Now Scheduling for Summer: Erika Shupe (pt. 7)

[mango_fandango]

Another repost, guys! This time it's the "Raising Real Men" book review post. Quite boring actually. It doesn't have any comments, although I know it's a repost. If Erika's deleting old posts just to repost them with minimal change... why?? Also, is it sad that I can tell whether something's a repost?? 

[THERetroGamerNY]

Can I just say that the thought of her whole family, sitting around that dinner table, with a fireplace DVD playing ... and then they start singing hymns ... just seems professional-grade awkward.

[16strong]

3 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

Another repost, guys! This time it's the "Raising Real Men" book review post. Quite boring actually. It doesn't have any comments, although I know it's a repost. If Erika's deleting old posts just to repost them with minimal change... why?? Also, is it sad that I can tell whether something's a repost?? 

Because she's tired of catching shit about reposting old material. I think you've stumbled onto the reason she deleted so many posts. So she could repost them without any hassle, and to ditch any that were causing her to catch a lot of grief. Erika hates people disagreeing with her.

[withaj]

14 hours ago, 16strong said:

Because she's tired of catching shit about reposting old material. I think you've stumbled onto the reason she deleted so many posts. So she could repost them without any hassle, and to ditch any that were causing her to catch a lot of grief. Erika hates people disagreeing with her.

And yet she keeps blogging... oh yeah, because her righteousness will protect her. 

[mango_fandango]

ANOTHER REPOST! Dang she is on a ROLL!

This time it's about scheduling when she had just a few kids. It's not one of the deleted posts as there are comments up from Oct 2011 when she first posted it. 

[Thumb of Justice]

I discovered Erika thanks to Free Jinger, and the main thing I remember is being incredibly APPALLED by some piece of "work" one of her kids had done, which she thought was so great that she posted it. It was years behind what a child of that age should be doing. 

What a hellish life she is giving those children:  underfeeding them, undereducating them, and keeping them penned up in that boring little house while she micromanages them. What kind of future is she preparing them for? Prison warden is all too accurate for her, and she's not raising them to be ready to do anything other than be prison inmates.

[Hisey]

5 hours ago, Thumb of Justice said:

I discovered Erika thanks to Free Jinger, and the main thing I remember is being incredibly APPALLED by some piece of "work" one of her kids had done, which she thought was so great that she posted it. It was years behind what a child of that age should be doing. 

What a hellish life she is giving those children:  underfeeding them, undereducating them, and keeping them penned up in that boring little house while she micromanages them. What kind of future is she preparing them for? Prison warden is all too accurate for her, and she's not raising them to be ready to do anything other than be prison inmates.

I know. It made me sad to see that she's been scheduling their lives for YEARS, ever since Karen and Melanie were tiny. They seem to spend all day, almost every day in that tiny little house. I bet Karen is thrilled to have a job.

In a way, I can understand the schedule. If I thought I had to keep my kids at home all day, and I had nine of them, I might need a schedule, too. I mean, she's responsible for educating them, keeping them healthy and hydrated, and supervising them in that house 24/7. I can sort of see the point to a schedule, as opposed to having all 9 run around like banshees while she tries to remember what to do next. 

But I do have a problem with the level of isolation. Those kids are always in that house, unless they are visiting relatives. There's never any mention of neighborhood friends, or letting Brandon bike to the local park, or dropping Anna Marie off for a violin concert. And I feel strongly that they are grossly underfed. I hate when she says, "Vegetables have protein, you know!" There's no way those kids are eating enough veggies to get their protein needs met.

[19 cats and counting]

So in a totally unrelated thread, there's a story in the news about a tow truck driver who left a woman stranded because her car had a Bernie Sanders sticker on it (and he doesn't feel the Bern).  The driver's name is Ken Shupe.  Of course my mind immediately wonders if he's somehow related to Erika and family (well Bob).

http://jezebel.com/a-trump-loving-tow-truck-driver-left-a-disabled-bernie-1775321630

[Alicja]

So in a totally unrelated thread, there's a story in the news about a tow truck driver who left a woman stranded because her car had a Bernie Sanders sticker on it (and he doesn't feel the Bern).  The driver's name is Ken Shupe.  Of course my mind immediately wonders if he's somehow related to Erika and family (well Bob).

http://jezebel.com/a-trump-loving-tow-truck-driver-left-a-disabled-bernie-1775321630

When I saw that, I immediately ran here to see if it was one of our Shupes (almost threw up typing that. yuck)

[elliha]

14 hours ago, Hisey said:

I know. It made me sad to see that she's been scheduling their lives for YEARS, ever since Karen and Melanie were tiny. They seem to spend all day, almost every day in that tiny little house. I bet Karen is thrilled to have a job.

