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The Catholic Homeschool -- November 2001
What's Right With America
by F.R. Duplantier
Do you know what’s wrong with America? Ask that question of a hundred different Americans and you’ll get a hundred different answers – and that’s what’s right with America! We’re free to criticize our government, our churches, and all our social institutions. Most of the foreigners who seem to hate America so much would never dare to express disapproval of their own governments. It’s not allowed where they live. But we have a Constitution and a legal system that protect our freedom.
We’re free to speak our minds, and we’re free to travel too – to go where we please, when we please. We don’t have to ask permission or explain the purpose for our trips or carry identification cards.
We’re free to choose our own religions, and to convert from one to another without fear of reprisal. Our services don’t have to be sanctioned and our sermons aren’t censored.
We’re free to choose any career we like, to work as much or as little as we want, to keep our earnings, to pass our wealth on to our children, and to contribute to any charity we favor. We’re not coerced or compelled into approved occupations, with the fruits of our labor withheld or “donations” forcibly extracted from us.
We’re free to raise our children the way we see fit, in our own faiths and with our own values. Our children are not wards of the state, spying on us and turning us in for ideological error.
We’re free to own and use firearms to protect our families and possessions. We’re not serfs and slaves dependent on masters to take care of us.
What’s wrong with America? The only thing really wrong with America is that we all spend too much time harping on what’s wrong. We spend too much time complaining about the few minuscule things that are wrong and too little time rejoicing in the many grand and marvelous things that are right. America is a great country, the greatest country on earth, the greatest country in the history of the world. Why shouldn’t we be proud of her? Why shouldn’t we be proud to be Americans? God has blessed
this nation like no other. We should pray that He always will. This should be our daily invocation: God bless America!
It’s up to you to teach your children all the things that are right with America. Tell them the story of our war for independence. Recite “Paul Revere’s Ride” for them. Teach them the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” to “America the Beautiful,” and to “God Bless America.” Read our Declaration out loud and discuss with them the “self-evident” truths that are catalogued there, along with the list of grievances against the king. Tell them what happened to the men who dared to sign that document, how they gave everything they had for a cause they believed in. Watch “The Patriot” together, at least once a year. Review our Constitution and our Bill of Rights with your children. Make sure they understand and appreciate their liberty. That’s the only way they’ll keep it.
Bob Duplantier writes conservative radio and newspaper commentary . He and his wife Evann homeschool their six children.
The Extracurricular Dilemma -- Part 1
Extracurricular activities can be something of a dilemma for many homeschooling families. The diverse interests of the children in a large family can result in a scheduling and chauffeuring nightmare. Is the importance of extracurricular activities exaggerated? Should we just keep the kids home all week and forge ahead in our planbooks? Is there a happy medium?
College admissions officers want to see participation in extracurricular activities, with special dedication to one or two. How do we juggle babies, toddlers, and the regular homeschool schedule, not to mention the household schedule, with these seemingly extraneous activities?
Many families have their own way of dealing with outside activities. What works for one family may not work for another. We present here three distinct views and approaches that work for these homeschooling families.
We’d like to help homeschooling families plan and organize their children’s outside activities. How do you deal with outside activities for your children? What is your family philosophy regarding extracurricular activities? Send us your approach for the next installment of The Extracurricular Dilemma.
The Harkins Family: Now that my students are older and have more academic work, my philosophy is to try not to do too many extracurricular things. Reality, oftentimes, ends up quite different. We have a fishbowl that one daughter decorated; anyone who wants to do an activity writes it down and puts it in the bowl. I go through the bowl and try to fit things in. My older children have quite an active social life and I am usually willing to carpool them to different places, preferably with advance notice! I drive two daughters to violin lessons and five of the children to Irish Dancing classes, both once a week. Our dancing is wonderful for large, multi-age families as it is “one stop” rather than different times and days for each child. This year we are attending 7 a.m. mass on Friday mornings and are still able to come home and start our school day on time. My advice for deciding what to do and what not to do is first, pray about it, and second, ask your husband. On many occasions my wonderful husband has stepped in – seeing the true needs of our family, which include a well-rested, cheerful Mom – to veto an activity. Husbands can be our best resource for perspective on extracurricular activities!
The Robidoux Family: We in the Robidoux household do not have the problem that most homeschoolers have with too many activities. Once your student is in high school you must actively seek out appropriate extracurricular activities. Clare continues to take violin lessons and is involved in a music ensemble, but we would like her to find some sport other than Instant Messenger.
The Duplantier Family: On the whole, we believe extracurricular activities are highly overrated. But there are some things that just can’t be handled within the homeschool. This year we reserved Wednesdays solely for Co-op, with five of our six children attending for some portion of the day. Dance lessons are the only other extracurricular activity we currently participate in. That’s six different classes on four days each week. No, it’s not easy and not always convenient. Two of the classes mean late nights for my oldest, but this is something they all enjoy and have invested many years in. Both Co-op and the dance studio are within 15 minutes of our house. That is a big plus. This year we “cut back” – no more piano lessons or parish choir. The resulting schedule has proved to be more relaxing for us all.
The Month of All Souls
Beginning with the feast of All Souls, and continuing throughout the month of November, Catholic faithful remember those who have gone before them. Prayers are designated for deceased relatives, friends, and all who await the eternal joy of heaven. This month, let us remember those who have died each day, and pray:
Eternal rest give them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
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