“Today, I’m declaring a half day,” I announce,” but it will be a work day.”

The children eye me suspiciously over breakfast.

“Education is about building the mind and the body, and today we’re building the body.”

Their eyes brighten. They like the sound of that. It sounds so like something that must happen outside. Out there where Spring is driving back the winter and calling for my children to join.

“We need a compost pile,” I inform them, “and we’re going to get it started.”

They actually cheer. Cheer because they can respond to the call which has already drawn most of their attention out of doors.

We collect materials while daddy collects fence posts. We measure and level and draw lines with string while daddy digs post holes. We…wait. Where did they go?

Off exploring.

Checking on the baby chicks.

Examining the vole tunnels.

Looking at the outline of the old lagoon.

Discovering the remnants of an old garden.

I ponder for a moment the notebook pages I could assign them to encourage their curiosity and help them find the answers to their many questions.

But not today. Today is a workday. And while they may not quite grasp it, this is exactly the kind of work I had hoped for.

homeschool homeschooling home education

There is mud.

There is green.

There is life.

I have never known a winter here like this one. Where it snows and snows and never melts. Last winter, my garlic got confused during a warm spell in December and began to sprout. Last winter, I grew hopeful during a warm spell in February and began planting in cloches.

This year, however, winter never released its grasp. After three weeks of sunshine and above freezing temperatures, there is yet snow on the land. Snow which was here in November and never had the chance to melt off.

It has been so long – so long since I’ve felt the warmth of the sun, the softness of the earth, the gentleness of the breeze. I have awaited this Spring with such anticipation, and now Spring is calling. The warm breeze whispers its call, and I answer. A dozen times a day, I answer, and walk outside.

Spring brings life to my dreams. It brings chicks and gardens and goslings. It brings action to the planning I’ve done all winter.

It brings mud.

It brings green.

It brings life.

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And the Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Homeschool Bytes!

This Spring, we’re still deep in a recession with unemployment continuing to rise, and I wanted to do a little something to encourage you to help your neighbors and community by doing something gardeners have done for as long as there have been gardens:  Share the Harvest!  Except rather than “just” giving out of your unplanned surplus, I’d like you to consider planning now to plant a little extra, an extra row, an extra tomato plant, whatever you can squeeze in, so that you have a little more to give.

And think of someone or some organization to bless. If you have a few gardening friends willing to join you, think what that amount of garden fresh produce could mean to a struggling family!

If you do not know someone personally, ask your church or  other local organizations. When I used to supervise visits at the homeless shelter, I never saw people as excited about dinner as when there was a fresh apple. Apparently, they don’t see much fresh fruit.

Also think about talking to local nurseries. Campbell’s in Lincoln is serving as a collection site for extra fresh produce and is distributing it to organizations serving families in need.

For a dollar or two in seed and a little extra weeding, you could have several pounds of fresh produce to bless a neighbor with.

Territorial Seed Company is encouraging you to Share the Harvest, too, by including a free packet of carrot seed in every order this year. They estimate if all these are planted, raised and donated, that would provide 2.5 million pounds of fresh, nutritious carrots to families in need!

And now for the giveaway part. I just need some help spreading the idea, so I’m asking you to share this post via link from your blog, Facebook page or Twitter account. Leave a comment with a link to where you shared, and I will enter you in the drawing to win a $15 gift certificate to Territorial Seed Company.  Open to the US and Canada, but be aware that shipping costs may exceed the value of the certificate outside the continental US.

Feel free to use my button.

<a href=”http://roscommonacres.com/2010/03/share-the-harvest-challenge-and-giveaway/” mce_href=”http://roscommonacres.com/2010/03/share-the-harvest-challenge-and-giveaway/”><img src=”http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk163/gottsegnet/sharetheharvest.jpg” mce_src=”http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk163/gottsegnet/sharetheharvest.jpg” alt=”Share the Harvest” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

And the giveaway ends Friday March 19, 2010. I’d love to hear how you plan to Share the Harvest, and will post the link of all blogs participating. I’ll also share periodic updates about how our harvest sharing is going right up until we give it away.

