"Public education is traumatizing. I took ONE class in high school.... I was surprised I was alive at the end. I had people who stalked me around..."

Marlana, Wed Feb 18, on If Homeschooling Became Illegal...?
(emphasis added)

Okay, I understand you there.

But here's what I'm saying: public education is traumatizing. I took ONE class in high school (lol I'm the type that always wants to find out for myself). I was surprised I was alive at the end.

I had people who stalked me around. Boys and Girls had sex on the stairs. People were constantly fighting in the hallway. And I failed over half my tests (twice I miss filled in the dots on the scantron) and still had the highest grade in the class.

This is also what I meant: physical abuse develops emotional lies. "I am unwanted," for example.

Schooling also develops emotional lies. I grew up believing I was dumb because my kindergarten teacher (I was homeschooled after that year) said, "She can't read; she's got learning problems."

School also develops lies of the world. I have watched the little girls I used to babysit. They used to be content kids; now they just want more and more. They used to connect to family; now they are withdrawn. They used to want to go to church; now they won't go to AWANA unless their forced, and they won't memorize a verse.

School also develops moral lies. Everyday kids sit at their test next to peers who have two mommies or two daddies; they see girls that are now boys. They are taught, "Be tolerant of these people."

Now, you say, that's not everyone. True, some people aren't as harmed as others. But what would I really be demonstrating to my kids when at the end of the day I have to say, "Now you learned this and this at school. All this isn't true. You have to stand up for Christ" --- and yet I'm not willing to demonstrate what it means to stand up to the anti-Christ's of the system?

Anyway, that's why I would go underground.

"We can become what God has called us to become without college degrees...and too often we just assume that college is the only means to get there..."

Marlana, Today, 1:50 pm, on "College Debt":

Jason Craig wrote:

Gregolas WNU wrote: And parents vary, too. Would that more shared your values. Note: I am not against college (I've done some and might some more) or even 100% against debt. But the rising expectations of our generation and our parents', in relation to the American dream (aka materialism), are driving more people to spend more of their lives than necessary in college, and more of their lives than otherwise necessary in a state of singleness, while they acquire education and debt, then wealth. Lives are being postponed and even consumed for "stuff". I think you have a point, we do need to make sure God is calling us to college and the degree that we desire, but don't assume by default that if someone got a high end degree that they did it for materialistic reasons. God has called some to be doctors, scientist, and engineers just as He has called others to be roofers, farm hands, and street sweepers. It is no less important to seek God will to be a doctor than a street sweeper. In my opinion there are people with low paying jobs that should have college degrees and people with college degrees that should be doing something else. Seek Gods will for you life first and then decide based on His direction, right rather than jumping for something because it is easier or makes lot of money.

No, maybe not material reasons. But I would argue that we can become what God has called us to become without college degrees...and too often we just assume that college is the only means to get there. So we have the right intentions, but we just are not realizing our options. Or sometimes we do know, but the fear of our dreams is more powerful than the dream itself.

We can become doctors, engineers, and preachers without college degrees. My doctor works out of a hotel room, and people drive from all over Texas because he knows the body so much more than the normal doctors.

Of course, if one's goal is to work for a humanistic corporation, he or she cannot become those things without the degree.

Are you homeschooled? Do you want to interact with people with similar and more extreme views? Join HSA!!!

HSA makes me laugh!!!! E.g. Beliefs On Finding A Mate :)

So if you are homeschooled and wish you had people to talk to that understand or maybe agree with some of your counter-cultural views, go register at http://www.homeschoolalumni.org/ :)

"What is the minimum a home school family can live on?"

Marlana @ Mon Aug 18, 2008 on "What is the minimum a home school family can live on?":

Well, first you have what it takes to live comfortably. Then you have what it CAN take. That’s not so much fun – it will take careful planning and discipline – but it CAN be done.

This is going to be tight, but I gave a little room. (Hey, an entertainment budget, so you can go out to eat once or to the $1 theater.)

Monthly Estimate

• Tithe: 10% of gross income
• Regular savings: 10% of gross income
• Groceries/Household Items: $650
• Phone: $30
• Electricity: $120
• Gas: $50
• Water: $50
• Gasoline/Automobile repairs: $200
• Medical Expenses: $35
• Health Insurance: $270
• Car Insurance: $100
• House insurance: $100
• Life Insurance: $10
• Property tax: $200
• Clothes: $120
• Other savings (furniture/books/gifts): $100
• Vacation savings (trips to grandparents and camping): $100
• Entertainment: $50

That’s right at $2300 dollars. So that would you need a gross income just less $3300 a month (taxes + tithe + savings would bring you net income close to $2300)
...

...

A family don't actually need two vehicles. Or they can have two small vehicles and carpool to church.

I would hesitate to cut off life insurance, though. If one of the spouses dies, they have a bunch children who have needs. I know if I died and had five children (our scenerio), I would want to leave behind enough money that my husband could still give them a Christian education.

Remember, debt destroys a family. If I knew I had enough money in the bank for emergences, for example, I might risk living without health insurance (actually, I wouldn't, but I could see how someone would). But if I was truly living from pay check to pay check, it's just not worth it.

Quote:

$3300 x 12 = $39,600

Well, the $3300 a month doesn't quite cover the monthly costs (when you add tithes and such); the 43000 is a bit more realistic for my numbers. But, I think I could cut the budget to that number.

But that's still tight.

"What did I love the most? Thinking, reading, studying, and dreaming at my own pace. In high school, I wanted to study religion. I quit science for a while and studied theology three or four hours a day. In the three years I've been in college, I've learned what I once could have learned in one month..."

What did I love the most? Thinking, reading, studying, and dreaming at my own pace. In high school, I wanted to study religion. I quit science for a while and studied theology three or four hours a day.

In the three years I've been in college, I've learned what I once could have learned in one month. This is partially because I study one subject or idea (i.e. just Kant's philosophy vs. philosophy as a whole) at a time really, really well. When I take three or four classes at once, I ignore most of the classes (I know how to make As but learn nothing).

I'm pretty much just a person that needs to self-teach myself. Home schooling gave me that privledge.

What did I like the least? I'm a people person (not talker, but I love people), and I didn't do well staying at home all day. However, the home schoolers my age were prideful and serious, so I didn't fit in at all. Quite frankly, home schooling made me feel isolated and caused me to withdraw to myself because I thought people were no good.

But in college I learned that I could be my total home school individual and be friends with the public school people at the same time. I've turned into a well-balanced people person.

-- Marlana @ Tue Jul 10, 2007 on the HSA topic: "Your homeschooling experience...."