Texas homeschoolers, please read and be honest...

[ManiacMama]

We are considering a move from MN to TX (Dallas/Ft. Worth). MN is a very liberal state, people are quite open minded. You get your fundamentalist Christians here and there but people overall are very accepting of others' beliefs.

Since we'll be homeschooling, finding a support group and making friends is obviously really important. My biggest fear is we'll move to TX and most of the hs'ers (and general population) will be very conservative, fundamentalist Christian. Since we are waaay liberal and not Christian this could be a problem! We are also an interracial family (Dh is Asian) so that is also a concern. Can you please honestly share your experiences with me! This move is totally optional; we don't have to go. I just don't want to make a mistake!!

TIA

[CerridwenLorelei]

well the group I told you about

will take you liberal mixed mutts in a heartbeat

Out here by me not a chance until I get mine going ...and I will get it going soon heh heh

and Dallas has quite a few open groups...

Fort Worth has many open pockets and even a CUUPS group that meets..it is more often the sleepy little bedroom towns like mine that you run into the bigoted fundamentalist conservatives that really violate the true definition of Christian and tend to be hateful toward those not like them..

[HeatherSanders]

I am headed back to TX in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks and although I am Christian, I don't see it as a hindrance to wanting to get to know another homeschooling family that is non-Christian. Have you found that Christians are exclusive? Here in Augusta, GA there isn't a terrible amount of support for Homeschoolers - Christian or not.

I recently went to a meeting where I turned around and left simply b/c they did not seem to need/want another HS family. My girls felt utterly rejected. Heck I EVEN felt rejected and I'm normally not too sensitive about that.

The whole 'judgement' thing that people get from Christians blows me away. It is total hypocrisy for Christians to put forth the . So many scriptures that are the basis of the Christian faith preach against it. I can have my beliefs and be secure in them in spite of any differences from my friends. Can't most? Are Christians really that bad? Seems with homeschooling the focus should be on how to best encourage our children toward the desire for learning. Yes, I believe what I believe. Yes, I am encouraged when others choose Christianity. No, I don't judge them if they do not. It is soooo not my place. And in return, I hope desperately to not be judged b/c I am so less than near-anything-like-perfect.

Hmmm ... this has left me pondering ... hope I didn't invade this thread too much.

[CerridwenLorelei]

Christians no

The ones like the ones out here and in some other pockets we have encountered that go away from what I have always thought a true Christian to be yes

There are groups here that have the SOF etc and do NOT want their members to even be friends with ANYONE outside of that sphere...
and the one out here is just soo not nice at all..

its sad really because in College or working life they WILL be outside that sphere

[ManiacMama]

Heather, thanks for your response. In my personal experience with some Christians is that they tend to really push their beliefs onto others. I don't believe that my moral code is inferior to those who believe in Christianity and I don't feel it is anyone's place to judge my personal belief system. I attended a Baptist church for 3 1/2 years desperately trying to find my niche (which wasn't Christianity at all, turns out) and these were the snootiest & unfriendliest group of people I've ever met, not at all what I understand Christians are supposed to be like. I guess this experience, along with a constant talk about Jesus and the Lord in inappropriate situations, has really turned me off to fundamentalist Christians. This is NOT to say that I would not be friends with a Christian, not at all as I do not believe all or even most Christians behave this way, but let's just say I'm very wary of someone who starts bringing religion into a common ordinary conversation.

It is nice, though, to meet others who believe in the same philosophies that you believe in. This was my intention in posting this. I guess my impression of Texans are very friendly, but very conservative people. Since we are very liberal and non-religious, I just want to make sure if we move that we'll feel like we fit in. Hope that makes sense.

[alegna]

In my experience in Texas it all depends on where you are. Head to a city and there should be plenty of nice, liberal, open-minded homeschoolers. In a rural area, you'll probably be on your own.

-Angela

[HeatherSanders]

I totally see where you are coming from on that Jenny. I agree with Angela ... stick with the larger cities b/c Texas is big and the large cities are big and diverse.