If you haven’t already, you might also enjoy my free e-book, Developing Christian Character Through Gardening.

Disclosure: I am in no way connected to Territorial Seed Company. I just liked their carrot seed promotion, and they have gift certificates. I am paying for it myself and have received no compensation of any kind from Territorial Seed Company.

For starters

The first thing you need to do is figure out why you want chickens. For show? For eggs? For meat? I’m guessing most beginners are looking for eggs and an interesting pet.  Layers are a little a less fussy to care for, but they are a time investment. You will have to care for them for approximately six months before they lay their first egg and then they lay productively for about three years. The average chicken can live seven years, however, so you will need to figure out now what to do with your retired hens. Many people just keep them on as pets, some give them away (where they likely end up in the stew pot) and some put them in the stew pot themselves.  I promised our children that we’d keep the first four on like pets, but to get used to the idea now that subsequent chicks were destined for the table when their laying days were over.

We’ll see how mom handles that one when the time comes.

Know the law.

Before starting chicks, know what the law is in your area. Your state Department of Agriculture should be able to help you, and it is only a matter of a few phone calls or emails. It is quite common for residential areas to limit you to three hens and to restrict roosters, but it varies widely.

Selecting chicks

When you are sure you are ready for the commitment, it is time to figure out exactly which chickens you want. Henderson’s Breed Chart is an excellent resource for figuring out what breed will work for you. It gives you information about how many eggs to expect, what color the eggs are, how friendly the birds are, how flighty, how well they do on pasture, and how cold hardy they are and more, all in a nice chart that allows for easy comparison. Availability of chicks is something to consider as you look at the chart, however. If you’re ordering from a hatchery, you can get pretty much anything but expect a minimum order of 25 (or the inclusion of extra roosters for packing peanuts). If you’re purchasing from a feed store, you will be limited to a few breeds. Know what they are and compare them.

At the store, make sure the chicks look healthy before buying them. Baby chicks actually have a high mortality rate, and there is no sense bringing sick or pitiful looking ones home to “rescue” them. It almost always ends badly. They should be lively, and a bit skittish, running away when you try to catch them. They should also be clean, and their food and water should be relatively clean. I say relatively because you will find out very quickly that it is impossible to keep the bedding out of their dishes, so you have to forgive a bit of bedding.

What to buy.

Chicks, chick starter (medicated or unmedicated…we start them on medicated and switch to unmedicated when they feather out. All the medication is out of their system long before they begin to lay.), a feeder, a waterers and a heat lamp.  You do not need grit so long as your chicks are fed chick starter exclusively.

The brooder.

OK, so really you should have thought about this before you bought your chicks. Your brooder should be sitting in a warm, draft free place complete with feeder, waterer and heat lamp, all ready for your baby chicks. But who does that? I didn’t for my first four, nor for the 18 we just purchased last week.  Brooders can get expensive. A nice one ordered from the hatchery can run you over $250, and it will be a long time before you have enough eggs to justify that kind of investment.

But essentially all you need is somewhere to keep your birds warm and protected, and you can easily make your own or repurpose something else you have lying about the house. Our first brooder for four chicks was an old guinea pig cage. We’re using a dog kennel for the 18 we have now, which works as well for keeping dogs out as it does for keeping dogs in.  It can also double as a chicken tractor later when you set it on the lawn while you clean the mess they make on the garage floor.  Rubbermaid storage containers are a popular do it yourself brooder, and you can even use cardboard boxes.

The temperature.

Chicks need to be kept at 95 degrees their first week, with temperature needs lowering each week until they feather out. You can get a thermometer, and this is what is nice about commercial brooders. They come with a thermostat, taking some of the guesswork out. But you can also just ask your chicks. They’ll tell you whether they are too hot or too cold.

