Untrue things I learned in public school, that I don't want my kids to ever learn:
- That God, religion, and faith are separate from the rest of my life
- That relationships with people in my peer group are more important, and more fulfilling, than relationships with people in my immediate (or extended) family
- That learning is not fun
- That learning only happens between the hours of 8 am and 2:30 p.m., and only in a classroom with a teacher actively forcing it on people.
- That teachers who actually make me work and/or think for myself are the worst teachers
- That I can skate by and still completely succeed with a minimal amount of effort (e.g doing homework for a class on the bus on the way to school, or in the previous period, the same day it's due. In some cases this even included big things like term papers)
- That subjects I don't like are just as important as ones I love, and I should devote equal amounts of time to the study of either
- That extracurricular activities (in my case dance lessons) are not nearly as important as academic pursuits
- That the arts are something that only really weird people enjoy
- That musicians (band members) are geeks, pariahs not to be associated with under any circumstances
- That sports are even more important than academics. Or at least that student athletes are much more important than the "nerds"
- That if I'm older than you or in a higher grade, I am better than you are
- That if I'm smart, I am socially unacceptable
- That if I don't have the "right" friends, I am worthless
- That even if I have the right friends, if I don't wear the "right" clothes, I am worthless
- That gossip, rumors, and badmouthing my elders (behind their backs, of course!) are a good use of my "free" time
- That lying to my parents is no big deal; that there's no reason I shouldn't lie to my parents, teachers, or anyone else if it gets me what I want, gets me out of trouble, or otherwise suits my fancy.
- That it is OK (and even expected!) to make fun of people who are different or less fortunate than I am
- That I should never engage in any kind of physical exercise unless I am wearing white athletic socks
- That if I don't kiss right, I am socially unacceptable (this was in elementary school, mind you!)
- That having a boyfriend (or girlfriend) is a crucial and required part of pre-teen development
- That pre-teen and teenage sex is normal, healthy, expected, and harms no one (as long as you don't get caught!)
- That writing peoples' lines for them is a good way to make friends and money, as well as to practice my forgery skills
- That I can make money and a friend for life if I can accurately sign a mom or dad's name to someone's bad grade notice
- That a friend "for life" will talk bad about you behind your back in a week or two, or completely ignore you, if it makes them more popular with the "in" crowd
- That if I find the right people to bum 2 dimes off of, there is no reason I shouldn't skip lunch and instead drink a can of Dr. Pepper and eat a bag of M&Ms at 2nd recess for most days of the school year
Please feel free to add more in the comments!
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1 comment:
Hey! Thanks for visiting my blog!!!!
Yeah, we'd also like to homeschool but don't know if we could afford the loss of an income. ANYWAY, we need to get pregnant first, so it's really still several years down the line, but I've been having the same thoughts as you. Especially about the pre-teen sex thing. It's more prevalent now than when I was in school and I find it quite sad the pressure and coersion that takes place now.
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