The smaller towns are where you will find a good deal of conservatives ... and unfortunately, their friendliness might be reserved for 'like-minds.' But the bigger cities like Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio will certainly have both home-schoolers and diversity in ethnicity and belief-systems.

[CerridwenLorelei]

alegna is right but I do so hope to change

that in my rural area over the next couple of months
I know what I am doing now

[Linda KS]

Originally Posted by HeatherSanders

Are Christians really that bad?

Well, a few are and they are really loud

We moved cross country this year and left an area where there were lots of different kinds of homeschoolers and the Christians were nice people. We now live in a place where darn near all homeschoolers are Christians who like to talk about conservative politics and don't want their kids around catholics!

My biggest problem is that they think I'm one of them. I'm thinking of getting a Darwin fish for my car.

[HeatherSanders]

Because Catholics can't be Christian?

That is so entirely insane.

Geez, what happened to "They will know us by our love."

[ManiacMama]

OMG, Heather, my Baptist Grandfather reams my Catholic aunt all the time because she hasn't found the "true" religion. It's so irritating. I know the Baptist church I used to attend regarded Catholicism as a borderline cult.

[Ann-Marita]

I agree with the PP who said that large cities will offer more in the way of non-fundamentalist.

Austin is not conservative at all. There is a LOT of support for non-Christian homeschoolers. There is also some, uh, negativity directed toward non-Christian homeschoolers. But for the most part, it's fine.

But I lived in a very very small town outside a small city in east Texas, and the judmental attitude was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Thank goodness that was before we had a child and started homeschooling.

[HeatherSanders]

Originally Posted by ManiacMama

OMG, Heather, my Baptist Grandfather reams my Catholic aunt all the time because she hasn't found the "true" religion. It's so irritating. I know the Baptist church I used to attend regarded Catholicism as a borderline cult.

I have a tendency to feel that that mindset is more 'religion' than 'Christian.' I grew up in a Baptist church as well. I prefer Bible churches for this reason. I dislike how it seems many can get caught up in the 'doctrine' and lose the message.

For instance, baptism ... is it correct to sprinkle, shower, dunk, etc... kwim? Baptism is baptism. It is all symbolic - who cares HOW it is done.

I feel the same with Christianity. Perhaps it is the definition of Christianity. If your grandfather defines it as following the Baptist Doctrine then I guess he would think a Catholic is way off the beaten path. I don't believe all Baptists are Christians and I don't believe all Catholics are Christians by the way I define Christianity. However, my definition of Christianity also sort of relieves me of saying who is and isn't simply because I believe it is a personal relationship with Christ ... a 'heart' thing and there is NO ONE that can TELL another person where their 'heart' is ... so it is sort of a moot point, in my opinion.

What East Texas town? I have relatives in Tyler and am moving to Huntsville, but that is more central Texas I guess.

Hey, you can always start your own home-schooling group - put up flyers here and there. I imagine you might actually grow a sizeable group.

I would like for someone to begin an inclusive group that would allow for different mindsets to come together ... what a way to teach our children to leave peaceably.

[Ann-Marita]

The east Texas city I lived out side of was indeed Tyler. I have no idea what the homeschooling atmosphere is in Tyler. That was before we had a child, and before I had ever heard of homeschooling.

Homeschooling in the Austin area is good. Lots of different support organizations. A major one requires a statement of faith, and (I've heard) discourages participation in other (non-exclusive) groups. But another major group is secular and inclusive, and very active. And then there are probably hundreds of smaller groups, each with it's own flavor.

