How can I convince my parents? - Page 2

[Djenn]

CrayolaColours, I feel for you 100%.

I'm 17 and graduate from high school this coming Friday.
I hate(d) school so much. I even calculated how many hours of nothing we did in a year.

My grad write-up in my yearbook was censored to boot...
I had originally submitted "I guess it's too late to be homeschooled now". And I had to change it. There are worse write-ups in the yearbook... I'm controlled more than the average student because..... the principle is my aunt. I'm supposed to set an example. What I do can reflect poorly on her, blah blah. I feel you on the uniform thing too... We don't have uniforms, but the dress code is strictly upheld. To the point that it makes a person wonder if the administration has no work to do (for example, they had teachers send down every student to the cafeteria whose clothing did not adhere to the dress code. They were then sent home. wth? Guess learning is NOT a priority.) There's just so much lack of respect in school...

Anyways, you can do it. It's a shitty situation... My mantra has been "time doesn't stop" and before I knew it school was over and now I'm forging my own path. I unschool myself when possible (for example, I am high tailing it out of this province, dropping myself in an unfamiliar land to live with unfamiliar people on a farm for 6 weeks). It IS hard to unschool while being put through traditional schooling, though. It's like damage control every day after 4pm.

I suppose I've veered off a bit and don't really have much advice to give. Other teens feel like you, and you're definitely not alone.

[phoebemommy]

I'm impressed by your writing ability, like someone else mentioned. It took me a couple paragraphs to realize you weren't a parent trying to convince the grandparents about homeschooling. I'm also impressed that you're so clear in your convictions about what's best for you. I fought my instincts on this subject all through high school, college, and grad school, hating every minute of it but thinking it was what I had to do to get anywhere. I finally realized at age 30 that so much of it had been a waste, and brainwashing. Not that I regret the path I took, but I always wonder what could have happened had I not followed the prescribed path.

I don't have a lot of advice beyond what's been said, except to consider how you might fight to get what you need out of high school. I was always in with my guidance counselor, demanding that I change my schedule when I got a teacher who was a dud or knew of a class that I should be in but wasn't. I also did a lot of my own unschooling outside of class -- spent a lot of time at the public library reading more of an author I enjoyed in English class, or just reading reading reading about something that caught my attention in school or the world. If you do stay in school, do what you can to make the best of it. You can get a good education in spite of your school.

The only other thing that strikes me, and this I learned from John Taylor Gatto, is that people who succeed as the high school dropout unschooler types are bold about finding and utilizing the resources available to them in their communities. I don't think we do this much anymore, but you should learn how to befriend librarians, shopkeepers, professors, and anybody else who might be able to help you educate yourself. Figure out what you can do to make it worth their while to help you (sweep their floors, babysit their kids, you get the idea). Be safe and be smart, but don't be afraid to venture beyond where you're used to getting instruction and materials. And figure out how to get the books and supplies you need! Don't just accept defeat if you don't have the cash and can't find a copy at the library. Get creative. (I'm not saying to steal, here, just get creative and don't give up.) Also, check out inter-library loan. It might be the way!

Another book you should read -- Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto. I didn't notice if anyone mentioned it. If you liked Dumbing Us Down, you'll love this one.

[Dashakay]

Originally Posted by cottonwood

Moving out at 16 doesn't necessarily mean living on the streets, and in this case I'm assuming it definitely doesn't mean that. At 16 a person is old enough to get a job and support herself. Sure, that involves a lot of work for probably low wages in order to support her in doing the work she really cares about, but plenty of people do that at all ages, and for many people (including myself) it is/was an especially creative and purposeful time in their lives.

However, I think we need to be realistic. In today's economy, it's pretty tough for adults with college degrees to earn livable wages and find affordable, safe housing. It would take an extremely motivated and mature 16 year-old (and probably quite a few strokes of luck along the way such as an offer to live for free in a friend's house or stumbling on a really great job for good pay) to succeed on her own.

[HappyMommy2]

I felt similar to you at your age. I thought it was such baloney that I still had to ask to go the the bathroom, for crying out loud!!

I did have an alternative school to go to, and it was great. They had a pool table, and we could sign up for billiards for a gym credit. (hand-eye coordination.) My friend knitted a sweater for her home-ec credit. The classes that were offered at the school were SO much different than at my "real" high school. The teachers respected our opinions, and made sure we were involved in a way that appealed to us.

We could do many things in the community for credit - including community college or other classes. We just wrote it up and discussed it with our mentors for approval. It allowed everyone to be creative and focus on their own interests. Plus classes at other places are so much better than high school. It is nice to be treated with respect as an adult.

And it was a diploma, not a GED.


I'm glad you have a plan, and it sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. But threatening to drop out doesn't seem like the best idea. Start implementing your plan first.
Perhaps you can start studying now and get your GED early (like before you drop out). Don't just drop out with a vague plan to get it someday.

I guess my point is that even if high school isn't for you, other education might be.

Getting stuck in a dead end job with no education is a real possibility. You could end up making so little money that you can't do anything, but stuck without other opportunities.

Good luck!