Comments on: Bringing intergenerational experiences to the schools http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/ If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do? --Psalm 11:3 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:57:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Blueberry http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2476 Blueberry Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:25:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2476 A person that is dearest to my heart was an elderly neighbor that started out as a friend when I was 4yo, became my babysitter in elementary school, and then continued on in friendship until she moved away when I was seventeen. I loved visiting her and listening to her stories of growing up picking cotton, family affairs, rodeos, etc. She even welcomed my sister and me into her home for several holiday celebrations with her children and grandchildren. My life would have been so boring without her! I'd stop by her house after school and stay until about 5 or 6pm, and then go home for dinner. I always looked forward to seeing what she was up to each day. I think she looked forward to my visits too because she'd unlock the door minutes before I came strolling down the street. The door was always locked any other time. A person that is dearest to my heart was an elderly neighbor that started out as a friend when I was 4yo, became my babysitter in elementary school, and then continued on in friendship until she moved away when I was seventeen. I loved visiting her and listening to her stories of growing up picking cotton, family affairs, rodeos, etc. She even welcomed my sister and me into her home for several holiday celebrations with her children and grandchildren. My life would have been so boring without her! I’d stop by her house after school and stay until about 5 or 6pm, and then go home for dinner. I always looked forward to seeing what she was up to each day. I think she looked forward to my visits too because she’d unlock the door minutes before I came strolling down the street. The door was always locked any other time.

]]> By: Dana http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2475 Dana Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:30:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2475 Thank you, Mandy! It is sort of sad that we have stripped ourselves down to the "nuclear" family. And we hardly even have that anymore. <br/><br/>Heather, that is a funny story! It is hard to build friendships through whispering. Thank you, Mandy! It is sort of sad that we have stripped ourselves down to the “nuclear” family. And we hardly even have that anymore.

Heather, that is a funny story! It is hard to build friendships through whispering.

]]> By: Heather http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2474 Heather Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:58:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2474 This is my favorite aspect about homeschooling--my kids have friends everywhere we go and only a few of them are the same age! Funny thing is last spring my mom (a public school teacher who sends my little brother to public school) insisted that my brother, age 15 go to a school dance so he could meet other kids his age because he didn't have enough time to socialize in school. :) This is my favorite aspect about homeschooling–my kids have friends everywhere we go and only a few of them are the same age! Funny thing is last spring my mom (a public school teacher who sends my little brother to public school) insisted that my brother, age 15 go to a school dance so he could meet other kids his age because he didn’t have enough time to socialize in school. :)

]]> By: Mandy http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2473 Mandy Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:18:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2473 What an excellent post! I agree that EVERYONE has something to share and it's such a shame that all generations don't get to interract as much with one another. It reminds me of the families in other countries in which extended family members live together so there is always lots of love and help. What an excellent post! I agree that EVERYONE has something to share and it’s such a shame that all generations don’t get to interract as much with one another. It reminds me of the families in other countries in which extended family members live together so there is always lots of love and help.

]]> By: Dana http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2472 Dana Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:55:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2472 Julie, I think this is elementary school which is the perfect time. And it is interesting to see how different generations react to others!<br/><br/>Jennifer, that is exactly the "ideal" that I was thinking of! Whether it is the child's grandparents or even a neighbor, the interaction is more natural, I think!.<br/><br/>Shawna, I hope you are successful with that school. You have a lot of great ideas about education. Thank you to pointing me to your entry...I just switched over to google reader, but I haven't gotten to manually putting in the blogs I read via my sidebar, so I haven't been to your place in a couple days.<br/><br/>All caught up, now! Julie, I think this is elementary school which is the perfect time. And it is interesting to see how different generations react to others!

Jennifer, that is exactly the “ideal” that I was thinking of! Whether it is the child’s grandparents or even a neighbor, the interaction is more natural, I think!.

Shawna, I hope you are successful with that school. You have a lot of great ideas about education. Thank you to pointing me to your entry…I just switched over to google reader, but I haven’t gotten to manually putting in the blogs I read via my sidebar, so I haven’t been to your place in a couple days.

All caught up, now!

