The Inappropriate Homeschooler's Top 10 Reasons to Love Christmas

The question was floated around the Inappropriate Homeschoolers group last week about why non-religious folks, such as myself, "bother" to celebrate Christmas.  At first I found the question a bit ignorant - given the fact that long before Christmas became associated with the birth of Yeshua, the Christian Savior, the holiday was strictly of Pagan origin.  There is plenty to love about this time of year that has nothing to do with religion.  Everything I love about this time of year is totally secular, with one exception. 

The Inappropriate Homeschooler's

 Top 10 reasons for loving Christmas!

# 10

Funny Christmas memes.  Seriously.  Who needs Christmas cards with all the memes, from the beautiful to the hilarious, that are on the internet!  

# 9

Delicious, fattening treats that aren't available any other time of year, both the home-made (Hello, Rum Balls!) and the store-bought (Chocolate Covered Cherries)!       

# 8

Christmas lights!  Driving around, all over, looking at the beautiful lights is a favorite tradition for our family!

 

#7

 Christmas Movies!  From the hilarious, 'Christmas Vacation', and 'Elf' to the heart warming, 'It's a Wonderful Life' and culminating on Christmas Eve with 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and 'The Polar Express'.

 

#6

Christmas Trees and Ornaments!  I love decorating the tree and I love searching each year for that year's special family ornament! 

#5

The Music!  Here's where I enjoy the religious as much as the secular.  If it's Christmas music, I love it!  I do not care if it's secular or sacred, I love it all! 

#4    

The Christmas Day Meals!  It's the only time of year where certain dishes are made and enjoyed for both breakfast and dinner.  I look forward to both all year!  

#3

Presents!  I love to think of just what to get my family and then there are the 'surprise' finds.  After the wrapping is complete, seeing all those beautiful packages under the tree, even if there are only two or three, makes me smile! 

#2

 Christmas Morning!  The excitement of Punky's excitement is my greatest joy at Christmas!

#1    

As one of my favorite Christmas carols goes, "“In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas.” The feeling of Christmas!  It's an intangible, of course, but I feel it still, every year and it is powerful stuff. 

One does not need to be celebrating for religious reasons to experience the magic and wonder of the Christmas season!

 
 
Merry Christmas!
~Mari B.

The Humanist Ten Commandments for the Modern Age

1) You should strive to promote the greater good of humanity before all selfish desires.

2) You should be curious, for asking questions is the only way to find answers.

3) Harm to your fellow human is harm to humanity. Therefore, you should not kill, rape, rob, or otherwise victimize anyone.

4) You should treat all humans as equals, regardless of race, gender, age, creed, identity, orientation, physical ability, or status.

5) You should use reason as your guide. Science, knowledge, observation, and rational analysis are the best ways to determine any course of action.

6) You should not force your beliefs onto others, nor insist that yours be the only and correct way to live happily.

7) If you govern, you should govern with reason, not with superstition. Religion should have no place in any government which represents all people and beliefs.

8) You should act for the betterment of your fellow humans, and be, whenever possible, altruistic in your deeds.

9) You should be good to the Earth and its bounties, for without it, humankind is lost.

10) You should impart your knowledge and wisdom gained in your lifetime to the next generation, so that with each passing century, humanity will grow wiser and more humane.

 

 

~Mari B.

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

Why the Homeschooling Community Needs to Get Over Itself

I am no fan of HSLDA, prior blog posts have made that clear.  If you wonder why, first I'll say:  I am a SECULAR homeschooler and HSLDA is a Christian group promoting Christian homeschooling to the degree that it seeks to have only Christian homeschooling recognized as 'legitimate' homeschooling.  Then I'll say, go through the archives and read what I've written before regarding HSLDA.

I'm not a fan of Christian homeschooling groups.  Again, read through the archives.  (Personal Note:  I have several Christian friends who have no problem with me not being a fan of the religion and I have no problem with them because they are the folks that are living their faith - which includes recognizing that my spiritual belief system is my business.)

Here's what I *am* a fan of - homeschooling.  I'm a HUGE fan.  I'm such a huge fan that I could be classified as being in the closet because I don't go on and on about how much I'm a fan.  I'm such a fan of homeschooling that I personally believe everyone CAN and SHOULD homeschool. 