In a way, I can understand the schedule. If I thought I had to keep my kids at home all day, and I had nine of them, I might need a schedule, too. I mean, she's responsible for educating them, keeping them healthy and hydrated, and supervising them in that house 24/7. I can sort of see the point to a schedule, as opposed to having all 9 run around like banshees while she tries to remember what to do next. 

But I do have a problem with the level of isolation. Those kids are always in that house, unless they are visiting relatives. There's never any mention of neighborhood friends, or letting Brandon bike to the local park, or dropping Anna Marie off for a violin concert. And I feel strongly that they are grossly underfed. I hate when she says, "Vegetables have protein, you know!" There's no way those kids are eating enough veggies to get their protein needs met.

Oh yeah, if I were a SAHM homeschooling 9 kids there would certainly be a schedule. One reoccuring post would be outside activities, all year round even when it is cold, raining or snowing. Most daycares and schools in my country work that way, other than extreme weather children are outside every day. 

I would probably have a day out learning stuff as often as possible for my and the kids' sake even if it is just the local library, museum or a nearby wooded area. 

Things that you need to do every day though would probably be scheduled like eat lunch at the same time, have scheduled snacks and certain subjects planned for certain times or days. We would not have the same lunch every single day (but probably something like soup day, salad day, leftover day). 

Sure it is fun to be spontanous, but it can be hard even with 1-2 kids so I get that there isn't that much room for it with 9 but there has to be SOME room for it. I could even see scheduling free time just to teach children to do things without too much planning. 

My saddest Erika moment is her proud picture of one of the boys playing with legos and not making a mess, just making planes which he lines up one after the other. It is such uncreative and uninspired play. I totally get "legos go on this carpet only" when you have 9 kids but not being allowed to go crazy even on that carpet seems like going too far.

[Hisey]

1 hour ago, elliha said:

Oh yeah, if I were a SAHM homeschooling 9 kids there would certainly be a schedule. One reoccuring post would be outside activities, all year round even when it is cold, raining or snowing. Most daycares and schools in my country work that way, other than extreme weather children are outside every day. 

I would probably have a day out learning stuff as often as possible for my and the kids' sake even if it is just the local library, museum or a nearby wooded area. 

Things that you need to do every day though would probably be scheduled like eat lunch at the same time, have scheduled snacks and certain subjects planned for certain times or days. We would not have the same lunch every single day (but probably something like soup day, salad day, leftover day). 

Sure it is fun to be spontanous, but it can be hard even with 1-2 kids so I get that there isn't that much room for it with 9 but there has to be SOME room for it. I could even see scheduling free time just to teach children to do things without too much planning. 

My saddest Erika moment is her proud picture of one of the boys playing with legos and not making a mess, just making planes which he lines up one after the other. It is such uncreative and uninspired play. I totally get "legos go on this carpet only" when you have 9 kids but not being allowed to go crazy even on that carpet seems like going too far.

I agree! Much as adults would like it, kids just don't play in an orderly way like that. Erika schedules things like "dress up play, one hour." The kids are only allowed to take out the dress up clothes. They have to start and stop when she says.

My kids' best play came from having a couple of hours alone in their play room. They might start with dress up clothes, then add a few blocks, or a blanket, to make a fort or a home. They might grab a few things from their play kitchen. I think that kind of creative, unstructured play is really fun for kids.

Of course, children need boundaries and they can't be allowed to take apart the entire house for their play. But the way Erika does it seems to stifle any creativity simply to reduce the mess in her home. 

[Rubaiyat]

1 hour ago, elliha said:

Oh yeah, if I were a SAHM homeschooling 9 kids there would certainly be a schedule. One reoccuring post would be outside activities, all year round even when it is cold, raining or snowing. Most daycares and schools in my country work that way, other than extreme weather children are outside every day. 

I would probably have a day out learning stuff as often as possible for my and the kids' sake even if it is just the local library, museum or a nearby wooded area. 

Things that you need to do every day though would probably be scheduled like eat lunch at the same time, have scheduled snacks and certain subjects planned for certain times or days. We would not have the same lunch every single day (but probably something like soup day, salad day, leftover day). 

Sure it is fun to be spontanous, but it can be hard even with 1-2 kids so I get that there isn't that much room for it with 9 but there has to be SOME room for it. I could even see scheduling free time just to teach children to do things without too much planning. 

My saddest Erika moment is her proud picture of one of the boys playing with legos and not making a mess, just making planes which he lines up one after the other. It is such uncreative and uninspired play. I totally get "legos go on this carpet only" when you have 9 kids but not being allowed to go crazy even on that carpet seems like going too far.

I totally understand what you're saying. I homeschool 4, quite close in age.  I know I used the word "schedule" previously, but I'm realizing I meant to say "routine."   Routines are comforting, schedules can be confining. 