If all your chicks are huddled together under the heat lamp, they’re cold. Try lowering the heat lamp or providing insulation. I have a quilt over our kennel to keep some of the heat in, and the first week we had them in a box inside the kennel. This was mainly because some were small enough to fit through the bars, but the sides of the box also warmed under the heat lamp, helping to hold the heat in more. You may need to move them to a warmer location, like your basement or laundry room.

If your chicks are all as far from the heat lamp as they can get, they are too warm. Try raising the heat lamp or moving it to the side so they can get away from the heat.

Too cold

Ideally, when you look at your chicks, they should be all over. Some under the lamp, some at the feeder, some at the waterer, some resting in another corner. This is harder to see if you only have a couple chicks, but if even a couple are always under the heater or always as far from it as they can get, you know the temperature is a little off.

Just right

Once their down is replaced with feathers, you can remove the heat lamp and put them in their outdoor coop. If protected from the wind in a small area where their body heat can warm the air, they can withstand temperature down to zero without any ill effects. Below that and you really need to consider some supplemental heating.

What to watch for.

Chicks die.

They’re really good at it. I’ve read that you should figure on losing up to 20%, but fortunately am yet to lose a chick. There’s a thousand things they die from, but essentially there are a few things you can do to increase your chances. Keep them warm, but not too warm. Keep them out of drafts, but be sure air can circulate. Clean their brooder regularly so they aren’t continually pecking at their own filth. Clean their feed and water dishes regularly. Remember that it is 95 degrees in there and there is no way you’re keeping chicken poo out of the water. It turns gross fast. I change their water and rinse out the container several times a day, wash it daily, and disinfect it regularly.

Also watch for what is known as “pasty butt.” It can be fatal, but is so simple to fix there’s no reason it has to be. Basically, a bit of poo gets stuck to their bottom, covering their vent and not allowing more poo to come out. You just need to get it off. Most things I’ve read suggest dipping those tushes in warm water and gently cleansing the area.  If the chick loses a bit of fluff back there, it may peep in complaint but it won’t do any long term damage and that is far better than just letting it die!

Get to know some people with experience.

My favorite source of information is the forums at Backyard Chickens. It has 50,000 members, many of whom are self-professed chicken addicts. They have a wealth of experience and are more than happy to answer your questions. You usually even get a response within fifteen minutes or so if you are having a problem.

Enjoy your chicks!

Watch them often, and hold them daily. Feel their soft down, and take pleasure in the constant peeping. Let your children hold them, but be cautious with this. You don’t want to get your children sick! My children are allowed to hold them pretty much whenever they want, I try to keep them from kissing them and I give them a bit of hand sanitizer when they’re done.  The children have never had any adverse effects, and it sure makes for tame birds. Two of our hens even follow me around, let me pick them up and seem to enjoy the occasional scratch behind the head.

There is nothing like a curious and affectionate child to tame the entire flock.

We’re getting ready to make a more proper chicken tractor for our birds that will be large enough to house all the layers and I’ll share that process when we get to it!

Yet more chicken blogs! If you would like yours added, just leave the link in the comments, and I’ll add it to the entry after taking a peep!

Kansas City Urban Chickens Examiner (May say KC, but she has a lot of information relevant to anyone interested in chickens.)

chickens, chicks, backyard chickens

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Curious about the farm life? Check out the Homesteading Carnival!

The Roscommon Acres Definitive Guide for Why You, Too, Should Consider Chickens

Chickens are educational.

From breed selection through their first precious eggs and beyond, you will amazed at how much there is to learn about and from chickens.  As a homeschooling family, our primary interest was the lessons to be learned.  We learned a little about meat birds, though layers were our focus, and discovered the wonderful world of dual purpose breeds.  Then heritage breeds. Then this whole issue of industrial agriculture and what it means for the genetic diversity of the simple chicken as they are continually selectively bred for larger breasts or greater egg production.  Right now, we are comparing the development of a Cornish Cross, the standard in meat production, to the Plymouth Rock, a heritage breed that can be used both as a meat bird and a layer.  Stay tuned for periodic updates on their comparative development, dressing weights and flavor as we blog their little lives all the way to the dinner table.

