Christian Forums

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (janine @ Jan. 28 2003,10:02)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]So, Kevin, you would never shower at the same time as the boys?

That means you've left a group of boys unsupervised and naked together.  With soap.  And wet towels to sting each other with.  And a pack mentality able to break out without you there to check it.

Wouldn't the better way be to take all of your boys through the open showers with you at the same time?[/quote]
Nope, that would not be best.  It would have too much liability associated with it, and be open to too much charges of being inappropriate.

By the way, I've never encountered what you suggested might happen.

Kevin

The home school that I was referring to is one in which a mom is trying to educate her three sons at home.

On days when I see the sons and ask them what they did in school, the answer invariably is nothing.  \"Did you do any math?\"  \"No\".  \"Did you study any English?\"  \"No\".  \"History?  Science?  Spelling?  Reading?\"  \"No. No. No. No.\"  What did you do today?  \"Played our video game, and babysat our foster brothers and sisters\".

This mom is actually not taking her responsibility to educate them seriously, and it shows.  Is there anything that I as a youth minister should or even could do about that?  The students are in middle school grades.  (If they took a test to get into public schools though, I think they would have to step down a grade or two.

By the way, we have other families in the church who are homeschooling and doing an excellent job.  Their students are far outpacing the public school students - but it is because they are taking their responsibility seriously.

Kevin

Never home schooled but as the mom of teen boys .. well, one is pretty much nonverbal, but the \"normal\" (if \"normal teen boy\" isn't an oxymoron) one is bright as a whip but can exhibit the same monosyllabic (sp?) responses that patriciaredstone mentions.  \"How was school today?\"  
\"All right.\"  If I'm lucky I might get \"Why, mom, it was just peachy!\" in a  \"Jim Carey\" sort of tone, but that's just his personality. On the other hand, at times, he can talk your head off. Just have to catch 'em at the right time I guess.

I'm thinking that we do this too in a way. \"How are you?\"
\"Fine.\"  See what I mean?

Kevin, what pr said in the post above this one ... ditto from me!

Julie -- I have reread my posts and (other than my previous post) I guess I am at a loss to see what I am saying to give you the impression that I am against those who do not homeschool their children ... or anyone for that matter.

As a home schooling parent, I would like the opportunity to explain the benefits of home schooling over public or private schooling FOR SOME CHILDREN. For the purpose of brevity, I cannot make wide disclaimers each time I post to explain that I do not mean to say that home schooling works for every family ... or every family all of the time. Or that every public or private school is incompetent to the task of education. I believe in ALL education choices. Next year we will be placing our son in a school. It will probably not be a conventional high school, but a high school nevertheless.

I have never doubted that there are some bad home schools. However, home schooling is, generally, more misunderstood, while the problems of conventional schools are, generally, accepted. I am not an anti-government home schooling parent. I don't like those groups (I did recommend information from the conservative group HSLDA, but only because they are the best place to go for the kind of information Kevin needed.)

I'm thrilled that your youth group is so well balanced and that you and your husband are so actively involved with them. That's great! Parents need to know that their children are in good hands when they are at church. It is one of my pet peeves that almost no youth ministers have been educated enough to be effective counselors to teens. For example, our youth minister, though he is a graduate of the Cascade College youth ministery program, does not seem to understand that it is inappropriate to approach my son and invite him to his home (he is a bachelor) to watch a movie, without consulting with me first! I had to send an email to him this morning to explain that, at 14 years-old our son is only rarely allowed to be alone with anyone (even many family members!) without our approval. This is SECOND time I have had this discussion with him. I told him that I will let him know when this rule changes, and invited him to visit us at our home.

I do wish I could go to your church. I'm certain that you and your husband would not use your influence to challenge a child to break from parental authority. I also get a feeling that you would not host the True Love Waits program that our son is being pressured to participate in. For many reasons, I think this is a horrible program that any reputable, accredited counselor would oppose.

...not to mention that it's hard to get respect when your standing there with no pants on. :p

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]As far as reading for boys, I don't know if that is true.  I was reading before kindegarten.[/quote]

Ah, but rules like those are simply crying out for exceptions!  ;)

I, too, was reading before kindergarten, but I adored  :inlove:  math and science  :inlove:  and detested English and history.  Math and science were challenging and interesting while English and history bored me to  :zzzz: