Comments on Toast Floats: We're Not All Cut Out for Homeschool

I have to say I (sort of) agree with #7. Do I kno...

2011-06-14T13:08:01.584-07:00

I have to say I (sort of) agree with #7. Do I know a couple of wonderful, well-adjusted, homeschooled onlies? Yes. In fact, that perfectly describes my best friend. But I also have a buddy with a 3 year old she has decided to homeschool, who only ever interacts with adults-- and it shows. Some parents of onlies go out of their way to make sure their child gets social time with other kids, and others don't seem prepared to make that leap.

Basically, it's not impossible, but parents need to realize that there are a truckload of issues there that wouldn't exist for a kid with at least one sibling.

School life is the best one life in my whole caree...

2010-04-14T00:02:29.078-07:00

School life is the best one life in my whole career life whenever i memorize those moments so much missed that one much more love and want to back that career life so overall good experiance in that life

Oh man... What was the original text to #7? I feel...

2010-01-02T22:58:54.172-08:00

Oh man... What was the original text to #7? I feel like I'm missing out! (Yes we homeschool, yes we are thickheaded, no we don't really care what everyone else is doing).

Wow...lotta thin-skinned people out there.

...

2007-05-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Wow...lotta thin-skinned people out there.

We homeschooled the youngest of our three boys for several years. He turned out OK...or at least as well as the ones who went to the public edumakasional system the whole twelve years.

But my comment isn't really about that...you named one of your kids after a CHAIR???! (Aeron).

I added a short list on this to my blog, thanks fo...

2007-05-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

I added a short list on this to my blog, thanks for sharing, I did enjoy reading your post. Best wishes on your homeschool adventures.
Sorry, forgot to include my link!
http://momtoanangel.blogspot.com

2007-05-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

This comment has been removed by the author.

Eh. Too bad; it was funnier in the original form. ...

2007-05-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Eh. Too bad; it was funnier in the original form. That said, I'm not homeschooling - but being the parent of a very-likely-to-be-only child, and a child who will be an oddball in nearly any educational setting at that, I found points 7, 8 & 9 to be both funny and ringing *very* true.

Folks, I hear and obey. It was great getting the t...

2007-05-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

Folks, I hear and obey. It was great getting the traffic, but it sucked to see folks take it so seriously and worse to see that folks had their feelings hurt. That was never my intention.

As a result, I've modified #7 to tone it way way done. My sincere apologies to those who read the original and were upset.

But pretty please remember that first and foremost Toast Floats is a humor column about cruising families. I don't really recommend throwing the kids off the beam as a good way to teach them to swim either, but it makes for a few smiles which is the sole function of this series.

A lot of touchy parents out there with a single ch...

2007-05-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

A lot of touchy parents out there with a single child.

Yow.

I'm surprised at how many people overreacted t...

2007-04-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised at how many people overreacted to 7 & 8.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

As a new homeschooler, you seem to have a lot figu...

2007-04-27T05:10:00.000-07:00

As a new homeschooler, you seem to have a lot figured out already. Except the part that every family is different. We're going into our 4th year of homeschooling our only child. Though I consider myself a veteran, I would never presume to tell families with multiple children why they shouldn't homeschool.

Homeschooling an only child is neither wrong nor difficult.

I wish had the time to learn html so I could more easily link to my post on homeschooling an only. I instead put the link in my name.

Wow.... living on a boat! Very cool. I'm totally j...

2007-04-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Wow.... living on a boat! Very cool. I'm totally jealous.

BTW, great post. :-)

Although, not sure about #7. I love this blog and they're homeschooling an only child:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Jimmie/

I can certainly see how, in your situation, #7 and...

2007-04-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

I can certainly see how, in your situation, #7 and #8 would be of extreme importance. You live on a boat... How cool, btw. I have always wanted to do that except I get sea sick! I would guess that it does somewhat limit your social contacts.

I've got an only (granted he's only been an only f...

2007-04-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've got an only (granted he's only been an only for just over a year, and we're still getting used to one instead of two...) AND we both happen to LOVE living as though the world revolves around the both of us. What a great way to live, the entire universe as our banquet and we are the guests of honor. It manifests well for us!

I'm sorry for being somewhat rude, but that reason...

2007-04-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for being somewhat rude, but that reason number 7 hit me like a ton of bricks.

