Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Socialization Problems

I was reminded the other day, at a large social function, of the frequently expressed worry that homeschooling one's children would result in "socialization problems".

To be sure, the kids, homeschooled and otherwise, were getting along famously. However one of the mothers, a new and enthusiastic convert to homeschooling, was pursuing with dedication another woman, determined in explaining to her in detail how the influences of John Dewey and the Prussian School System clearly proved that to send one's children to public school would be to turn them into automatons rather than to educate them.

What she seemed not to notice, in her dedication to her topic, was that the woman she was addressing kept moving away from her. Nor did she appear to connect this with the fact that the woman she had chosen as her audience is a public school teacher.

5 comments:

theresa said...

Maybe she has Asperger's -- dedication to a topic, failure to take nonverbal hints... perhaps also the lack of intuitive connection-making between the woman's profession and her failure to appreciate the conversation.

Anonymous said...

More likely she is just passionate on the subject.

Kyle Cupp said...

That's funny.

Big Tex said...

Irony in action. :-)

Anonymous said...

LOL I am an example of the opposite irony. I'm a public school product of 17 years education and I'm nearly a hermit. My home schooled teen children have the same personalities they had the few years they were in elementary school.

My point being: It ain't about the school. LOL