Without chickens, there can be no eggs.

Yes, of course you can get those watery things from the grocery store.  But once you find that first, beautiful egg in the nest box, you know that eggs from backyard chickens are happier, healthier and better looking.  The yolk is a deeper color, the whites stiffer, the shells harder.  And then there is just the sense of accomplishment. Of raising something yourself and reaping the benefits of your labor. You may find yourself peeking in the refrigerator, just to look at the eggs, and then you will know there is something special about these eggs beyond any proposed health benefits.

Chicken poo is the black gold of gardening.

Simply put, if you garden, you have a use for chickens. Chicken manure is rich in nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, as well as organic matter that will build soil while nourishing your plants. Trust me. Your plants will thank you. Just remember that chicken poo is HOT. If not composted prior to applying, you risk burning your plants. As an added bonus (if you have enough chickens, anyway), you can use the manure in a hotbed, and use that hot composting action to warm seedlings outside the normal growing season.

Chickens are good insect control.

Chickens are omnivores, but you haven’t seen a chicken live until you’ve watched it chase bugs. My chickens will spot an earthworm on my shovel from across the yard and come racing, necks outstretched and wings flapping to get to it before I finish turning the soil. They provide excellent control for ticks, flies, mosquitoes, ants, slugs, snails and just about anything else they can catch.

Chickens are good tillers.

At the end of the growing season, turn your chickens loose on your garden. They will finish off the green stuff you leave standing, scratch and turn the soil in the continual hunt for insects and dust baths, decrease the number of hibernating and pupating pests and leave a nice layer of fertilizer to get you started for next year.

Chickens make great garbage disposals.

Think of them as pigs with feathers. Carrot peelings, left over oatmeal, bits of spaghetti…garbage to you and treats to a chicken.  Feeding chickens your kitchen scraps puts your garbage to good use while lowering your feed cost.  There’s very little they won’t eat, but I’ve read that you shouldn’t feed them potato peelings, avocado, dry beans or eggplant.

Chickens are good therapy.

Everyone I talk to who owns chickens spends time just watching their flock. Sure, it is good practice to spend a lot of time watching any animal in your care. Especially in chickens, where their signals that something is wrong are slight. But that isn’t why we do it. We do it because it feels good. Because in that moment, things are still and quiet and you can let your mind wander. Because there’s nothing quite like a freshly laid egg to warm your hands on a brisk morning. Because touching and frying and tasting the products of your labor brings meaning to breakfast that can never come from a styrofoam carton at WalMart.

Chickens are political.

While there are cities across the nation that are quite friendly to chickens (would you believe that even New York City allows an unlimited number of hens?!), there are others which just don’t quite seem to get it. If your area doesn’t allow chickens, ask around. You might be surprised to stumble upon a vast underground chicken movement.  Citizens nationwide are banding together and working to change legislation to allow small backyard flocks. Their arguments and tactics are actually very similar to that of the homeschool movement, and you may be surprised to find liberals and conservatives working together to change the same laws for some of the very same reasons. Kinda like us homeschoolers.

Chickens build community.

They are an oddity, especially if you live in an urban or suburban area. A few fresh eggs delivered here or there normally quells any initial worry about the smell or the noise people seem to glean from stereotypes, and you just might find your neighbor looking over the fence at your flock busy with some weeding or insect control. Our old place backed up against a baseball field, and one afternoon, a woman came and asked if she could photograph our chickens who were running free about the backyard. She was delighted at how such a simple little animal made the connection between town and country seem closer.  Neighbors stopped to look in the coop, children asked to pet them and strangers spontaneously began talking about their chickens, or their grandmother’s flock they remembered growing up. One of our neighbors even helped us with the construction of the roost.

Convinced?  Check out my entry on getting started with chickens.  Still looking for more information? Ask away! I may not know the answer, but I’ll do my best to help you find it!

