Denim Jumpers

Yesterday there was a homeschool curriculum fair that our eclectic homeschool group was involved in. Let me just say right here that I do not, have never and probably won't ever own a denim jumper. Somehow through the ages the denim jumper became identified with the homeschooling mom. I know why now. I was surprised at the number of people who showed up to this fair in their denim jumpers. Now I'll admit that there were plenty of other jumpers, skirts, slacks, shorts, dresses, jeans, and even a sarong. But there were lots of jumpers. I find a pair of jeans much more practical.

It was fairly odd attending this event as a radical unschooler. I took some time to stroll through the different booths and displays and out of all the magazines, free books, pamphlets and catalogs that I collected I recycled all but one thing - a K'nex catalog! Everything there was SO schooly. Everything there looked SO boring! It isn't that I am opposed to learning. Far from it. I love learning and so do my kids. It's the format that I have so much trouble with. I could find nothing there that made me excited about wanting to learn (other than the Math-U-See booth, but then I want that for myself LOL!) When people would ask my what my kids were interested in and I said, "Anime, Japanese, Japanese culture, video games, soccer, cooking" I would get these blank stares (I think I lost them at Anime.) They would show me cartoon books or curriculum based on cooking or cookbooks based on some curriculum series. Nothing looked alive.

Sadly, I saw children there that didn't look alive. They looked like little animatronic wind up toys. Their eyes seemed dead. They didn't smile even when you looked at them in the eye. They sought permission to color on our table from their parents (we had butcher paper rolled out for kids to color on while the parents talked). I saw no joy in so many of these children's lives! It made me so sad for them. I wondered if they would grow up and have children of their own and be stuck in a denim jumper and continue the cycle of unjoyful living.

BTW, if you are reading this and you are a homeschooling mom who would never think to wear a denim jumper you should check out the website http://www.thedenimjumper.com . Great website for the secular homeschooler (no denim jumpers allowed!)