Willow Smith

She's homeschooled, she's an entertainer, she's been all over the world and country, and she's behind on her math. as per her self-report. There are bunch of parents voicing their pissiness about it, and I wonder if they have thought it all through. Willow probably knows more than the average 15 year old, and that is because she's been exposed to so much more than the average 15 year old in her 10 years on this Earth. When it's time to take the SAT, if she even bothers to take the SAT, she will probably do better than most because studies show that kids who are exposed to more do better. There is no evidence that math drills or knowing how to factor at age 10 has any impact on your future. Let's face it, both her parents skipped college, although they are very very intelligent, and are living a life many of us will only dream of. They are teaching her about how to build an empire, by taking her to fashion shows to learn fashion. They are teaching her how to present herself to the world in humble, confident, and gracious manner. Most 10 years I know aren't nearly as poised as she is.

As I walk this homeschooling journey, with my 9 year old, I find myself truly relating to Willow's parents. My nine-year old is into fashion, and she's a heck of a designer (her parents are too). She helped me design the two earrings pictured. This semester we did photography, and she is very skilled. She took the images in this post. She is also a heck of a model, actress, and she has a head for business.






I teach her the basics of education, and allow her to read, read, read, but I find that I am tasked with a much higher calling for her education. Like Willow, she is ready for her apprenticeship in design, fashion, modeling, and and life. I keep those lessons at the top of what she needs to learn, while skillfully striking a balance in math, science, history, etc. Teaching her has been a teachable moment for me. I can't be afraid to use videos, museum classes, computer projects, youtube, music, conversation, and sometimes I have to allow her to supervise me in order for her to reach the heights of where she is to go. When she brought up middle school the other day, I had explain to her that I believe that she is too big for school. She is an Eagle and school sometimes teaches us to be pigeons. She understood and agreed that middle might be a phase that she wants to skip.

What do you think? Do you have a child that doesn't fit the mold? Tell me about your creativity in education? Is being conventional best? Can a creative education get us to college? Is college important? Does exposure count as education? Tell me.

I'm being interviewed about Love's Gumbo

Being Beautifully Well

Perspectives

As I mentioned in a frustrated state a few posts ago, I am back to homeschooling. Public lasted about 5 weeks. I had several complaints, but what really tore it was my daughter being attacked on the school bus. We took all the paths that they suggest for bullying, but in the end the school was detached, helpless, and powerless to do anything. So of course, we as parents girded ourselves and got back in the homeschooling game.

So far it's been just as I had originally planned it. I want this year to be one filled with expression for my 9 year old. She also has some lessons to learn in decision making, character, and behavior.

I weave expression, decision-making, choices, life-lessons, and character building into most lessons.

Yesterday we practiced making spheres and working with perspectives. We talked about the perspectives of others and how opinions are shared.

Here's our art work and her writings about it.

Spheres : what we did.
Our spheres represent perspectives. When we first started we wanted to draw exactly like the example, but daddy’s says “we had a darker paper than the example.” Later on mommy’s perspective was to have “one light section and one dark side and one in between side.”
After we finish our first sphere my perspective was that “it looked like a tuna can.” So we worked a little harder, blended it in, played with the shadow, and soon it was looking wonderful. Before we knew it we were done.

The spheres we made were based on perspectives. Perspective are light and dark, the blends, and the colors. Basically all of our perspective put
together are what made these spheres. It’s mommy’s perspective daddy’s my perspective all of our perspectives put together to make these spheres. When you put perspectives together it
works out perfectly.

In a moment of silence

My nine-year old and I have been studying Saul Williams. She's an amazing poet. She wrote the one below after reading one of Saul's pieces.

In a moment of silence

You talk in a moment of silence

think when it is time to talk

you stop and stare when it time to move

i look at you as you look at me as i work and

we think what is he thinking?

what is she thinking? ~ Masai Brimm

Well That Went Fast... I am back to Homeschooling!

More details later.

Not a Blame-storm or a Shame-storm, but we’ve Got Some Work Ahead

Today I promised to be a part of the No Wedding No Womb movement. On this anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, a bunch of bloggers committed to talking about the staggering statistics in the African American community where 70% of children living within a one-parent home. Below is the post I did for Love's Gumbo.com. I welcome your discussion.

