Age segregation.
As in public school classrooms. As in "enrichment programs" at the library. As in homeschool co-ops.
Why do we group children based on age instead of intellectual ability? The easy answer is "emotional maturity" and I can totally see that with preschool vs. older elementary, to a point because of disruption issues. But I don't understand social promoting just to keep kids with their age group and likewise not grade skipping for kids who are advanced in studies. Why is it such a big deal for a kid to be 11 in highschool? Why do we worry over the 9 year old in the first grade?
Well, because kids will be cruel to each other. That is a huge problem, but I am pretty sure it is not related to age segregation. Cruelty is a product of home life and should be addressed as such instead of ignored or institutionalized.
Ah, but we are homeschooling. We get to avoid such annoyances, yes? No. We were excluded from several activities this summer because of an age cut off. Last summer we couldn't do the canoeing part of a field trip because of Lil'Bug's age even though she had been out on our canoe in bigger waters more times than many of the kids who did get to go. She had proven her ability to handle it, her maturity, and her interest and was still left out. Liability the park ranger said. Ok. But that explanation doesn't hold for the library activities. That's just based on assumptions about how most kids act. Lil'Bug can get excited and run about with the best of 3 year olds, but she also knows how to leave (I know when to leave when she doesn't) if she isn't interested. She has demonstrated civility in group situations. I just wish the world was not so restricted.
Spending time with unschoolers who do not age segregate most of the time is a solution, but only for social and self learning. She really wants to take these classes that her 5-6 year old friends are taking. It is not fair. I wish the classes would list abilities needed to participate instead of "ages 5-10".
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Some Small Thing I Get Cranky About
Mother, wife, sister, friend. This is our second year on the farm, a dream we've had since we were first married. We unschool, AP parent, and grow our own food (or try to).
Bad Days
Yup. I have 'um. And when the dark clouds descend they are terrible and fierce. I just want to hide. I have a headache, I have tons of work to do, and I still have children and husband to tend to (ie feed and wash clothes for). The world doesn't stop for me, but I want it too.
I am cranky about nothing. I forgot to thaw meat for dinner. My student loans. The bill from the hospital. Laundry detergent. There are not enough hours in the day and if there were more I'd just have more laundry to do. Tornado Tot just went through four of her five nice dresses and got grape Popsicle juice on every last one of them. My shampoo smells funny and doesn't work. I'm hungry and don't want to eat healthy food and there is no junk food in the house. None. What kind of twilight zone am I living in? Gah. See nothing. Nothing. Not a darn thing that I should be so upset about. But I am.
I am cranky about nothing. I forgot to thaw meat for dinner. My student loans. The bill from the hospital. Laundry detergent. There are not enough hours in the day and if there were more I'd just have more laundry to do. Tornado Tot just went through four of her five nice dresses and got grape Popsicle juice on every last one of them. My shampoo smells funny and doesn't work. I'm hungry and don't want to eat healthy food and there is no junk food in the house. None. What kind of twilight zone am I living in? Gah. See nothing. Nothing. Not a darn thing that I should be so upset about. But I am.
Mother, wife, sister, friend. This is our second year on the farm, a dream we've had since we were first married. We unschool, AP parent, and grow our own food (or try to).
Monday, 4 August 2008
Learning New Things
Today (and last night) I learned:
How to post a YouTube Video. Neat.
Why my diapers were not getting very clean.
How to take apart a washing machine agitator (and then watch Dearest actually do it and technically that was last night).
How to reassemble the agitator with new part installed.
What other chance circumstance will turn my house into cloth diaper hell? So far we've had threat of city wide water shut down (thank God that was avoided), 32 hour power outage (with no AC diaper pail took on a life of its own), and now washing machine breakdown. Gah. The bright side of this last thing, and really a blessing, is that we worked as a team, only spent 6$, and repaired it ourselves within 24 hours. Good times. Also, I could have done it completely by myself, if it were not for my Dearest who enjoys fixing things of this nature. :)
How to post a YouTube Video. Neat.
Why my diapers were not getting very clean.
How to take apart a washing machine agitator (and then watch Dearest actually do it and technically that was last night).
How to reassemble the agitator with new part installed.
What other chance circumstance will turn my house into cloth diaper hell? So far we've had threat of city wide water shut down (thank God that was avoided), 32 hour power outage (with no AC diaper pail took on a life of its own), and now washing machine breakdown. Gah. The bright side of this last thing, and really a blessing, is that we worked as a team, only spent 6$, and repaired it ourselves within 24 hours. Good times. Also, I could have done it completely by myself, if it were not for my Dearest who enjoys fixing things of this nature. :)
Mother, wife, sister, friend. This is our second year on the farm, a dream we've had since we were first married. We unschool, AP parent, and grow our own food (or try to).
I'm Mr. Heat Blister
I am hot. Melting. I don't usually mind the heat but today I feel unbearable even in front of the AC. The heat index is supposed to top 180, oops, I mean 108 F by 3 pm; cheesy peas, it feels like 180.
Why is it so hot? Well, it is Iowa and this is State Fair week (starts Thursday), though forecast has it back to cool (85/60 as the high/low with a breeze). Ha. I bet it rains lava instead. Seriously though, we get so hot and humid here because of the corn. We have lots of corn.
I keep singing the lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs it on their Christmas Album.
Lyrics to Heat Miser Song
(Heat Miser in bold, chorus in italics)
I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Heat Blister
I'm Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!
He's Mister Green Christmas
He's Mister Sun
He's Mister Heat Blister
He's Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
He's too much!
Thank you!
I never want to see a day
That's under sixty degrees
I'd rather have it eighty,
Ninety, one hundred degrees!
(spoken)
Oh, some like it hot, but I like it
REALLY hot! Hee hee!
He's Mister Green Christmas
He's Mister Sun
Sing it!
He's Mister Heat Blister
He's Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!
Mother, wife, sister, friend. This is our second year on the farm, a dream we've had since we were first married. We unschool, AP parent, and grow our own food (or try to).
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)