Do you have chickens? Have you blogged about them? My Mr. Linky seems to have stopped working, so feel free to add a link to the comment box and I will add it to the entry! Thank you!!

More chicken blogs:

(not so) urban hennery Thoughts on country living, farming, gardening and eating locally

Raising Chickens: Keeping chickens in your backyard The title pretty much explains it all.

The Little Egg Farm Delightful personal blog of a grandmother with chickens.

Urban Chickens Network News and information about the backyard chicken.

Some say they are even healthier. They are certainly fresher. Seriously, when was the last time you ate an egg that was still warm from laying? The chalazae (that stringy ropey thing that anchors the yolk) are also clearly visible. And, as you can see above, keep the egg white compact in cooking.

The best part, however, is simply that they are a lot more fun.

I have never run to WalMart, just to have a quick peek at the egg aisle, though you’ll frequently find me standing over our little chicken tractor just watching the chickens do their thing.

I have never looked in an egg cooler with the same hopeful curiosity with which I peer into our chickens’ nest box.

Upon discovering eggs in the egg cooler, I have never felt anything like the thrill I feel at finding a small, brown egg amongst the grasses in the nest box.

And never, have I ever, called my parents to let them know that WalMart had eggs. They did, however, know our hens had begun laying within hours of the event.

And my children? They are ecstatic, running out to check on the nest box every chance they get. My son even staked out the chicken tractor for two hours one day to try to establish which chicken had begun laying. (Three of ours lay brown eggs, one lays white ones). He had no luck, but the discovery of two eggs later in the day confirmed that someone else had begun laying as well!

Oh, and unless you have chickens, too, I bet you’ve never opened the refrigerator just to peek at your eggs. They are beautiful things. Edible art.

chickens eggs, backyard chicken

A bill, a postcard, The Penny Press and. . .oh happy day. . .Orscheln’s flyer.  The local feed store has quickly become my favorite local hangout. I lament all the days wasted wandering WalMart during AWANAs when I could have just as easily visited the feed store across the street.  But that was then, before we had five acres, before we had chickens even.

Then, WalMart defined my world in a strange sense.  Today, Orscheln’s does. But as we research and plan and dream, I sense something else on the horizon. Something that doesn’t have a name, or a logo or a weekly flyer. But more on that later.

I toss the mail on the counter, reserving Orscheln’s flyer to look through over breakfast. I open it up and what should I see in bold green print but “Chicks Are Here!”

Up until this very minute, I had intended on getting our next batch of chickens from a hatchery.  Up until this very minute, I had been frustrated by the minimum orders required by hatcheries or the use of roosters as packing peanuts.  I didn’t need 25 birds, but it looked like ordering from a hatchery was going to provide me with 25 birds, whether I paid for them all or not.

At this very minute, I realize that the feed store really was a better option for us right now.

To no one in particular, I announce that I am going to be at the feed store at 8:45, fifteen minutes before they open.

Why, mommy?

It’s Chick Days.

My husband rolls his eyes. The children leap with excitement. They know what Chick Days are. That’s where they got the four hens we currently have. But we got those at the tail end of the yearly event and pretty much got what was left over. This year would be different. This year, we would get first choice because this year we would be sitting in the parking lot when the doors open.

Yeah, I’m a little weird like that.

Less than 24 hours later and ten minutes before Orscheln’s officially opens, Bear, Bug and I are heading back to the chicks, led by the sound of their peeping. They dart back and forth, trying to look at them all at once. I concentrate on one bin: Plymouth Rock, straight run.

This year, in addition to layers, we are adding on a rooster. A rooster to guard the flock. A rooster to strut about the property. A rooster to crow in the wee hours of the morning and remind us of just how beautiful each and every morning is. A rooster for fertile eggs.

So I ponder the Plymouth Rock, straight run bin.  Straight run means they’re unsexed.  In theory, half of them should be male. How many would I need to guarantee I got at least one rooster? What would I do with a second or even a third?

Someone arrives to help us and I ask somewhat stupidly,

Theoretically, half of these are males, right? So theoretically, if I get five, we should end up with two or three roosters?