I'm enough of a realist to recognize that not everyone's life is set up in such a way as to support homeschooling.   Women have to work or want to work.  Men have to work or want to work.  That's the reality and the 'stripped down to the core' reason why everyone doesn't homeschool.  Both parents have to work or choose to work.  Other reasons that some give like "I can't teach my children" or "I couldn't spend every moment with my children" are superficial reasons that are based in insecurity or fear.  But I'm digressing big time. 

So, here's the thing - because I am such a HUGE fan of homeschooling, I totally and fully support anyone who homeschools no matter how they homeschool or why they homeschool.  Whatever reason you have for keeping your kids at home, under your care and tutelage, is a legitimate reason.  Whatever method you choose to educate your children while they are at home with you is a legitimate method.

Guess what?  THAT is how we should ALL feel toward one another.  Support homeschooling no matter what and for the love of all that is holy, support every parent who chooses to homeschool no matter HOW they do it.  Otherwise it's a slippery slope folks.

Now what the hell is this all about?  I'll tell you.  A fellow homeschooler posted yesterday that their children are not 'allowed' to attend an open homeschooling event - a Halloween party - if they are virtually schooled, i.e. Connections Academy or K12.  Why is that, you wonder?  Why it is because the HSLDA and OCHEC have adopted a policy that virtual schooling isn't legitimate homeschooling and the group who was hosting the Halloween party is following their leadership and guidelines.  Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

Now this lack of solidarity annoys the ever loving shit out of me.  People wonder why I'm so 'anti-Christian homeschooling groups'.....it's because they are usually the ones who show a lack of solidarity in the homeschooling movement.  They discriminate.  To a certain extent, while I don't like it, it's understandable.  They do not want your science loving, evolution learning child to poison their Jesus loving, Creationism believing kid.  Fine.  That is one thing.  It is another thing entirely though to discriminate against an entire group of people based on how they homeschool.  It's asinine.  The HSLDA is very adept at using fear-mongering to control their members views on homeschooling.  Making statements against virtual schooling, including their supposed 'reasons' is just more fear-mongering.  You can read their statement here: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/oh/201206110.asp

You can read OCHCE's statement here:  http://www.ochec.com/Categories.aspx?Id=The_Truth_About_Virtual_Online_Schools 

Now, is there ANY truth to what they say?  A bit.  Virtual schooling is not the exact same as traditional homeschooling.  In virtual schooling the curriculum is provided by the state and is funded with public dollars so there is to be a separation of Church and State.  Traditional homeschooling gives the power to the parents - or at least as much as the individual state allows - in deciding when, what, where, and how your children learn.  There is more freedom with traditional homeschooling than virtual schooling.  There just is.  However, having said that, let me say this -- your children are still at home with you as their daily mentor, guide, and parent.  They DO NOT face all the same situations that children who attend Brick and Mortar schools face.  If one wishes their child to be at home with them but does not want to buy curriculum or put together their own, or wants their child to earn a state issued diploma, virtual schooling is the ideal solution.  If one wants to avoid the social issues that come with attending a B&M school, yet wants their children to receive a public school curriculum education, virtual schooling is the ticket!

Discriminating against children and their families because they don't chose the SAME method of delivery for their education as you do hurts the whole movement a hell of a lot more than the supposed hurt we could suffer by confusing our government representatives about what homeschooling is.  Here's something that homeschooling WAS but is no longer:  a strictly religious movement.  Sorry if that upsets some, but it's the truth.  More and more parents are choosing to have their children educated at home, via some method that works best for their family, for reasons that have nothing to do with religion or spiritual beliefs.

Here's how we should recognize homeschoolers as it pertains to allowing them to attending homeschooling events, functions, or field trips:  Are you home during the day as opposed to being locked in a B&M school?  Do you have the freedom and flexibility to attend events, functions, or field trips outside the home during 'normal school hours'?  If the answer is yes to those two questions - Congratulations YOU ARE HOMESCHOOLING!

Christian homeschooling groups can turn people away for not subscribing to their proclaimed religious beliefs, but to turn kids away because of the method they use to school in their home is the most asinine form of discrimination I've ever heard!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, secular homeschoolers need a national alliance to work for the betterment of ALL homeschoolers and I'm rededicating myself to making that alliance a reality.

In the meantime, the homeschooling community, as a whole, needs to get over itself and embrace itself - the totality of itself.  The more labels and limitations we place on each other inside the homeschooling community the more tacit permission we give to outsiders to label homeschooling and limit it.  No one should want that. 

~Mari B.