Dana’s got a new piece taking homeschool analogies to pieces, in Heart of the Matter.
Feel free to post other analogies that annoy you in the comments, especially if you can put your finger on what’s wrong with the,. Well-working analogies…

This is such a short and sweet way to show how the power of story in analogies (which I love) can be both used and abused. Kudos Dana, for your clear thinking and clear writing. Look for a link to this at Snook.

What makes those analogies even more invalid is that all of us perform regular home maintenance and repair, make medical decisions and give first aid, and other functions that also have a ‘professional’ counterpart. I doubt Jack calls a licensed plumber to plunge a toilet or the doc to get permission to give his kid Tylenol.

A more complicated and difficult task might require someone with a higher level of those skills. That is where mentoring/apprenticeships and college come into play. I’d say most home educating parents get their kids to the point where they begin to ’specialize’, and then the child can receive knowledge and training from ‘a specialist’. The decision as to when a child is ready for this step is best made by the parents.