A California court has issued a ruling which effectively makes homeschooling in that state illegal. (Not surprisingly, neither the legislature nor any sort of popular sanction was involved. Such is "law" in this day and age.) In fact, the ruling is broad enough to affect charter schools and even study-at-home programs that are overseen by the public system. The case is headed to the state supreme court, so the ruling could be overturned, but that's only temporary. » read more »

Linda blogged about excellence a while ago. What I failed to mention was how excellence is punished in today's American society. (It may be elsewhere, too, but my experience is distinctly American.) Very few parents raise their children to be excellent. Even fewer demand it of themselves. Peers condemn excellence, both children and adults alike. » read more »

My daughter has been talking recently about how unfair it is (a favorite word of children, is it not?) that Mom doesn't get paid for all she does. From an ungodly worldview, she may be right. Mom puts out a lot of effort for no income. Without the salary, it would seem this effort is wasted. However, from a Biblical point of view, salary is not a valid measurement of worth. Given the magnitude of the Lord's sacrifice on our behalf--His only begotten Son--I'd say our worth is immeasurably high. » read more »

A judge in Utah is persecuting a homeschooling family. Why is he doing this? Are the parents abusive? Are the children failing to learn? No, according to the article, "the judge told the woman that homeschooling fails 100 percent of the time and he wasn't going to allow it." It's always reassuring to have a fair, impartial judge sitting on the bench. » read more »

BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as
your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last
time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month. » read more »

A woman left her infant in her Mercedes (note her occupation) on a hot day for over eight hours, killing the child. It's not bad enough that she killed her own child by incompetence that really takes the cake, but she's an assistant principal at a public school. She didn't love her own child enough to keep from killing it, so why in hell is she considered trustworthy to care for hundreds of others' kids? And here's justice: as of this writing, she's not being charged with anything!

There's a de facto legal menace growing that assumes the State knows better how to raise your children than you do. You're a fool to think this can't happen in the U.S.

And to commemorate the State's ownership of your children, Vox has a nice poem to offer.

Why do teenagers have this reputation for being rebellious? Must they be so contrary and in trouble? In short, no. In the end, of course, the responsibility lies with the teenager himself. Ultimately, his actions are by his choice, regardless of environmental factors.

Parents also get to share in the responsibility of their teenagers' poor behavior by their shoddy parenting. Teenagers are striving to find their own identity--one not given to them by their parents--their own purpose, and their independence. Parents who have laid a good foundation for these times will find their teenagers discovering these things with relative ease. In these times, though, parents rarely lay good foundations, denying their children the knowledge of Truth. » read more »

Doug Giles has compiled a list of ten commandments for husbands. Highly recommended for men who are betrothed, or thinking about entering a matrimonial relationship. You can read Giles' epistle here, or you can watch Giles recite the commandments in a cheesy, but nonetheless entertaining, video here.

Work And Responsibility

1. Give serious responsibilities and expect her to work hard.
2. Nuke the tube (TV).
3. Give the job to the youngest child capable of doing it and keep increasing levels of responsibility.
4. Provide rewards for extra effort.

Responsibility With Money

1. Money comes from work.
2. Charitable contributions.
3. Money should be spent carefully.
4. Shoulder responsibility for mistakes.
5. Be totally honest.