>Your Sunday Morning Snicker
>Stacey Kelly (Macy48@yahoo.com) wrote:
Lucinda,
Although your article on unschooling was humorous and entertaining, you seemed to portray a lazy parent through your mind-set opposed to unschooling. Are you really lacking intelligence or were you too hungover to drive your kids to school that day? Obviously you have never done a science experiment or used statistical analysis.
I love your myspace blogging, name calling, Starbucks drinking step-daughters. I am sure they test in the 99th percentile on standardized tests like my home educated teen. Good luck with raising children.
Best Regards and thanks for the early morning humor.
S-
>Those unschooling advocates sure know how to have a good time, and sure don’t take their cause ANY too seriously…sheesh.
>Whoa, picking on your kids? That gal’s got class,
>As the Mom of a kid who also scores in the 99th percentile and who drinks Starbucks, I have one thing to say about this Mom:The parents who hold up their kid’s achievements and compare other “my space blogging, starbucks drinking” kids to them are the ones that make the rest of us so scared to utter the “g-word” (gifted)lest we be hog tied and have rotton fruit thrown at us.You don’t have to tell people when your kids are really intelligent, people just know and usually they tell YOU.Pullleeeze.
>I guess they don’t teach having a sense of humor in homeschooling. Hmmm.
>sticks and stones…
>Um. I’m young enough (20) that I can remember that I scored right in that percentile…and I’m now a Starbucks-chugging, blogger/myspace member, 3.9GPA college junior.(And I happily went to public school)Definitely provided the ‘Sunday Morning Snicker’–I thank you. I would definitely want someone who goes out of her way to criticize other peoples’ children to be teaching her own those very same values. Oh wait…NO.P.S. How do these ‘readers’ keep confusing your story on unschooling with homeschooling in general? Peronally, I’m not a fan of either…but they are certainly different, and I think you acknowledged that.
>Have you ever thought that you just might be sinking to their level by posting the emails?
>HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!That was a funny article and I hope the homeschooling mom can find some other cause to champion. I notice that people who react strongly like this usually are not too comfortable with their own decision.
>Anonymous, perhaps if I were angry and defensive about this e-mail, I would be “sinking to her level,” but it actually did give me a good laugh this morning. And honestly, I’ve always loved reading funny-evil e-mails on other bloggers’ sites so hey! I finally got one of my own! 🙂
>I can’t believe the nerve of that woman! How does she know that much about your girls–is she stalking them?Perhaps she has to home/ un/ WTF school her children because in the outside world, there are societal norms to which her children could not adjust–eg, don’t pick on someone’s children when you really have a problem with *them*. Nowhere in your posts about unschooling, etc did you insult the *children* who were the result of those methods; rather, you questioned the motives of their parents.Besides…if she is such a hardcore “out of the box” thinker, why does she have to rely on stardardized testing as a means to prove the worth of her kids?
>Isn’t it funny how the ones who make snarky comments are always Ms./Mr. Anonymous. I thought your article was hilarious. And for the record, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is an AWESOME movie.
>As for the e-mail, I don’t get it, or did she think you were serious? Either way, I STILL don’t get it, perhaps she need to learn how to write a proper sentence.Your article was hilarious, though!
>Comment Questions AnsweredElena, You asked: “How do these ‘readers’ keep confusing your story on unschooling with homeschooling in general?”Here’s a quote from the article to answer your question:”And everyone knows home schooling families are weird. Flowered-dress-wearing, backyard-grown food-eating, snake-handling weird.”Sure looks like a direct comment about homeschooling to me…———Dedejohnson, You said:”How does she know that much about your girls–is she stalking them?”Here are some quotes from the article to answer your question:””What comes to mind when I say ‘home schooler’?” I asked her on the way home from school yesterday. “Nerd,” she replied without hesitation.” <- Name calling”Meanwhile, my 16-year-old was up by 9. She answered a few messages on MySpace” <- Myspace blogging”When I returned home, 13 was finally awake. We quickly decided to go to Starbucks for some reading time.” <- Starbucks DrinkingFrom this blog’s front page: “Two lovely stepdaughters, 15 and 13.”I only read the article once, I’ve visited this blog a total of three times, and I knew those answers. Did somebody not read the article this post was linked to, and just want the answers handed to them on a silver platter?If so, there you go. Rude email chickie isn’t a stalker, and yes, there was a direct comment on homeschoolers.
>The ‘hungover’ comment really stuck out for me. Has she not noticed the ‘knocked up’ description blog left? Even we demon liquor drinkers lay off when we’re preggers, lol.Thanks for the giggle,Anna
>Whimspiration…that’s clearly a comment in jest. Aka a listing of stereotypes I think we’ve all heard. This is a HUMOR blog. People do understand that, right?(And, sure, those are things that come to mind for a reason…much of a generalization as they may be)
>I love it when people insult the intelligence of others by name calling and using incorrect sentences. It really shows off their above average intelligence and drives home the fact that they should be teaching their kids from home. *INSERT HEAVY SARCASM* Kep it up Lucinda, I love reading your blog!
>I’ve seen her kids. They handle snakes.
>In true blogging spirit, you even post the (albeit hysterical) opposing side.Great job. Now go kick her ass.
