Blog

I haven’t blogged in many months, so this is just to make it official that this area is closed for the time being. I am focusing all of my time on adding new features to the site and there is no time left to keep this updated. I’ll keep this feature open, however, because some of the old entries may still be of use.

I do intend to add blog entries again some time in the future, but this message is for those who may see the dates on the blog entries and think that this site is no longer in use. Rest assured that the other areas of the site are very active.

Scott Somerville posted a collection of How Dads Participate in Homeschooling taken from the comments on the Spunky Homeschool site a few months back, but it is still worth a read if you have not had a chance yet.

Also, Ohio Dads, be sure to check out the Men of Vision Conference this February where Scott will be speaking. The website says that sons are invited to attend as well. I contacted CHEO for more information on what age ranges would be appropriate and received a reply that ages 10-12 would probably be the youngest that would benefit from the conference.

Forwarding this alert put out by the Homeschool Legal Defense Association…

January 9, 2007

HSLDA—French Homeschoolers Need Your Help Immediately!

Dear HSLDA members and friends:

French homeschoolers are faced with a draconian bill which will be voted on by parliament within the next few days. We just received word about this bill today.

Homeschooling is currently allowed in France. However, this bill would essentially outlaw homeschooling. No parent would be allowed to homeschool unless they showed that the health or handicap of their child makes it necessary for him or her to be taught at home.

In addition, if a family could even prove they have a health issue or some other “serious” reason to justify their homeschool, they would then have to submit to a home visit by a government official each year. Also, their curriculum would be either provided by the “National Center of Correspondence Teaching (CNED)” or by an approved private correspondence school.

French homeschoolers believe this bill will essentially outlaw
homeschooling as they know it in France. They plead for your help to stop this restrictive bill.

Homeschoolers in America have successfully stopped similar legislation in Ireland, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. In both Ireland and the Czech Republic, the restrictive homeschooling bills had already passed one house of parliament before we even got involved. Once we got involved the bills were stopped.

At this point we need you to communicate with the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. In a few days we will send another email asking you to communicate directly with the parliament members.

ACTION REQUESTED

Please contact as soon as possible, by phone or email, the French
Embassy and give them this message:

“Amendments 127 & 128, which would virtually outlaw homeschooling, are being voted on by the French parliament. If passed, this would cause a travesty. We cannot believe that a free country like France would outlaw such a basic right as parents choosing to homeschool their children. Over two million children are being successfully homeschooled in America. Homeschooling works. We ask that you immediately convey to the French government our concern and request that the bill language prohibiting homeschooling in nearly all circumstances be withdrawn.”

Also, explain in a paragraph or two the wonderful success you have had with homeschooling.

Ambassador Jean-David Levitte

(202) 944-6000

http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3600

http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3601

BACKGROUND

Homeschooling has long been allowed in France. Homeschoolers have to have regular testing and sometimes they are visited by an official, but for the most part operate freely. This bill would completely change that legal atmosphere and make it impossible for 95% of homeschoolers to operate.

Please take time to help our brothers and sisters in France, where the homeschool movement is small and they do not have a lot of organizations or numbers. Nonetheless, there are many sincere parents who love their children and want to faithfully teach them at home principles from the Word of God and personally train their children.

If homeschoolers don’t try to help, who will? Please take a moment and contact the French Embassy.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Klicka

HSLDA Senior Counsel

Christine over at the Thinking Mother blog takes on this issue with her entry On My Mind: Starting Daily Chores For My Children.

We are going through a similar backsliding in our house. We do have a list of cleaning tasks, and it has become a natural part of their routine. But we have to keep on them to have the house cleaned by bed-time.

As a side note, I had a flash of insight a year or so ago. Our house was messy with toys, and they would add to and clean up about the same amount each day, leaving it in around the same messy state. since they were cleaning about the same amount as they are messing up, I realized that, if I could get the house to the ‘perfect’ state where I wanted it, they could return it to that state each night by doing the same amount of cleanup as they were already doing.

It took a lot of training and saying, “No, it’s not done yet. No, I won’t tell you what is left to do. I’ve shown you what it looks like when it’s completely done. You come tell me when you think it is finished.” It’s not perfect yet, but this system works pretty well. We have the luxury of going to bed almost every night with a clean house, and they have the closure of knowing that the cleaning really is done – it’s not just that Mom and Dad got tired to cajoling and said that was enough for the night.

Even with the list, though, they are not coming close to offloading enough of the burden to make Mom’s life easier.

I think part of the problem is that they have grown, so the old list needs to be updated, and tasks need to be added for the youngest as well, since she is now old enough to pitch in.

Still wondering how to handle the money issue. We want them to work just because they are part of the family. And we want to give them some discretionary money so they can develop good stewardship. It is natural to want to tie the two together, but I don’t think that is best. We might be due for a change in this area.

I know this is a topic that just about any Mom with more that one child is concerned about. I found this very practical discussion from a lady who was homeschooled herself and has passed along what worked well in her family.

I also purchased Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends
a while back, which covers the same topic. I’ve only read the first chapter so far, so I can’t comment on how effective it is yet.