Comments on: Parent at the Helm to Support Homeschoolers & All Parents as They Help Children Learn http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/ Your Family's Incredible Lifestyle Begins HERE - With Homeschooling Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:07:44 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Grandma Linda http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-55 Grandma Linda Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:24:05 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-55 Yvonna, Your last sentence made me laugh out loud - how true! I once wrote a piece that's still available online at <a href="http://www.creatinglearningcommunities.org/book/community/dobson.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.creatinglearningcommunities.org/book/c...</a>. Looks like we're on the same page! Thanks for writing; please stay in touch! Yvonna, Your last sentence made me laugh out loud – how true! I once wrote a piece that's still available online at http://www.creatinglearningcommunities.org/book/c…. Looks like we're on the same page! Thanks for writing; please stay in touch!

]]> By: Yvonna Graham http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Yvonna Graham Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:31:55 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-52 Linda, I think if parents across the country took back the helm and listened their hearts instead of assuming that the school must be doing a good job, after all this is America, then children would not fall through the cracks. Soon the system would crumble and be replaced by something that works. I envision small neighborhood one-room schoolhouses. Every child can walk to school, or have a friend push his or her wheelchair. Ages are not segregated. Younger children learn from older children. Each child's studies are individually paced. Costly sports programs give way to outdoor play and (gasp!) work. Parents pitch in to clean and maintain the tiny classroom. If this sounds like neighborhood homeschooling, well, I guess you figured me out. It worked in the past and it would work again. But we'd have to give up testing the children to death. They just won't have time for it. Linda, I think if parents across the country took back the helm and listened their hearts instead of assuming that the school must be doing a good job, after all this is America, then children would not fall through the cracks. Soon the system would crumble and be replaced by something that works. I envision small neighborhood one-room schoolhouses. Every child can walk to school, or have a friend push his or her wheelchair. Ages are not segregated. Younger children learn from older children. Each child's studies are individually paced. Costly sports programs give way to outdoor play and (gasp!) work. Parents pitch in to clean and maintain the tiny classroom. If this sounds like neighborhood homeschooling, well, I guess you figured me out. It worked in the past and it would work again. But we'd have to give up testing the children to death. They just won't have time for it.

]]> By: ldobson http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-7 ldobson Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:29:48 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-7 Hi, Barbara, Oh, look, you got purple...wanna trade? <g> I saw your post at the cafe and want to take a moment to thank you for your attention to it. It will remain, as there were quite a few subscribers, but I truly hope they come here. I just feel enough is enough...do you know the song, Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha? I've fought dreaming the impossible dream, but at this point in my life I figure, what the hell? If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. I truly hope that in at least some small way my efforts help you. A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Hi, Barbara,
Oh, look, you got purple…wanna trade? <g>
I saw your post at the cafe and want to take a moment to thank you for your attention to it. It will remain, as there were quite a few subscribers, but I truly hope they come here.
I just feel enough is enough…do you know the song, Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha? I've fought dreaming the impossible dream, but at this point in my life I figure, what the hell? If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. I truly hope that in at least some small way my efforts help you. A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

]]> By: Barbara Kelly http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Barbara Kelly Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:03:23 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-6 Brilliant, Linda! I'm so glad you've decided to do this. Its weird how life just turns around sometimes and here you are with a brand new ship to sail. I only recently came across the Obama initiative for longer days and shorter breaks. I blogged on it at the cafe...it was probably old news by then but I can understand why it was the straw that broke your camel's back. I'm looking forward to sharing and learning in the future. Happy Thanksgiving. Brilliant, Linda! I'm so glad you've decided to do this.

Its weird how life just turns around sometimes and here you are with a brand new ship to sail. I only recently came across the Obama initiative for longer days and shorter breaks. I blogged on it at the cafe…it was probably old news by then but I can understand why it was the straw that broke your camel's back.

I'm looking forward to sharing and learning in the future. Happy Thanksgiving.

]]> By: ldobson http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-5 ldobson Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:27:55 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-5 Carol, thank you for such a nice note, and for being here! I just took a look at your blog - great job...let me know if you're interested in trading links (I hope to get a list going tomorrow - I have to spend most of today at dentist, yuck!). Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Carol, thank you for such a nice note, and for being here! I just took a look at your blog – great job…let me know if you're interested in trading links (I hope to get a list going tomorrow – I have to spend most of today at dentist, yuck!). Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

]]> By: Carol J. Alexander http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Carol J. Alexander Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:14:23 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-4 Hi Linda, I've been much encouraged by your HEM articles over the years. I look forward to much more encouragement here. Thanks for your efforts and God's blessings to you. Carol Hi Linda,

I've been much encouraged by your HEM articles over the years. I look forward to much more encouragement here. Thanks for your efforts and God's blessings to you.

Carol

]]> By: ldobson http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-3 ldobson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:48:11 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-3 How beautiful...thank you so very much for sharing that, Helen. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking some more, and it always came back this metaphor! How wonderful that Earl saw it, too, and described it so poetically...absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you. How beautiful…thank you so very much for sharing that, Helen. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking some more, and it always came back this metaphor! How wonderful that Earl saw it, too, and described it so poetically…absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

]]> By: Helen Hegener http://www.parentatthehelm.com/4/new-blog-about-childrens-education-is-called-parent-at-the-helm/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Helen Hegener Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:17:36 +0000 http://parentatthehelm.com/?p=4#comment-2 It's absolutely wonderful to see you doing this, Linda! I smiled as I read what you wrote, thinking to myself 'this is perfect, and Linda's the perfect person to do this!' We need strong advocates and knowledgeable voices for families right now, perhaps more than ever, and you've always been one of the groundbreakers in speaking out for parents and children and how important it is to build and support strong families. Reading your initial essay reminded me of another strong and much-loved voice for families, Earl Gary Stevens, and something he wrote many years ago which still inspires and uplifts me to this day: A homeschooling parent in Canada recently sent me a letter which ended with a quote by Roque Dalton: “May we keep hauling up the morning.” I like the metaphor of a sailing ship upon the sea for parenthood and for homeschooling. There are no completely reliable charts, and so we must often navigate without them. We must learn for ourselves how to find the currents, avoid the reefs and storms, and enter the harbors. As we haul up the sails to go on sailing, so we haul up the morning for the adventures of each successive day. There is room for everybody on this ocean, and there is no pilot’s license required or worth having. We must trust ourselves and our children. May each of us keep hauling up the morning. -Earl Gary Stevens, Home Education Magazine, 1990 It's absolutely wonderful to see you doing this, Linda! I smiled as I read what you wrote, thinking to myself 'this is perfect, and Linda's the perfect person to do this!' We need strong advocates and knowledgeable voices for families right now, perhaps more than ever, and you've always been one of the groundbreakers in speaking out for parents and children and how important it is to build and support strong families. Reading your initial essay reminded me of another strong and much-loved voice for families, Earl Gary Stevens, and something he wrote many years ago which still inspires and uplifts me to this day:

A homeschooling parent in Canada recently sent me a letter which ended with a quote by Roque Dalton: “May we keep hauling up the morning.” I like the metaphor of a sailing ship upon the sea for parenthood and for homeschooling. There are no completely reliable charts, and so we must often navigate without them. We must learn for ourselves how to find the currents, avoid the reefs and storms, and enter the harbors. As we haul up the sails to go on sailing, so we haul up the morning for the adventures of each successive day. There is room for everybody on this ocean, and there is no pilot’s license required or worth having. We must trust ourselves and our children. May each of us keep hauling up the morning.

-Earl Gary Stevens, Home Education Magazine, 1990

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