Topic : Violence in School

Dr. Phil will be airing a show in the near future with an unfavorable biased view on homeschooling.  There has been a debate forum created in lieu of this upcoming show. Pro & anti homeschoolers are welcome to join & debate and/or discuss homeschool vs public school.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolvsPublicschool/
I'm a homeschooler myself & have chosen this path for my children for many reasons, one being the current unsafe environment in the public schools.
An Amish school was just recently attacked & several children killed. If an Amish school isn't safe, I don't know what else to say .

We are never going to be 100% safe. it doesn't matter how we do things. unfortuanelty, our kids are being brought up in an evil world where even they are not safe from crime and violence, it's a sad thing when children become victims of violence, no way of escaping it but it is our responsibility as parents to do what we can to teach and protect our children against these bad things, not an easy thing to do but in our country, the USA, we have the right to do what we feel do to help our kids to be as safe as possible and if that means homeschooling, then that's ok. Not every parent is going to agree on how to keep the kids safe but we each must follow our hearts and parenting instincts. I love parenting, I love my kids and I take my role very serious and I personally do not feel compelled to use the public school system and one reason is because the crime is just becoming too high in them, sad, but true.

They are pushing the homosexual agenda at the schools in our area -- big time.  I don't agree with that lifestyle, and I don't want my children to be told that it's okay.  If those people want to live that way, that's their choice, but I don't want it pushed on me and/or my children.

This is why parents need to be alert on what is going on in the schools and what is being sent home for the kids to read and whatever else. and we ned to have good communication skills with our kids so we can talk openly about issues and include our belief system. We as parents have the right to teach and guide our kids in the way we see fit and they have the right to hear both sides of the issues  and I personally would not hesitate to let my kids  know what I agree and disagree with and why. They can learn that it is ok to agree to disagree and love  and care for others at the same time, and it is possible without falling for the idea, that "if it feels good, it must be right" My daugter is going to a Christian private school, she is only 5 but every day, I make a point to ask her what she did and I look at all her assignments, we discuss as much as we can, I don't plan on missing a beat with my kids for I believe it is my right to know and to discuss what she is learning and doing in school and believe me, if I don't feel rigth about something, I am not gonna keep it to myself. Gotta be alert as parents and know what and why we believe as we do and what they are learning.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

man, you self-richous bible thumpers never cease to make me laugh.

 

You would take you're kids out of school because they were given a book on homosexuality?!!

 

There is nothing wrong with being gay, nothing. Gays can be good people and can live very successful lives despite their sexual orientation. They have enough trouble fitting in without you bible thumpers making it worse.

 

We live in a muilticultural society, so learn to accept that. If a man want's to love another man or a woman, another woman, that's fine by me. I'm straight as an arrow, but I have no problem with gays in my environment.

No one is saying that gays can't be good people and liove successful lives. I have a firend who is gay and doing very well in life but I do not believe this life style is right in the eyes of God. but because  We are givent he freewill to choose how we want to live our lives then I do not judge but that does not mean I am going to ignore how/what I believe and I am not going to pretend and be a hypocrite to my children, tehy have the right to know, to understand, and to develop their own opinions aboout issues and I have absolutely no problem telling/teaching them the other side of the issue and if they ever brought a book home contradicting our beliefsand lufestyle, you bet, I wouldn't havea  problem discussing it with them, My kids are learning Biblical Truths and values and as all good parents, I teach my kids to think and explore the answers for them selves, they are still a bit young but my 5 year old is one smart gal and she catches on pretty darn quick and I don;t have a problem giving her something to think about.

There's good in all people, but it deosn't make their actions right, there is a differnence between judging and presenting/believing the opposite of some one else. My firned knows that I believe homosexuality is a sin, but I am not his judge, I am his friend, he disagrees with me on several issues but we are still friends and we have been friends for over 25 years. Call it what you want, but Iw ill continue to teach my kids the truths of the Bible and I will continue to explain to them why I believe as I do on issues, I will continue to guide and direct them in teh way they should go and in the end, they will have decissions to make and they will have informationa nd teachings to look back on, They will learn that they do not need to accept the atitude, "that if it feels good then it must be right" They will learn to think for them selves and I am here to help give themt hose resources, it isn't the schools job to sway them into one direction but to teach academics and prepare them to succeed in college, in the work force and in life, I will continue to do my part as a parent....................

