Oh, No, He Was Homeschooled

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Barb

Even before I read this headline, I already suspected (and feared) that the latest young male mass shooter was homeschooled.

The first reports mentioned his name, Nehemiah, a name from the Bible. That his dad was a pastor. That there were ten kids in his family. Sure sounded like homeschoolers to me. But now I know for sure.

Previous mass shooters had attended school, and had often been bullied. There would be mention of violent video games (something this shooter wasn’t allowed to play). And of course plenty of blame has been put on the violence kids see on television and at the movies (but this boy’s parents didn’t allow that).

So how did this happen? What made this boy snap?

The first article quotes sources as saying the boy had long had murder/suicide fantasies. I have to wonder if he was on psychotropic meds. Many kids are these days. The more kids that are prescribed these drugs, the more kids we will see suffering from side effects that include suicidal and homicidal impulses. Could that be related to these shootings? Because now that we’ve ruled out school bullying and violent video games and movies, what else could be causing this horrible trend?

This family and their friends and loved ones are in my prayers.

Free History/Economics Lesson for Your Teens

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Barb

There’s a wealth of information in this 15-minute interview with Professor Walter E. Williams. If I were still homeschooling, I’d have my kids watch this interview and then let the discussion go from there; it’s that good.

Note that he mentions Dr. Thomas Sowell, another economic expert who has written many, many books full of common sense. I used his Basic Economics with my younger daughter when she was a homeschooling teen. We both learned a lot from that book.

(Interesting sidenote: the interviewer, Ginni Thomas, is married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.)

Check out Thriving in the 21st Century….

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Barb

to get the latest on preparing your kids for the “new normal.” Find out about:

the surprising link between homeschooling and Tumblr
yet another student loan-related tragedy
and what happened to the high school student who refused to wear a tracking device/student ID

plus oodles of great links for all parents, right here.

I’m Making Your New Year’s Resolutions (Just Thought I’d Help!)

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Barb

I know how busy you are right now, so please let me make your New Year’s Resolutions for you. In 2013, you will:

Set aside a day to meet a friend for lunch without kids around. It doesn’t matter if she’s a homeschool mom or not, just make sure it’s someone you like. And have fun!
Set aside a day to read a book you’ve been wanting to read. Let the house go, let the kids fix cheese sandwiches when they get hungry, and let them see you laying around reading intently. What better advertisement can reading have than a mom with her nose in a book?
Set aside a night (or better yet, a weekend) to spend with your husband. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you spend it alone and together. And if you have no one to watch your children (been there, done that!), set your alarm for 4 am and spend some time cuddling (got that idea from Mary Pride many years ago).
Set aside a day to take a field trip that YOU want to take. If that means your kids have to walk through a quilt show or participate in a Zumba class, so be it. Showing them that their mom has her own interests is good for them.
Call a good homeschooling friend and arrange two play dates: one where she takes all your kids while you spend the day at home alone, and one where you do the same for her. It’s called sanity, and you have to pursue it; it won’t come to you!
Resolve to pick a day a week to abstain from social media and the Internet (ideally Sunday). You won’t believe how peaceful you’ll feel and how much time there will be for other things.

There…all done! Now go and have a Happy 2013!