]]> By: jennifer in OR http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2471 jennifer in OR Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:22:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2471 I though about this yesterday as we began our first day of school. I didn't have to go out and borrow a grandma from somewhere to interact with my kids. The grandma lives with us, and sat with my 3 year old and played with the cuisenaire rods with him, building all sorts of creative things, while I taught the olders. I though about this yesterday as we began our first day of school. I didn’t have to go out and borrow a grandma from somewhere to interact with my kids. The grandma lives with us, and sat with my 3 year old and played with the cuisenaire rods with him, building all sorts of creative things, while I taught the olders.

]]> By: Julie@Shanan Trail http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2470 Julie@Shanan Trail Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:21:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2470 I don't mean to rain on your parade or sound like a pessimist... But if this idea is going to work, it better start in kindergarten. The current teens are a lost cause.<br/><br/>As you know, I taught at a community college. These classes are multigenerational and my younger students walked in the room, quickly scanned and all sat together, socialized, ate and traveled in a pack. One of my "older" students lost her home in a fire over Christmas break and the younger students didn't even know about it. The older students in the same class had a bake sale to help her raise money to replace her books. <br/><br/>It was so bad, I had to add an assignment, a Reminiscence Paper, to get my younger students to talk to their patients. Otherwise, they were going to be content to go in, follow doctors orders and get out as fast as they could! I don’t mean to rain on your parade or sound like a pessimist… But if this idea is going to work, it better start in kindergarten. The current teens are a lost cause.

As you know, I taught at a community college. These classes are multigenerational and my younger students walked in the room, quickly scanned and all sat together, socialized, ate and traveled in a pack. One of my “older” students lost her home in a fire over Christmas break and the younger students didn’t even know about it. The older students in the same class had a bake sale to help her raise money to replace her books.

It was so bad, I had to add an assignment, a Reminiscence Paper, to get my younger students to talk to their patients. Otherwise, they were going to be content to go in, follow doctors orders and get out as fast as they could!

]]> By: Shawna http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2469 Shawna Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:42:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2469 I smiled as I read this. As you know Dana, one of my life long goals is to open a school one day and one of the ideas I had contemplated and planned to implement was having some of the local seniors spend some of their time with the children.<br/><br/>I don't see it so much as a faux/fake family unit/aspect, rather a surrogate one. My own father had no living grandfathers; there was no distance problem or family conflict, a living grandfather simply did not exist. And he latched onto the many grandfatherly figures in his boyscout units and neighborhood: retired generals, other boys grandfathers, etc.<br/><br/>I wrote something similar last night on the community aspect of child rearing and homeschooling; but I must admit, that the words I chose and the story I shared really turned people off to the idea of community in raising our children.<br/><br/>Great post once again! I smiled as I read this. As you know Dana, one of my life long goals is to open a school one day and one of the ideas I had contemplated and planned to implement was having some of the local seniors spend some of their time with the children.

I don’t see it so much as a faux/fake family unit/aspect, rather a surrogate one. My own father had no living grandfathers; there was no distance problem or family conflict, a living grandfather simply did not exist. And he latched onto the many grandfatherly figures in his boyscout units and neighborhood: retired generals, other boys grandfathers, etc.

I wrote something similar last night on the community aspect of child rearing and homeschooling; but I must admit, that the words I chose and the story I shared really turned people off to the idea of community in raising our children.

Great post once again!

]]> By: Dana http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2468 Dana Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:48:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2468 Yes, Judy and Michelle! I actually love this idea. I have seen it work in schools and suggested it to my district in Texas. It is a good thing, BUT it is another "second best" option. And I think it ironic that obviously someone realizes the importance of these kinds of interactions for children, but still advocates public school over homeschool. Yes, Judy and Michelle! I actually love this idea. I have seen it work in schools and suggested it to my district in Texas. It is a good thing, BUT it is another “second best” option. And I think it ironic that obviously someone realizes the importance of these kinds of interactions for children, but still advocates public school over homeschool.

]]> By: Living Life http://principleddiscovery.com/2007/08/21/bringing-intergenerational-experiences-to-the-schools/#comment-2467 Living Life Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:00:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=593#comment-2467 If they thought about it long enough maybe they'd realize what a good idea God had about families, what do you think? It's so funny when people ask us homeschoolers about socialization. It is the absolutely best socialization any child could have. Thanks for your post! Michelle If they thought about it long enough maybe they’d realize what a good idea God had about families, what do you think? It’s so funny when people ask us homeschoolers about socialization. It is the absolutely best socialization any child could have. Thanks for your post! Michelle

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