I read reviews for this book on amazon.com

This book is just a story. It's not sexual, it doesn't get pornographic...ALL it is is fairy tale about a prince who has to get married (Cinderella anyone?) and he finally find someone he wants to marry. Another Prince.

Exactly HOW is this going to damage children? Nothing is being pushed in this book. We live in reality. There are gay people. They get married, they raise kids, they vote, they eat...

It's not an agenda. The only people with an "agenda" are those who want to take an innocent little story like this one and turn it into something nasty and pornographic.

Jetta...please understand what I am saying here. You are raising your kids to have YOUR religious ideas. That by definition isn't teaching them to think for themselves. That is teaching them to think like you.

 Believe me, My children will know the difference between my  beliefs and theirs when they are old enough to understand. They know that I believe smoking ciagarettes is wrong, and that I do not allow people to smoke in my home, they might grow up to decide differnetly but they will know that I disagree and why I disagree. You are an athiest, are you treaching Emma that there is a God?  Probably not, so you are teaching her YOUR athiest beliefs.. I have already talked to my five year old about boyfriend/girlfriend type stuff as a while back she asked if two boys could marry, my response, "well, there are people who believe that is ok to do, but I believe it is wrong and the Bible tells us it is wrong. Of course I didn't go into detail, the child is five, but you bet, I am gonna tell her my belief system. What is gonna happen when some day, Emma asks, you, " is there a God?" are you going to say "yes" or are you going to say "no" or are you going to leave it open for her to decide" I can bet that you are not going to tell her yes because you  an athiest, maybe you will say no since you do not believe in God but I would think you would give her your opinion and why you believe as you do and then let her know that there will come a time when she is going to have to figure this out on her own, meaning she is gonna have to develop her own beliefs system which is NO difference then what I am doing in MY home,. Yes, I am going to teach my children all about Christianity and why I beleive it and what it has a done for me. They will learn that not every one agrees on issues, heck my husabnd and I don't agree on everything, that's life but I am not going to make them think something is ok when I am against it.

All of us as parents have the responsibiliy to raise our kids to be productive adults and we need to teach them to be able to make choices and give them resources and we are not going to agree on what those resources are gonna be, I choose to lean toward Christianity, you choose to lean towards athiesm, no difference.

And, with a previous post, I said something to the effect that I would discuss the book about homosexuality with my children if they had to read it, nothing wrong with that. or I guess there is if I would say something to contradict the teaching. O well, I will continue to teach my kids Chritianity teachings and values and when the time comes for them to research and decide for themselves, then they   will do this but in the mean time, it is my responsibility to parent, to teach, to guide, direct in the way they should go. They are learning about love and acceptance which does not mean they have to agree with everything presented to them and that is something they will have to learn.

Purple, you and I are alike in a lot of ways. We believe as we do for our own reasons and at the same time, I believe we BOTH are teaching our children our beliefs, every one of us do, if we didn't then we would be confusing the daylights out of our kids, We would be teaching one thing but living another and that is being a hypocrite which I do not think neither one of us are. I disagree with parents smoking and then telling their kids it is wrong. I disagree with parents swearing and telling the kids it is wrong. I have my beliefs, my kids will know what those beliefs  are and we will live by those beliefs in my home for if we didn't, we would be a hypocritcal home. You are an athiest, you do not believe in praying, so do you pray in your home and if not why not? It's becuas eyou do not believe in God therefore you are teaching Emma not to pray. YOUR beliefs.

I am thankful that I live in a country where as a parent I have the right to teach and guide my children to pray and lean towards God and in the same way, I am sure you are thankful that you live in a country where you are not forced to bow down and pray and that you have the right to not influence your daughter to do so. WE are no different Purple, your right, I am teaching my children my religious ideas which is your wording, my wording, my Christian life and beliefs, nothing wrong with that, just doing the exact same thing that all parents do.

"I believe we BOTH are teaching our children our beliefs"

No. I will be teaching Emma critical thinking skills. I have no interest in forcing my beliefs on her more than simply me being her mother will.

I think things like God and religion are very big ideas and I don't think that a toddler or a little child needs to be burdened with them anymore than they need to be burdened with my political ideas.

Also, I have explained this before, but I don't say there is no God. I simply have no reason to believe in one. Is one possible? Sure. And that is all I will ever teach Emma about it. If she, when she becomes an adult, decides to join a religion, good for her.