I quit yet another homeschool group. Actually, I decided to step down from the Steering Committee to become “just” a member who does as much or as little as she wants and to show up or not at events.
My problem is I expect everybody to be responsible and participate. Today. I don’t have years to wait for people to learn to sit upright by themselves. The steering committee wants to let people to do what they want if/when they want to do it. (Of course, this is the unschoolers’ mindset.) Yeah, nice work if you can get it.
Helplessness Example: Someone posts an event at a local public library. Ten minutes later, somebody else asks, “Where’s that?” Now, why would that woman not take the initiative to simply Google its location? Instead she waits and sure enough, a Mary Poppins posts directions.
What I want to know is, if nobody had responded with the info, would the family not attend the event? And from that experience, would she learn to find her own directions or just be hurt nobody GAVE her what she asked for?
Who dresses these women in the morning? Aren’t they supposed to be adult home educators? What are they teaching their own kids when they’re too unsure of themselves to even run a fucking playdate? If a woman needs that much hand-holding, she shouldn’t be homeschooling. And their neediness will suck you dry. I know.
Of course the flip side, to which I can totally relate, is the neediness of the strong, supportive women to gain satisfaction, justification and a sense of superiority by pushing these women’s chests in and out. It’s a total validation/co-dependency issue. So I guess it’s a win-win situation in a sick sorta way. I know all about that one, too.
Shit, if I wanted to deal with idiot worms, I’d put M back into public school, join the PTA and run Basket BINGOs.