He smiles, not sure how to answer the obvious. I smile back, understanding the dilemma I’ve put him in. “It’s ok,” I try to say with that smile. “I’m just thinking out loud.”

Happy with my statistics, I ask for five.

Bear begins to squeal as he recognizes the little Rhode Island Red pullets.

Diego! Diego! They’re just like Diego!

That was the breed he selected last year. He carries her around the property, showing her everything and teaching her to be an explorer like her namesake.

I ask for one of those.

Bear then moves to the Americaunas, fascinated by their many colors.

Are these leghorns? he asks.

No, they’re Americaunas.

Bear and Bug light up simultaneously.

Oh, canwecanwe?!  They lay blue and green eggs, mom! Canwecanwe?!

I ask for four of those.

I look at the Plymouth Rock pullets. Unsure why, I am suddenly drawn to these, a breed I’ve never paid any particular attention to, a breed that has never made it on either my “must check out” or “must avoid” list. A new thought is forming in my mind. I already have five.

I ask for two more.

I ask what is crossed to make a production red. The young man guesses Rhode Island Red and…and, well, something else. “Maybe leghorn?” he ventures. Still, my attention has fallen on them for more than a brief moment.

I ask for one.

Will that be everything?

No, not quite.

Not quite. The new idea, not yet fully formed, needs a point of comparison. Cornish crosses are the standard for meat birds. Ready for slaughter at just six weeks, they present minimal investment in time though they tend to camp out at the feeder, moving only for a drink. They grow so fast, their little legs are known to break under the rapidly increasing weight.

I ask for five.

And now for the comparison.

On their third day with us, you can see that the Cornish Cross (left) is starting to show just a little more size than the Plymouth Rock (right). It feels firmer and more meaty, as well. This is where I discover that our small scale is broken so I can’t do an official weight comparison, but we’ll remedy that over the weekend.

Stay tuned to watch these guys grow toward our dinner table, complete with recipes for how they are eventually served!  Also, if you are interested in raising your own chicks, stay tuned for some rare weekend posting as I discuss the why and how of beginning a small backyard flock.

homeschool home education chickens raising chickens Cornish Cross Plymouth Rock

There is an old joke about the student that excuses his lack of homework by saying the dog ate his completed assignment. The joke was that no one believed him, and he would still get a poor mark because the homework was his responsibility.

Of course it is his responsibility and I am not aware of a single blogger who is suggesting that Kevin and Lydia Schatz are not responsible for the abuse their children endured.  The analogy doesn’t work.  The ensuing paragraphs regarding our society’s lack of ability to take responsibility are irrelevant to the case and to the argument.  But let’s think about this for a moment.  Say the dog did eat your homework.  While it is still entirely your responsibility, will you not in future either restrain the dog or place your homework in a more secure location?

Let’s suppose that a family DID closely follow the teachings on the Pearls’ web site www.nogreaterjoy.org. If that’s the case, the parents would have read this excerpt from an article written by Michael Pearl – IN DEFENSE OF BIBLICAL CHASTISEMENT?

When is it abuse?
You are abusing the child when it starts doing harm to the child. Listen to your friends-especially to those friends that share your philosophy. Ask the opinion of people you respect. If they think you are abusive, get counsel in a hurry. Ask the opinion of your older children. If your child is broken in spirit, cowed and subdued, you have a problem. Children should be happy and cheerful, full of enthusiasm and creativity. If your children are fearful or anxious, you should get some counsel.

Yes, let’s go to that very article, where the Pearls give a warning about abuse.

There is an excellent paragraph near the top under the heading “Enjoy your children.”  It gives excellent advice I would like every parent to internalize and to practice.  You see that kind of thing in their work here and there, but it really doesn’t seem to be the focus.  One paragraph in a 44 paragraph essay?  At least it is near the top, though not referred to again.