[party_of_seven]

Well, we homeschool outside of Houston. We don't do it for religious reasons(we are pretty much unschoolers who want to inspire a love of learning in our children), but our church has a large hsing support group that we are members of (LDS). We joined mainly because a lot of our children's friends from church who are homeschooled are members of the same group. We do field trips and have education days and conferences through the group. They also provide a lot of social activities like teen clubs, dances, book clubs. There is even a graduation ceremony for the ones who are finishing up their high school work...the parents get to present their diploma

That said, I have met a LOT of liberal and diverse hsers in the area. It seems like everywhere I turn I meet someone who is hsing....very few do it for religious reasons. We moved to TX from Idaho. I was very worried about the very thing you are, but I was very pleased with what we have found. Houston is VERY diverse, and I love that. I love having my children see that not everyone is the same...we all have different backgrounds and heritage. There are so many things to do around here to teach children to love all of these different cultures.

I honestly couldn't be happier with the hsing climate here.

I agree that staying out of the small cities is best, but I'm sure that all of the larger cities have a great group of hsers that are very diverse.

(You didn't mention if you had ever been to TX before, but at least in the large cities we are not a bunch of cowboy hat wearing rednecks...sometimes we may be portrayed that way, but in the big cities here its not the case.)

[ManiacMama]

Originally Posted by HeatherSanders

I feel the same with Christianity. Perhaps it is the definition of Christianity. If your grandfather defines it as following the Baptist Doctrine then I guess he would think a Catholic is way off the beaten path. I don't believe all Baptists are Christians and I don't believe all Catholics are Christians by the way I define Christianity. However, my definition of Christianity also sort of relieves me of saying who is and isn't simply because I believe it is a personal relationship with Christ ... a 'heart' thing and there is NO ONE that can TELL another person where their 'heart' is ... so it is sort of a moot point, in my opinion.

I totally agree with this, Heather. You said it really well

[ManiacMama]

Party of Six, thanks so much for your post, I feel a TON better now I think with all the election hype going on I got freaked, which is bound to happen when you are making such a huge decision! We are going to Dallas/Ft. Worth, which I found to be very wonderfully diverse and the people super friendly. We spent a week touring Texas in June and I just loved it, everything about it (except maybe the fire ants :LOL) and I can't imagine that everyone in a city of 6 million people would be ultra conservative, but again, it was a panicked moment . Not that there is anything wrong with being conservative, but it's nice to have some fellow liberals in the bunch

I LOVED Houston, btw, and would have chosen it in a heartbeat if I felt the economy there was stronger. But, hey, the way I look at things is that we'll be renting at first so if we don't like Dallas we can always move to Austin or Houston.

Thanks!!

[HeatherSanders]

The fireants - OH MY, THE FIRE ANTS are horrible! Wow, I had forgotten about the FIRE ANTS. Of course, you at least do not have the FLYING ROACHES (they call them waterbugs here, but I know better) that are here in Augusta, GA.

I have cold chills.

Good luck with your move. I'm stressed about all the details of ours, but so ready to go *clap*clap*clap*clap* DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS (pee wee herman flashbacks).

[Carolinamidwife]

Hey!!! I didn't get to read the other posts but I will chime in down here... My family is also WAAAAYYYY left, very liberal. We're from Chicago (and NC) transplanted to DFW. My dh is also Asian, lol.

Anyhoo, I won't mince words: We pretty much hate it here, lol. For one thing, it is scorchingly hot, there is not much culture and diversity... mainly shopping and restaurants. It is extremely hard to be anything outside the mainstream in the Dallas area... not impossible... and kind of fun if you're into being subversive. There is a hs group in my area that is STRICTLY a non-religious affair. It's really refreshing... I am sure there are Christians in the group but no one is judgemental and religion in never a topic.

Do you know whereabouts you will be?

[ManiacMama]

Yikes, Sheena, now I'm scared again! We can be anywhere we want to be, but we were looking more in the Mansfield or Cedar Hill areas. We haven't checked out any of the northern burbs yet, though.

So, would you say it's sort of hard to fit in there coming from the Northern, more liberal, areas? I'm glad to hear you've found a good hs group but if the general public is unaccepting, then... Have you encountered any racism (dh is really concerned about this)? How about making friends - has it been easy or challenging? I'm not too worried about the heat; I love it. When we hit 60 here, I'm shivering. I can't take the winters. I'd love to hear more.

Thanks,