"Homeschoolers Are Quitters." Tell That To The Twelve-Year Old Attending Harvard

Because my son and I share this blog I will need to keep my colorful vocabulary to myself. However, over at Cracked Chronicles…it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Last night, an old acquaintance posted a question on her facebook page about online high school classes. At first I thought she truly wanted feedback about the topic so I responded with my usual statement that each family is different and with the variety of homeschool online classes her daughter would have a range of educational lessons at the tips of her fingers.

Immediately her friends disregarded my statement and through out statements of “kids need structure, they find that at school” After reading that I soon discovered that SHE wanted to show her daughter that HER friends found online classes unproductive.

I disagreed with the structure comment because let’s think about that word for a moment. People believe that structure means discipline or order. The definition is building upon elements, arranging them in a way that is cohesive. In a sociology aspect it’s about relationships, forming bonds with others. Of course, that pushes the word socialization into the mix.

That word is a homeschoolers toilet paper. People say it us, we wipe it, and flush it away because in most cases it's presented in a negative tone, “Aren’t you concerned that your son won’t have that high school experience?” “What about friends? Prom? Football games? Homecoming?”

I have to tell you the truth. You may want to sit down but…

Homeschool organizations have all of that and more!

GASP! I know, shocking. We also don't drive covered wagons.

After walking away from the conversation last night I mistakenly looked at it this morning and this fabulous piece of ignorance slapped me right in the face and fell into my coffee, “Home school is for quitters. It's important for kids to be in the social environment even if they don't like it. It teaches them responsibility. Buck up and get er done. Then go off to college…."

First, he used the term “get er done.”

Do I need to go further? Really?

I would love to have him say those words to my child when he was bullied and humiliated at school. You are right. We quit. We quit the joke that is called the public school system in St. Lucie County, Florida five years ago. Last time I checked bullying isn’t socialization and it sure didn’t teach responsibility as my son was left behind from his class and wandered the outdoor halls alone for five minutes. Did I mention he was 8 at the time.

You know who says statements like that above, people who don’t have a clue about education or life. Their adult existence is stuck in high school. They are concerned about social status, the family next door who purchased the new boat, snowmobile, and four-wheeler and how can his family up that because no one can have more than him. That is the same person who believes Autism is contagious and that my son is hermit locked beneath the stairs, shunned by society for being different.

Ignorance is contagious.

As he spewed it on her page others praised him. It actually made my stomach turn and I unfriended her because I can’t have that negativity anywhere near me.

I wanted to respond to his comment. But I didn’t because it would have erupted into a school yard brawl with me getting the punches and "my" friend would watch near the swings because those people are popular, they are in her life and have been since high school. What would it have accomplished? Nothing. His mind was made up. So, I quit her page and her daughter’s page.

I value others opinions—I do and I enjoy a good debate but with every opinion and every debate you must present facts. I have an opinion on many things but I also have some kind of understanding or facts to back my opinion. I don’t frolic around the land of Say-Whatever-I-Want-Without-Consequences. That’s ignorant.

All right, I’ve spent enough time on this topic and gave that guy too much of my breath and time. Let me end my post with this...

When my son has created a wormhole, travels through it, discovers the cure for some disease from a planet, in a galaxy (far, far, away) brings it back to earth and helps millions I will make sure Logan gives a shout to the man who called him a quitter because that name is etched into my brain.

Just as Linda, Logan's daycare provider said to me back in Sioux Falls when he was little, “Your son is lazy that’s why he isn’t walking yet.”

That wasn’t why. Logan was sick. Very sick and his illness deteriorated his muscle tone. And by the grace of God and Logan’s determination he surprised his doctors and took his first unaided steps one week after his two-year old birthday. 

Be careful who you condemn because they maybe your savior one day.