised ignorant to real knowledge of Nature!  A home schooled child is only as smart as their parents ignorance!

Answer 7

I get that too! People just don't want to think for themselves. They want the government to tell them what to do instead. People are not comfortable being human sometimes. I find it very odd. Supposedly we can't feed out kids like mammals do, give birth like mammals do without tons of technology, and we're supposed to institutionalize education instead of educating our children instinctively. I don't buy any of that. I despise the technocracy.

Answer 8

We as home schoolers make it our business to know that our kids are getting educated on level! It's our FULL TIME JOB!! We are not limited by our own education! I for one can't spell very well at all. I live using spell check but I am still teaching the rules of spelling. Guess what else: I'm learning to spell again! Why because as I teach my child I am teaching myself again! English is the same way! I am learning the skills it takes to write again! I'm willing to bet that although I have never taken a trig or calculus class I will be able to teach her because I will have retaught myself algebra and the other skills to learn those topics.

Now to your question! They are essentially the same question! They are designed for one thing and one thing only! Too make the parent doubt their abilities! Does it work? Well it depends on the confidence of the parents! My father asked me the same question when I chose to breast feed all three of my children! He keeps asking me the same question about home schooling (he's not a supporter). He doesn't do the same to my sister who also chose to breast feed and home school ( both at the same time for a while)! Why? Simply because of personality and relationship differences. The relationship between the 2 are strained so he won't question her choices but since we are close he thinks he has the right to interfere and make me agree with him. He thinks that if he can make me doubt our family decisions ( and it was a family decision) than I will quit and go back to what didn't work for us. He also thinks I will get a full time job if they go back to school (he can't stand that I'm not in college right now and not working full time)

As to the misspelling well I've done it as well and I think since we home school others tend to hold us to higher standards than themselves because we are educators and teachers can't make mistakes. So blow them off.

It also amazes me that if we want the anti home schoolers around then directly address home school parents. They start to come out of the wood work because the subject has the word HOME SCHOOLERS! If we wanted their opinions about the subject then we would put in the subject ANTI hsers.

Answer 9

Good point, Glee!  I hadn't thought of it, but that is so true.  I guess they also feel the government should come weigh our babies to make sure we are feeding properly, even though mothers have been successfully feeding their babies for thousands of years.  They would probably put our babies on a rigid feeding schedule which would actually be detrimental to successful breastfeeding.

I do not get offended by these questions any longer.  Public school education indocrinates people to believe that we need big brother checking up on our every single move.

Of course children can learn subjects their parents never mastered.  A child who knows how to read and write can learn just about anything.  When I graduated I had never heard of the internet, and now I've designed a website.  You don't have to learn everything in a classroom.

Of course parents are fit to tell whether or not their children are learning.  If my child is reading better today than he was yesterday, guess what?  Learning has taken place.  I don't need to pull out a timer and calculate his words per minute.  I honestly can't believe they treat children that way in school and I would resent having my child treated that way.

Here's an article I have written on the subject:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

I don't believe in ANY government intervention in homeschooling.

One of the main reasons I don't want my children in school is because school children are taught NOT to think.  Despite all those years of history courses, many people do not understand the simple concept of freedom.  Very sad.