The paragraph Normanson quotes is near the end, paragraph 41.  Up until this we have learned:

• That Christians who use the rod moderately are “meek.”  (Apparently a bad quality).
• That if you reject the Pearl’s teaching and question their concepts, you are not fit to be a parent.  He pities your children, even.
• That the proper tools for whipping your child come cheaper by the dozen, and their conspicuous location about the house and around your neck will keep them in line.
• That church friends have noses longer than the pews they sit upon (and can’t be trusted to witness how you discipline your children.)
• That you cannot put an upper limit on the number of “licks” a child receives.
• That you continue the whipping until the child exhibits “total submission.”  If you ever stop before this point, you have lost his heart forever.
• That if he hides, you should pursue him slowly, laughing at his “frail attempts.”

Ironically, according to those who knew the Schatz family personally, the children were “happy and cheerful, full of enthusiasm and creativity.” They did not cower, nor were they subdued, nor did they exhibit any of the outward signs we connect with abuse.

Now to the book.

This book is not about discipline, nor problem children. The emphasis is on the training of a child before the need to discipline arises…

This was one of the first issues I had with the book. Their definition of “training.” It is such a positive word, one that should be embraced as part of normal parenthood. Everything we do is training. Everything we do is discipline. But they equate discipline with a severe spanking and training with manufacturing an opportunity to “switch” your child so that he can learn the force of your word.  Never forget that when you read “training” in their materials, it refers to a switch (however light) with the rod.

With proper training, discipline can be reduced to 5% of what many now practice…

Really? This is just me, but I’m not a fan of statistics pulled out of the air. It always makes me suspicious of other claims in a text.

If parents are frustrated to the point of anger, page 25 says:
When children see you motivated by anger and frustration, they assume that your “discipline” is just a personal matter, a competition of interest….

Page 25.  Of a 150 page book.  We’re 17% through the book, but really, this section isn’t any help.  Unless you assume that the only way to harm a child is in anger. What if poor Lydia’s discipline session went down exactly like the Pearls prescribe?  Ten licks, talk to the child, if the answer doesn’t demonstrate complete submission, repeat.  And repeat.  And repeat.  And you can calmly spank a child to death.  But the Pearls stress that if you “let” the child “win,” you have lost their heart forever.

If a child is angered by the impatience and pride of parents, page 33 says:
Father, if you care for your child’s soul more than your pride, then humble yourself and ask his forgiveness (even if he is just two years old)…

Wonderful!  And if pride had nothing to do with it?  The book isn’t a torture manual.  There are good things here and there, but they aren’t the emphasis.  More like passing thoughts.  And so much emphasis is put on the rod and how you will lose your child if you do not win with it and how you are weak if you do not apply it quickly and unmercifully.

Normanson has a few more quotes demonstrating where in the book the Pearls warn against disciplining in anger, ongoing brutality, intimidating children with threats about God as well as an encouragement to be a good role model.  All excellent points.

But that still does not discount the passages which are more concerning.  The general tendency to isolate you from other Christians who may question these methods.  The focus on “winning” and “total obedience” and “complete submission.”  The refusal to put a maximum number on the amount of “licks” handed out. The stalking of children. The “switching” of infants.

To go back to the opening of Normanson’s piece on responsibility:  No, the Pearls were not physically present as Lydia was beaten to death.  I don’t think they are legally responsible for this death, but the fact that the Schatz’ are fully responsible for their own actions does not negate one very simple fact.

The Pearls would be Christian teachers.  This puts a greater responsibility on them than on most.  Scripture tells us,

Let not many of you become teachers my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. –James 3:1

Some good advice and a few warnings peppered through a text that has such an emphasis on dominating a child does not put this ministry above question.

Schatz Elizabeth Schatz Kevin Schatz Lydia Schatz Pearls Michael Pearl No Greater Joy TTUAC

No school today? (We homeschool.)

Oh, that’s right!  How are they doing?  (Pretty well. Insert small talk type comments about what we’re actually doing.)

So, do you want a flu shot today.  (No.)

