A word about library etiquette. Well, a few words. And I may get off the topic a wee bit.
I have a friend whose mom is totally against her homeschooling. Why? Because the mom is a librarian in a big city library and the homeschoolers make her nuts. You see, they come every week for their homeschool get together and they let their kids run wild. WILD!
So, because a few homeschoolers in a distant city don't pay proper attention to their kids in public places, a wanna-be homeschooler is getting grief from her mom. Major grief.
I know what it can be like at these gatherings. You're stuck in the house more than you like some days and you can't wait to gab with your girlfriends. You tend to ignore the kids so you and Betty Sue can swap favorite recipes or wax on about whatever.
Please, if your goal is to get together with girlfriends -- host the gathering at at an empty gym where the kids can play with little supervision. Or go out and leave the kids home with Dad.
If your goal is to provide an educational outing for the littles, then get organized. Keep the children occupied with meaningful activities. Assign different tasks to different moms. Talk to the kids beforehand about proper behavior in public places. Remind them of their manners. If they can't live up to the standards, take them out. (Out of the building, not knock them out!)
And, have them send a thank note to the librarian (or whoever) when they get home.
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6 comments:
That is a shame. Perhaps your friend could point out that the problem is that these folks the librarian sees are rude, not that they're homeschoolers. I see plenty of rude mom/kid behavior at the library, park, museums, and as I sit silently judging these folks :-), I note that the problem is with the parental discipline, not the mode of education! Then I pray that I provide as few examples of that myself as possible!
chris
Huzza, huzza! Bravo, bravo! Well said.
And even in homes, well, now in a home maybe you ARE just there for recreation, but it's still important for moms to check on what their kids are doin', more or less often depending on age. And how about cleaning up after ourselves at a picnic or an outdoor potluck at someone's home?
But just for the record, I loved the people who've visited our home in the past and we've had some great times. I've just seen a lot, at a lot of different places, over the years.
I say bravo, too. This can be a big problem for homeschool groups and makes us "unwelcome" in many places.
I think kids act like kids when they get together, no matter how they are begin raised!
And I have to admit, there are times when I am so engrossed in conversation I have no clue what my children have gotten into!!!
We ofter point out to our kids that we have to be the example and better because people are watching us!
I would like to add something about the flip side to what I said yesterday.
First of all, I don't think what I was talking about would be any different if the group were not homeschoolers, in other words any large group of people meeting for fun.
But the positive of this was how kids look out for their younger brothers and sisters...and actually how all the children behave as if everyone is their brother and sister.
I guess I need to add to my Homeschool Apologetics list is:
Objection: Those homeschool kids are so misbehaved at out library.
Reply: Public school kids never misbehave?
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