How Common Core Chips Away At Parental Authority

Common Core is the new national teaching standard adopted and touted by the Obama administration. From kindergarten through high school and from state to state students are taught the same material. SAT questions reflect the information taught. The emphasis is on writing, passionate writing. (All fiction is drastically reduced in the curriculum). Students are encouraged and instructed to use strong powerful words in their writing, and to become activists. The "passionate" themes are carried through all subjects taught, from social studies to math. Math questions ask how much money a school will save by using efficient green energy instead of dirty coal that pollutes, and the social study charts demonstrate how devastating humans and worse yet more humans are to our planet and clean water supply. The information taught in government schools has always been socially and politically slanted. But now there is no choice for any child in the United States. Private school and home schooled children have to learn to answer standardized questions with this way of thinking. College entrance exams are based on this teaching method. All children have to learn to think the same way! Here is a sample first grade question:
When my mother (nags or tells) me, I clean my room.  The correct response the test questioners want is nags. To me this is like telling the 3 year old who is going to the dentist for the first time "Don't be scared, the dentist won't hurt you." The suggestion convinces the child the way to think about the dentist. The 3 year old never considered the dentist would hurt and now the adult put fear and suspicion into the child's mind. So it is with this test question. I expect my kids to keep their room clean. They are taught from the day they can understand words to get their chores done before they play. In first grade kids do not realize the importance of habits so have to be told...and told...and told. Using a strong word like nag distorts the meaning, the outcome, everything really, and makes me, the mom, the bad guy.
Another example is my son's 8th grade reading class. The question for discussion and debate was "Who should be responsible for telling you that you can't watch an R-rated movie, the government or your parents?" The vast majority of students say the parents. And then the teacher asks, "How many of you have seen R rated movies in your home?"  and the vast amount of 14 year old students raise their hands. The 14 year olds then look around the classroom somewhat confused because they get the subliminal message that the government is smarter than their parents! The government sets higher standards for you than your parents do and so the government cares more about you. Trust the government more than your parents because they have your best interests in mind. I cannot even imagine high school...

Wordless Wednesday

What my kids really do at long graduation ceremonies.

Grandmas, Teens And New Moms... All Together

Yesterday was our grandson's baptism.  Here are examples of conversations when 4 generations are together:
New Mom, "Oh!  I just love this wrap."
Grandma, "My babies loved wraps."
Teen, "Babies like rap?"
Grandma and new mom. "Oh yes! Babies love it!"
Teen, "What?"
Grandma and new mom, "Yes! It is soothing and comforting for the baby."
Teen, "Rap is?"
Grandma and new mom, "Yes, it calms them."
Teen, "Rap calms babies?"
Grandma and new mom, "Yes! Since the beginning moms have used wraps to calm their babies."
Teen,"How long has rap been around?'
Enthusiastic grandma and new mom, "Since babies were born! Mothers have always swaddled their babies and then would be able to work. Wrapping gives moms freedom to move and work because they could use both hands."
Teen, "Oh. I didn't know any of this about rap. I thought it was from my generation.'"
There is more.
New mom to teen, "Will you please get me a beer ?"
Teen to female sitting next to him, "Would you like me to get you a beer too?"
Female, "Oh no thank you. I am expecting and so can't drink alcohol."
Teen, "Oh. What are you expecting?"
Female. "A baby."
Young teen. "Oh...."
Older teen now clarifying, "That means she's pregnant."
Young teen, "Oh."
Older teen, "She is expecting a baby."
Confused young teen. "She is expecting a baby?"
A really really fun day.

Unforeseen Issues Of Teen Employment

I picked my 14 year old son up yesterday from his first day of work at Hershey Park. He is working in the food and beverage department and was issued the standard completely uncool mandatory uniform. I turned my head so he wouldn't see me smiling, but he saw me. He asked, "What is so funny?"  I said, "I just am not used to seeing you in those sort of clothes." He responded, "Yea, well, wait till my friends see me. They will be like taking pictures and stuff with their phones and then pay with all pennies."

For Times They Are A Changing

We now have 3 children who are college graduates. Yea for them and yea for us! Our third daughter graduated last week with a civil engineering degree and a minor in math. She starts her new job outside of NYC tomorrow. On Thursday she went in search of an apartment, mostly using information she got on Craig's list. (She had fall back options of staying with her friend's parents). Before she left, she viewed the places she was considering by looking at photos of the rooms and area on her computer here at home in Pa. She used a GPS to get to those destinations. When she arrived she mass texted me and my husband on our cell phones to give us her immediate thoughts and later called and e-mailed with more feedback. How different than when I was 23 years old and looking for my first apartment in Philly. I got my leads from an ink newspaper or roommate wanted bulletin boards and used a public pay phone to let my parents know I was safe!

What Is Sex Education In Government Run Schools?

My husband chaperoned a 7th grade field trip yesterday (I know...why would someone do that voluntarily?!). His perception was how much he enjoyed the kids, how loud they were, how easily they became embarrassed, how full of life, how well behaved and how not too different they were than he was many years ago in 7th grade. Kids are kids. What did change from when he was in 7th grade was the "health" curriculum. Our kids come come from school talking about what they learned in health class, not so much uncomfortable by the information but disappointed by the presentation of it, and more confused than enlightened. Even middle schoolers realize what they are being taught is not the whole story, something is missing, something is off, and this can't be all there is. Here is an example: this past week my sons co-ed 8th grade class watched a video of a live birth, presented after they studied the work sheet of 10 birth control methods: Sterilization for men and woman, intrauterine device, oral (the pill), skin patch vaginal ring, male condom, diaphragm w/spermacide, female condom, rhythm method and spermicide alone. The study guide was completed with a failure rate per 100 women and potential side effects. Abstinence was not included as birth control. Love or marriage or any emotional component were ever mentioned or considered. How sad for young minds to be taught and encouraged to think that how to avoid pregnancy is what matters, because even those loud active middleschoolers know intuitively there has got to be more to sex than just a physical act.

How To Get Smarter Without Trying

Have a lot of kids!  This is what I mean....
Yesterday was my sons piano recital. This boy practices before he goes to school and as soon as he comes home from school, and every chance he gets he fiddles with some kind of music. The kids living in this house right now do not share any of his music passion. Any of it. And yet there they are sitting at a recital listening to students sing operas in Italian and play music from musicals. They just sit there and get exposure to a whole world they would have never pursued. And last week, my daughter was here with her 3 week old baby. The kids said, "She feeds the baby so much." And learned how breast milk is so easily digested and so yes, the baby is eating all the time. Oh, and yes, around the clock, yes at night. That's the way it's made, mother and baby seek each other. Their eyes get like saucers and they ask, "Were we all like that?" Suddenly a whole new level of appreciation emerges from them passively watching their sister tend to her newborn. The list doesn't stop, because each kid has their own interests that they talk about around the dinner table.  My son the artist, who brings home from class his artwork using all kinds of different textures and mediums that they would have never realized existed. My math loving daughter who shares mathematical connections she finds in almost everything. And for a non math mind like me, those concepts are a something I would never even consider if my life depended on it. And how it is with each one...so many interests under one roof and as they share their knowledge they increase the knowledge of those of us listening...and increase our wonder in the world, and we all get smarter from each other. Without even trying.