And legos are a divine right of childhood.  Even if they end up in every freaking nook and cranny itheoughout my entire house AND surrounding environs.  They are also the best homeskooling tool of ever, I'm really surprised Big E doesn't use them that way.  

[mango_fandango]

Mothers Day today of course. This time last year Erika announced that pregnancy. Wonder what would've happened if she'd had it?

[alexandracabot]

1 hour ago, mango_fandango said:

Mothers Day today of course. This time last year Erika announced that pregnancy. Call me an asshole but I'm glad she didn't have that baby. Poor thing would be scheduled from day one. Although part of me is curious as to whether it was a boy or a girl and what she'd've called it.

I do think it kind of makes you an asshole to say you are glad a woman had a miscarriage.

[mango_fandango]

6 minutes ago, alexandracabot said:

I do think it kind of makes you an asshole to say you are glad a woman had a miscarriage.

Ok. Shit. Said the wrong thing. 

[Granwych]

1 hour ago, alexandracabot said:

I do think it kind of makes you an asshole to say you are glad a woman had a miscarriage.

Does it make me an asshole to say that I'm glad that a child was not born into that family?

[princessmahina]

Personally, I think it's okay to say that it's probably a good thing that no more children will be born to the Shupes. However, I wouldn't wish pain and suffering on anybody, including Erika. 

Although I WOULD wish her to have to sit in the living room with popcorn and a granola bar with Bob while the children have a restaurant feast at the dining room and eat as much as they want. They deserve a big meal after all the food restrictions in that house. 

[mango_fandango]

That is what I meant, I just phrased it horribly. When the whole miscarriage happened I was actually sympathetic, because miscarriages suck, whoever you are. I am relieved that there isn't a new kid in the Hamster Cage, a poor innocent baby being fed every three to four hours on an Ezzo schedule, and knowing what their life would've been like, stuck in that tiny house, and if it was a girl, being destined for a life of pumping out babies and nothing else.

I did phrase things horribly and I am sorry for that; hope I've clarified things.

[feministxtian]

My stepdaughters are fraternal twins...and they are just as different as they can be. Growing up they were each other's best friend but much of that can be chalked up to their mother's narcissism and that they were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses. Now...they couldn't be more different. J is a nurse, married, mother of 1, still lives in the same area she grew up in. H is single, is a loss prevention manager and lives outside their hometown. Neither one is a JW now (to the chagrin of their mother). One went overboard Jesus-Freak fundy-lite and the other one is WAY more liberal...

They're not one unit Erika!!!!

 

[mango_fandango]

Erika received some nice stuff for Mother's Day. They went to the frozen yoghurt place again. "FroYo" seems to be huge right now. Anyone else not really like it? Admittedly I've only tried it once; I ordered it in a restaurant thinking it was ice-cream and was disappointed. It didn't taste nice. 

Her favourite movie is Anna and the King, she got the soundtrack as a present. (Same story as The King and I but without the songs, in case you didn't know. Also has Tom Felton in it! This was before Harry Potter of course.)

[Koala]

Yeah, that's a lot...

I think a single skittle and a dollar store hairclip (for her to share with a few other people) would have been more appropriate.  Or maybe a *squeeze hug* *gag* *grin*

[defraudingjezebel]

23 minutes ago, mango_fandango said:

Erika received some nice stuff for Mother's Day. They went to the frozen yoghurt place again. "FroYo" seems to be huge right now. Anyone else not really like it? Admittedly I've only tried it once; I ordered it in a restaurant thinking it was ice-cream and was disappointed. It didn't taste nice. 

Her favourite movie is Anna and the King, she got the soundtrack as a present. (Same story as The King and I but without the songs, in case you didn't know. Also has Tom Felton in it! This was before Harry Potter of course.)

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the reasons they go get froyo rather than regular ice cream is because most yogurt places offer fat-free and/or sugar-free varieties that would fit within her dietary restrictions. I bet their sugar free yogurt tastes better than her "coco" concoction, though! 

[feministxtian]

I don't like yogurt in any form...ice cream is ice cream, full fat, creamy and loaded with goodness (chocolate, cherries, raspberries, any fruit but strawberries).

What the hell is Anna and the King? My mother's day has been spent watching my favorite movies...all of them involve explosions, some involved aliens, others involved bombs...

[Koala]

About the only way I can tolerate frozen yogurt is to get the peanut butter kind and bury it in hot fudge.  That kind of works.

[mango_fandango]

1 hour ago, feministxtian said:

I don't like yogurt in any form...ice cream is ice cream, full fat, creamy and loaded with goodness (chocolate, cherries, raspberries, any fruit but strawberries).

What the hell is Anna and the King? My mother's day has been spent watching my favorite movies...all of them involve explosions, some involved aliens, others involved bombs...

If you know the story/film The King and I, it's basically that. 

Normal out-of-a-pot yogurt is OK, particularly if it's flavoured or Greek style with honey.