1. Elementary & high school is a waste of time. No one remembers anything beyond reading, writing & mathematics so why not spend the time following your own interests and finding what you’re passionate about?
2. Everything I have done for income in the past 10 years has been self-taught. That is enough for me to know that for most, school is a waste of time and that following your interests & passions is infinitely more important. (keeping in mind that some passions, like becoming a doctor, require schooling)
3. ‘Lack of respect’ isn’t a bad thing. Being a lemming is. My children will not lack for confidence.
4. Lazy? If I was lazy, I’d still be at my easy desk job collecting paychecks instead of building a business and moving my family across the globe. If I was lazy, I’d send my kids to school instead of being involved in their lives.
5. There’s nothing lazy about learning outside of school. In school the good teachers dream of ways to get the students to take responsibility for their learning. This is not an issue with unschooling at all. You might note that people who are great at something are passionate about it. They’re not collecting paychecks & going through the motions.
6. I don’t prefer sharing our bed – I love it. It’s not about having the room (ie money) and it’s not about convenience (sticking babies in cages). It’s about being together. I love being with my children, with my whole family.
7. I’m glad you have friends that practice AP as it should help expand your horizons, though I wonder how they like having someone so critical as a so-called friend.
8. Kids should be unruly rather than sedate & under control. If you go to a playground and all the children are quiet, it would be a very creepy, abnormal experience.
9. The tired comment is just plain stupid.
10. Ain’t nothing wrong with messy houses. Of course, we can afford a maid now so it’s not as much of an issue, but making kids do something (clean up) when they aren’t inclined towards it is a waste of time. They learn by example and we see in our 6yr old that his sense of responsibility is growing naturally. Having a conflict over a mess is a waste of time – they will understand when they are capable of understanding. Of course, this would mean respecting them and letting them grow at their own rate, and you’re all about schedule & control.