tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510183.post2675707089432129879..comments2024-02-06T16:06:25.170-07:00Comments on Sandra Dodd: More commentary on my children from strangersSandra Doddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853107998229753762noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510183.post-40691611833146909502010-04-27T06:02:56.621-06:002010-04-27T06:02:56.621-06:00-=-Isn't it interesting what people will deem ...-=-Isn't it interesting what people will deem is appropriate to say online that I suspect they'd never say if they actually had met your children (or you).-=-<br /><br />Yes. And that ignores the additional in-person existence and effect of Holly's big, hairy, long-haired, intimidating father! <br /><br /> Near the bottom there are two pictures of him holding baby Holly:<br /><a href="http://sandradodd.com/duckford/gunwaldt" rel="nofollow">http://sandradodd.com/duckford/gunwaldt</a><br /><br />In her entire life I can never remember her threatening to tell her daddy on anybody, though. She could, and still can, take care of herself. And still it wounds my soul for ignorant monkeys to hoot at her.Sandra Doddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11853107998229753762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510183.post-14571356008898665342010-04-27T01:13:02.688-06:002010-04-27T01:13:02.688-06:00Isn't it interesting what people will deem is ...Isn't it interesting what people will deem is appropriate to say online that I suspect they'd never say if they actually had met your children (or you).<br /><br />Today, I spent a good chunk of time listening to the Good Vibrations teen/YA panel from last fall. Your kids factored heavily into the conversation. Although I often lost track of who was saying what and when, I could tell that your kids positively ooze with confidence and charm and intelligence (big predictors of future success, in my book). I believe it was one of your kids who said that in the adult world, the fact that he was "unschooled" wasn't really a big deal (that's a heavy paraphrase but I think I'm on track). I thought, right on. He's been able to just slide on in to where he wants to be and fit according to his personal merit. How he got to where he is shouldn't really matter to anyone else there... the fact that he *is* where he is does.<br /><br />I was somewhere else online recently (perhaps Peter Gray's blog) and some classroom teacher was defending the almighty diploma for hiring purposes and made some snide comment about how if I'd ever had a chance to hire someone, I'd know how important that diploma was. I didn't bother to tell her that for the past four years prior to this one, I've been hiring up to 250 contractors to provide community-based support for children with special needs for an online school. Yes, some of them had to have specialized skills and professional accreditation in order for me justifying paying them with government money. Others needed to either have relevant training or (wait for it) relevant experience. I didn't care if someone had high school or not. If they had spent 10 years caring and supporting children with needs (and the parents felt they were the right person for the job), then, in my book, this was more important and relevant than a piece of paper that says nothing but that the person showed up and completed some theoretical assignments.<br /><br />I'm tired of arguing with such ridiculousness and blatantly bad manners.<br /><br />I echo Happy Campers' "Some folks..." and add a pffft.ipsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180832647715611790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510183.post-62245958012539368242010-04-26T16:14:06.848-06:002010-04-26T16:14:06.848-06:00The whole thing is just silly! So many people gett...The whole thing is just silly! So many people getting upset over the choice of parents to help their children love to learn in the way that works best for that family. If all those who are ranting over the unschoolers' choices spent more of that energy on more productive things (spending time with their children perhaps?) they'd have happier families all around.<br />I have to wonder what the commenter read in the interview that led to the decision that the Dodd children are defiant. I've read the article - twice; once for me, and then again out loud to hubby and sons - and nowhere in the article did I see anything that would lead a reader (pro-schooling or not) to such a conclusion!<br /><br />Perhaps the defiant label is supposed to allude to the Dodd children never demanding that their mother get her head on straight and send them to public school so they can sit in class all day like everyone else?<br /><br />I confess to be terribly confused.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15921558106173077535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510183.post-87423920800987453022010-04-26T08:26:16.869-06:002010-04-26T08:26:16.869-06:00At first, when I read your post, I thought YOU wer...At first, when I read your post, I thought YOU were adding the bolded sentence that the COMMENTER'S children were defiant.<br /><br />Then I read further & re-read, and when I figured out she was calling your kids defiant, I laughed! I admire the relationships you have with your children & how they have grown. Defiant? Are you kidding? I challenge her to give ONE example of being defiant.<br /><br />Defiant to whom? Society because someone has pink hair? School because they don't go? Parents, because...well...I don't see that ever!<br /><br />Some folks....Happy Campershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04058517342712224947noreply@blogger.com