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Homeschoolin’ Marty Kennedy Style

By Kleinheider Posted on August 14, 2009 at 7:48 am

Some folks say kids who are homeschooled are missing out by withdrawing from the school system. But Martin Kennedy is homeschooling one of his children and he is taking great pains to insure his child is just as socialized as those at public and private schools:

Many folks worry about how homeschooled kids are “socialized.” After many years we’ve developed a pretty good system that is especially good for middle school age students. For female students you need to indicate that she is NOT part of the “cool crowd.” Cruel and petty comments about how she does her hair or what kind of pencil she has can work well. Whispering and giggling so that she thinks you are talking about her and laughing at her expense re-create the middle school scene quite well. For boys, instead of being helpful and encouraging just call him a “fag” or “gay” if he does or says something you don’t like. If he doesn’t like the right football team or the right music? Be sure to call him a fag. Call his preferred team a bunch of fags or gaybirds. If you want to get a bit old-school take him into the bathroom once in a while and threaten to smack him upside the head unless he gives you his lunch money.

If you do these things your homeschoolers won’t miss out and will be well prepared for most office environments when they are grown.

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Comments

3 Responses to “Homeschoolin’ Marty Kennedy Style”

  1. mack writes
    August 14th, 2009 9:18 am

    Well, Martin, (It is Martin, not Marty, right?) I know I cringe everytime I heard some of the harsh terms thrown about in my son’s elementary school, and I’m expecting newer and even harsher terms now that he is in Middle School. Personally, I hate the use of the term “gay” to describe something not up to snuff. (I should point out, though, I’m getting just as sick of the word “fail”) My son spends roughly an hour a day on his XBOX, and I have had to talk to him about the amount of trash talking he does, and what some of the slang words he uses actually mean. (He was horrified to learn what “purple-headed yogurt slinger” meant. I still laugh about that)

    Anyway, I know you were attempting sarcasm, but the Middle School experience is an important one, IMO. The slights and inconveinances listed above are going to happen in High School, and again in college, or on the job. Protecting our kids to the point of insulating them from every bit of social ugliness does nothing to teach them how to deal with it. Some situations call for you to fight, even if it means you take some blows. Some require diplomacy, and if your child is skilled at that, he/she may just avoid the need to fight altogether.

    Some insults are best ignored, in fact, probably most. As for being ostracized, how is being home much different. Cliques are a fact if life, how one behaves as a member of one is a teachable thing.

    I understand the pull of homeschooling. Not for control, (which i believe is born of the parent’s fear) but to insure your child gets the right education. I toyed with the idea, but decided to supplement my kid’s education at home.

  2. Socialization Experience For Your Home Schooler | Scott Adcox writes
    August 14th, 2009 9:55 am

    [...] HT Kleinheider [...]

  3. martin kennedy writes
    August 14th, 2009 1:46 pm

    I think your attitude is right Mack. Just trying to poke at hard anti-homeschoolers who fret over “socialization.” There are many things you don’t want your kid to pick up about the culture. Middle school can be a brutal environment. You want your kid to be able to negotiate the obstacles but not accept that it’s OK to be cruel of tolerate cruelty. Jerry Seinfeld talked about his school day… we had history, then math, then science, then 50 minutes of Lord of the Flies (PE)…

    Hard homeschoolers (those who think sending their kids to school would be like sending them to the devil) need to be poked too. There are plenty of good kids and good teachers… even in “bad” schools. There are plenty of homeschoolers who are practicing unhealthy control IMO. As you say, school provides a training ground… is middle school that different from the typical office environment?

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