And it's really untrue. I know many homeschoolers with only one child, and all those kids are great.

I read this post earlier in the day and I just cou...

2007-04-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

I read this post earlier in the day and I just couldn't respond at that point.

I am a mom of an only child. I am so hurt by your number seven. Why do people treat onlies and parents of onlies like this? WHY?

When my child was in public school, I had a teacher comment that parents ought not be allowed to have just one child. That floored me. Frankly, this stings even worse.

I am just so hurt that the homeschooling community -- your comment and the consensus of the group of which you speak -- could say such a mean-spirited thing.

For the record, we tried to have other children, but it was just not meant to be. So yeah, maybe I'm a bit touchy.

So I guess I should send poor Thomas back to school instead of keeping him at home where he has grown, learned and gained confidence that was stripped from him in public school, just because he's an only.

What a load of crap.

I have two children, one at university and one bei...

2007-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have two children, one at university and one being homeschooled. In a sense, the younger one is like an only child at this point.

I totally disagree with your #7. Children continue to believe that they are the be-all and end-all of all things after babyhood exist in quantity in schools. They are not this way because they get attention from their parents. They are this way because they have been taught a sense of entitlement. An only child can be a fine, courteous, thoughtful person or not. It depends very much on how he or she is brought up.

We teach our son to imagine that in his right pocket he carries a scroll that reads: "I am but dust and ashes." And in the left pocket a scroll that reads: "The world was created for me."

In our weaker moments, we need to remember that what we do matters. What we say to others matters. But in our stronger moments, we need to remember that we are not perfect or entitled to things beyond what all of us are given--our fragile lives.

This is the way of balance. And only children can be taught balance as well as many children. And there are plenty of children from families with more than one who do not have balance also.

I homeschool an only child, and she's the coolest ...

2007-04-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

I homeschool an only child, and she's the coolest little girl I know! OK, OK, that's confirming you in your idea isn't it? : ) I guess I should send her to be socialised at school, so she can learn how unimportant she really is. Seriously, the best reason not to homeschool is because either the parent or the child doesn't really want to.

Number one was right on! But I think it's a concer...

2007-04-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Number one was right on! But I think it's a concern (to some) who start out. Then they really start thinking about it. I know that it was one of the things that held me back so long. But I was ignorant bascially because I grew up in the system of things. But I soon learned and thought about things.

My kids now are the best "socialized" they could be. They seem much more open now that they are no longer being bullied because they are different or whatever.

I know so many DIFFERENT homeschoolers and they homeschool so many DIFFERENT ways. Hopefully you find your own kick. Enjoy it, it's worth it. It's hard, yes, it makes you want to pull what little hair you have left, it makes you want to go, " What the heck was I thinking?" but it's worth every sorrow.

Well, I will cut you a lot of slack since you are,...

2007-04-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I will cut you a lot of slack since you are, as you described, "a new homeschooler."

I think it's great that you've taken up the challenge of educating your own children. However, I take great exception to your #7 reason not to homeschool -- if you have an only child.

I have an only child that I've homeschooled now for 5 years. He's never been to a daycare, preschool or public school. He IS the center of my world, and he is also a well-rounded, well-behaved, very friendly little boy. I know other homeschoolers of onlies, and given the wide variances between any children in regards to personality, they are all great kids in their own right.

I think it's quite presumptuous to assert that onlies shouldn't be homeschooled. Every family is different, and yes -- some shouldn't homeschool at all -- but you would really have to know each and every family in order to make any kind of judgement on their ability to homeschool successfully.

As homeschoolers, in general, we are judged unfairly by many non-homeschoolers, for the simple decision we've made to take charge of our children's education ourselves. It is unfortunate that, even among homeschoolers, that kind of judgement continues.

I wish you the best in your homeschooling endeavors with your children. And, I will heartily continue my own endeavors with my one and only child.

Great list! LOL Though I do have to disagree with ...

2007-04-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Great list! LOL Though I do have to disagree with #7. I have a freind who choose to only have 1 child and homeschools her, and she's the coolest little girl I know. But then, she's most likely the exception to the rule in many ways. :)

For a new homeschooler, it sounds like you're figu...

2007-04-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

For a new homeschooler, it sounds like you're figuring things out pretty quickly!

Take it from a veteran: it will be hard, it will be exhausting, it will be worth it.

Great post :)

Barb