Today at the Texas State Capital about 250 supporters of homeschooling and parental rights let their voices be heard in support of Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA) (HB 2084). We thanked the many Texas legislators that are fighting to support our rights and put an end to crazy lawsuits that, among other things, allow grandparents to steal children away from their parents simply because the parents choose to homeschool. Governor Perry is an ardent supporter of homeschool rights and was the final speaker. (I got the chance to meet him afterwards.)
Committee members have been contacted. At this point the most effective strategy is for these legislators to hear only from their own constituents asking for support of the TPRRA. If your state representative is part of the Human Services Committee, please call and ask him/her to restore parental rights in Texas by supporting HB 2084 in the hearing on Thursday.
For more details please visit the Right In Texas web site or the Texas Home School Coalition web site. Talking points are available here.
W
e home school our kids and it has been a wonderful change to our lives. When the topic comes up with friends, coworkers and relatives the first thing that most people say is “That’s nice, but be careful. You need to make sure your kids get properly socialized.” For some reason non-home schoolers think all home schooled students act like the freak spelling bee girl to the right. As a product of the Connecticut public school system I am quite aware that there are plenty of anti-social kids out there that get that way without the excuse of home schooling.
Take a look at this excellent article on the myth of socialization. We are starting our second year of home schooling I’ve had plenty of opportunities to witness my children’s stellar behavior and impressive manners. It is wonderful to come home and hear that my wife was approached by a stranger at a store or restaurant to tell her how well-behaved and courteous my kids were. I love when I go to a playground or event and see my kids behaving while other kids are causing problems. I’m not talking about being anti-social, I’m talking about being polite and respectful of others. While Ritalin-filled Johnny is jumping off of tables at a restaurant, while hyper Sally is beating up on a smaller kid, my kids are finding friends, playing games and having fun.
Think about it this way. What socialization skills does a child get when stuck in a classroom of 20+ students where the majority of students have to sit and wait while 
the teacher deals with the class trouble student? What happens to the student that is bored because the work is not challenging but is not allowed to talk in class while other slower kids struggle to keep up? Playgrounds have more and more restrictions and teachers are allowed to do less and less in their rooms. Schools are not the best place to gather social skills. In fact, we had to unteach behavior that our daughter picked up during her year in public school. Things picked up on the bus or on the playground these days are quite different than what we dealt with as kids twenty or thirty years ago. I had to send a neighbor’s child home because this kindergartner was asking other playmates “do you want to have sex with me?” Yeah… great social skills.
Time will ultimately tell but I am completely confident in the results that my wife will be able to generate based on her teaching background and the intelligence of our children. Great parents make great kids, I think we’ve got nothing to worry about.