>Woman needs to learn about hyphens. Hope her student knows about them, because I’m fairly certain grammar is part of the SATs and other such standardized tests…
>Sorry. I have to retrieve my “mommy hostility shield” from the garage. I naievely put it away too soon.UGH.
>wow! insulted and mocked??that lady needs to lay off the caffiene!
>Ouch.
>Elana,Thanks for the heads-up. Since it isn’t listed anywhere as a humor blog, I thought this was a blog with a real person’s opinions, life stories, and beleifs.
>Is this for real? I don’t think you could have made that up.What a way to judge??????hmmmmmmm. Being open minded is also being smart and is a very good way to approach learning. imo.I happen to be snobby about one thing: stupidity. I also think there are many ways to learn, many ways to teach and every child is different with varying aptitudes. What works for one might not work for another.Compassion??????? I couldn’t home school. Me and my limits. I don’t have the aptitude for teaching although I do have patience and love learning.
>This isn’t listed as a humor blog? Gosh. There’s a blog listing? Like the yellow pages? With classification by genre? Why am I always the last to find out about these things?One look at the cute (and humorous) Suburban Turmoil header was what led me to consider it such.
>Agreed, Jennifer :o)And P.S.–just randomly clicked on your profile and see you live near Verona. I’m studying abroad there starting January 4th—if you have any advice on, well, I don’t know, ANYTHING, please pass it along!
>I hope “Stacy Kelley” teaches her home-schooler better grammar than she uses. That first sentence of her email is grammatically horrid!
>Oh, and I drink starbucks and blog too. And, I actually managed to become a fairly productive member of society. Mrs. Kelley needs a reality check.
>Look at you, Fire Starter! You’re just like “Who can I piss off this week??”Haha – if someone is going to write a BLOGGER a nasty email, I would hope they would expect that email to be posted promptly. I had the wonderful opportunity to receive hate mail from a semi-celeb and post it on my old blog. Ahh, memories…maybe I’ll bring that one back someday.
>Oooh. That was a good one. She really got you there. You’d better hang up your blogging-shoes now. You’re finished.
>Gotta’ love self righteous folks who lost their sense of humor when they attained sainthood.I often wonder what some would have thought of my public schooled “talent-contest-beauty-pageant-winning-cheerleader” daughter if I had been blogging back then? Granted she is only a senior in college but blogs had not become such a big thing then.I am sure I would have been vilified and crucified because, gosh, she only managed to be in the TOP 10 of her class instead of Valedictorian and ONLY got a full ride to Emory instead of Hah-vad!I am such a bad mommy.(Actually, I think someone just pissed in her cornflakes and she had to kick you.)
>And I’m sure your home-educated teen is very, very wise in the ways of the real world, where there are bosses and teachers to deal with, and rules and regulations, and other teens whose backgrounds are vastly different from theirs… and yes, that WAS sarcasm. Good luck to your poor child surviving after “high school.”
>Lindsey, when you went out of your way to attack unschoolers and homeschoolers, you opened yourself and your daughters up to this attack. While I don’t homeschool or unschool, and my kids go to public school where they are doing average, I live in a community where many do homeschool. Almost all of their children are in college, doing well, and go on to graduate, get married, hold jobs and conversations just like regular people. I think this is a “humorous” blog only when it suits you to say so.
>Obviously Miss Sunday Morning Snicker is portraying all of the arrogant and self-righteous homeschooling weirdos I have ever met… gee whiz. My favorite part was the part about teaching statistical analysis and scientific method… As far as homeschooling is concerned, and being a scientist myself, I never got too much out of it now anyway. This snicker chick needs to lighten up.
>Over at my own blog I am trying to decide whether to come out of the blogging/writing closet. The idea that people might take me seriously when I jest about parenting makes me get kinda sick stomachy about it. I thought the article was funny. I also think homeschooling is cool. Sometimes I think I would like to homeschool, but then I would have to take sole responsibility for my children learning stuff. And, just in case, I like the idea of spreading the blame around a little. 🙂
>I just read your article and I didn’t think it had anything to do with regular homeschoolers. I was homeschooled and had intended to homeschool my own children until health problems took away that option this year. I, too, see unschooling as a little weird!And hey, even though I was homeschooled, I still drink Starbucks (had one today!). I don’t blog much (yet) but I love to read them! I managed to marry, have children and -gasp- I even have friends. I did think your article was funny. That’s what so many people think homeschooling is like. It really isn’t like that at all for most homeschoolers. But it’s a nice dream for the kids. 🙂
>Until I read this blog, I had never heard of unschooling. I find it difficult to believe that normal children or teens, with the exception of a very, very few, would be self-motivated enough to teach themselves anything more than basic reading and writing skills.I live in a rural Missouri area. We do have homeschoolers here. We also have excellent public schools with very little over-crowding or violence. While I believe it is each individual parent’s choice whether to home school or not, I just do not see the need for it in our area. I am sure I would feel differently if we lived in an area where the schools had a problem with violence. But when public schools are as excellent as they are here…. I would feel selfish for keeping my child at home with me and not letting her experience the ups and downs of interacting with her peers and becoming her own person.I read this blog every chance I get and I love it! There is nothing wrong with humor and keeping things “stirred up” a little bit now and then.