This is very hard for us to talk about. It’s so hard that we have made a tough heart-wrenching situation into one to be celebrated. We wave a banner, we shout it from the mountain tops, we sing little ditties about it, and we high five each other on Father’s Day. Single-motherhood is a hard and heavy crown to wear. However, the numbers in the African American community are just growing and growing. 72% of our children have unwedded parents. That’s just devastating.

Not devastating because of the Religious or moral values that are being violated, but more importantly because most of the serious issues in our community can be tied to the fact that our families are not together. Young men are killing young men because they aren’t being looked after and supported. As JadaKiss says ” They moms at work, they pops is gone and they livin’ with iron.” Though their mother’s try very hard, they can’t be two places at one time. They have to work to keep the lights on, and the streets offer fatherhood to these young men when their biological fathers will not or cannot.

Young women don’t know how to choose the right man to love and to make a family with because they haven’t seen a loving married couple to model. Our children are not doing well in school because there is only one parent at home, and she is so drained from overworking that checking homework takes a back seat. Our children are obese because they have been eating fried chicken and pizza after school instead of vegetables and lean meats. Why? Because momma is too tired to cook a nutritious meal at the end of the night, so many nights she finds what’s quick and cheap to feed her babies. Even if she does find the strength and time to cook, the food still may not be nutritious because it may have to be cheap and cheap food is many times bad for us.

We are dying because we are killing ourselves through violence, by becoming obese, and because we aren’t educated. I haven’t even gotten into prison and AIDS, and I won’t. Not in this article. As much as we’d like to dispute that these facts are related to single-motherhood the statistics will prove us wrong every time.

This is not a blame-storm. This is a discussion. A discussion that must be had. If you are a single-parent, don’t feel as though it’s all over and your child will be a victim. You can provide what they need with the help of God and your community. It can be done! It has been done over and over again, and it takes a lot of work. If you want to stay single and raise your child, not to worry. Just know that the job is not easy. Be sure to express to your child how hard this road is, and the importance of walking a different one for the survival of our people.

If you are a single parent and you want to raise your child within a happy married union, it’s not too late. You can still find a loving, respectful, responsible man to be your husband and a father to your child. However, you must learn how to be the best you can be, learn to choose well, and you must learn to work really hard within your love life once you find the right man.

Love’s Gumbo is a resource for you. The whole purpose of this website is to empower women who want to be in and stay in a loving relationship. Children beginning life within the surrounds of a loving relationship is a very important thing. If we don’t acknowledge that children being born into a loving and respectful marriage is the highest goal, then we will never be able to address our many issues. Of course, if after all the work has been done and it still doesn’t work out. Co-parenting is the next best option, and family blending is a viable and thriving option too! We must all stay committed to providing an environment where a child knows that both parents know & love them dearly and would do anything for their survival and success.

We are here to help change the world for our children and ourselves. Join the movement!

Uncle

I had to yell UNCLE! It was around August 21st when I realized that I hadn't had my Summer break from parenting. See I usually get about a month off. I send my girls to Grandma's. Me and husband enjoy each other for a month. We eat what we want. Say what we want. Do what we want. The house stays clean. We know who broke what. It's usually a wonderful respite. Well, this year things changed a bit. First we have a new baby, so if we sent the girls away, we weren't getting a respite. Second we had a Family Reunion trip, and so we ended up seeing grandma and skipped the Kid's visit. Third we moved to a new state and spent a pretty penny doing it, so there were no real funds for the girls vacay, plus the family vacay. In addition, we didn't do Summer camp AT ALL this Summer.

Before I knew it school time was upon, and I wasn't ready for it. I realized that I was totally fried when I had a meltdown over the girls using up the evaporated milk making waffles. I made the decision right then and there that Not just one, but both girls would be going back to school. I scrambled the paperwork together, and got my nine-year old signed up.

So far, so good!. I made the right decision. The girls love school. They are at the top of their classes, and they feel that homeschool prepared them for where they are right now. Of course, I reserve the right to begin homeschooling again, if I need to. However, it looks like this new school system is a great fit for our family.

I will post interesting stuff I find about homeschooling because I am a big time supporter. I will probably post family happenings too! However, for now we are officially Magnet schools kids and parents!