Not filling out the form and not requesting one must have been an oversight.  Or I must be anti-vaccine because the nurse never fails to ask the next question on the list.

Are your children current on vaccinations.  (Should be.)

Because, you see, there are homeschoolers and then there are those homeschoolers.

What kind of social activities do you have the children involved in?

At this point, a few of the nurses go into their spiel about the importance of organized activities and friendships for social development and emotional well-being.  Most just go on to checking over my child, satisfied with my list of activities.  I know this is not the normal line of questioning for every parent, however, because on the rare occasion I come in with only one younger child, none of it comes up.

Then the doctor comes in and we get to go through it all again.  Except he always pulls their chart to check on their vaccination schedule and displays much more interest in the list of outside activities and encourages me to join a local homeschool group.

Talking with other homeschoolers online and off, this seems to be an occasional source of frustration.  I’ve heard more than a few complaints about the lack of trust the pediatrician displays, the frustration of defending decisions regarding vaccination or limiting outside activities, the “ignorance” regarding “socialization,” and the general annoyance of having your parenting questioned by a physician in front of the children.

Some, apparently, even have questions for the children regarding how safe they feel at home and what kinds of things they feel threatened by.  Few parents I know would be comfortable listening as the doctor broach the topic of child abuse.

I’ve never been annoyed by the questioning, however.  Amused, yes, but never annoyed. Part of it is because I’m just not really a confrontational person.  Not anymore, anyway.  Part of it is because their office really is supportive of homeschooling, and they manage to go through the questioning free of any accusatory or concerned tone.  In fact, their tone is much more like “What did you do over the weekend?” rather than “How can you do that to a child?!”  Part of it is because I expect it.  There is no shock at suddenly being asked what I’m asked at every visit, and with five children we have enough visits to the pediatrician to know what to expect.

Most of it, however, is because I want the questioning.  I pay my pediatrician for his professional opinion regarding the healthy development of my child, not to encourage my choices, nor to affirm my choices nor to even agree with my choices.  If he has cause for concern, I expect him to educate me.  If we disagree on some aspect of my children’s care, I expect him to do his best to make sure I’m making an informed decision.

And honestly, I expect my children to be cared for and treated differently because they are homeschooled.  Because they are unique individuals in a unique situation.  My pediatrician earned my respect and loyalty a few years ago when I brought our eldest in with some generic, non-specific concerns.  She looked healthy.  I’m not sure anyone else in the world would have looked at her and wondered if something was wrong.  All her vital signs were normal.  But she just wasn’t quite herself, and hadn’t been for some time.  The doctor took my concerns seriously, but what’s more he took into account that my daughter does not complain when she isn’t feeling well.    He did a thorough exam, drew blood and encouraged me to schedule another appointment if it persisted.

I don’t think it was coincidence that she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis a few months later when some specific symptoms finally began to develop.  But you know…I would be very disappointed if our pediatrician did not take into account my daughter’s ulcerative colitis when treating her.  If he wasn’t concerned about side effects of the medicine, interactions with what he’s prescribing, her bone density, and her general nutrition.

Why should it be any different with homeschooling?  It certainly isn’t any sort of “risk factor,” but it is a decision that comes with a unique set of parenting challenges that a good doctor should be aware of.  I would be very uncomfortable if the state were to come into my home and start asking these sorts of questions simply because I submitted paperwork to homeschool, but the pediatrician isn’t the state.  And I pay him to do it.

How do you deal with your pediatrician’s questions?

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Don’t forget to visit this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling, Oddities Edition!

Note: Clicking on the link should open a pdf.  It worked several hundred times, and then stopped working.   Appears to be fixed, now.  If not, please contact me.

Since I would like to write more e-books, I would love your feedback.  Are the instructions clear?  Do the lessons fit together?  Is there something missing?  Is there a lesson you particularly enjoy?  Why?

Let me know what you think, and enjoy gardening with your children!

And while you are gardening together, please consider Sharing the Harvest!

free e-book lesson Christian homeschool homeschooling