Jill and Derwood 62: Law School Rumors and Boring Sam

[frugalitymom]

I’m all about encouraging learning but unless Izzy is super brilliant he should be learning through playing.  With their track record I’m afraid he is being forced to sit and learn just so Jill has something to do and brag about. 

[Ivycoveredtower]

1 minute ago, frugalitymom said:

I’m all about encouraging learning but unless Izzy is super brilliant he should be learning through playing.  With their track record I’m afraid he is being forced to sit and learn just so Jill has something to do and brag about. 

honestly the one thing that stuck out at me and really only because it's a topic that is being discussed over on the Benessa thread is that it seems Izzy is fully potty trained. 

[xlurker]

This will not be popular, but I really really really don't like the "teaching" kids before Kindergarten.  Both Lurkerlings were lucky to have either me or Dad home at any given time, and did not go to preschool.  That is not to say they didn't learn things.  We played, and thru play we learned letters and numbers. If they were interested in stars--we all learned about stars, or dinosaurs, or animal tracks--whatever.  I actually had a kindergarten teacher tell me my child will forever be behind because she switched up her lower case b's and d's!  Fast forward many years, both of them were in top 12% of class, AP classes aced and went on to both major in sciences in college and graduate.  No need to put that kind of pressure on a preschool kid.  I firmly think that to do this may cause them to burn out just when they need it most--high school and college.  As I said, may not be a popular opinion, and YMMV.  Its just how it worked out for my family

[Carol]

Timmy:  "Hi, Mommy, what are we having for dinner tonight?".

Mommy:  "Well, Timmy, tonight we're having potatoes and penises".

[LacyMay]

Just a couple things to add on the TWU discussion from before (since I almost went there.) 

TWU is accredited and it offers a (small) number of accredited professional programs such as nursing and education that are accredited by the appropriate regulatory agencies. There's a lot of sketchy faith based pseudo accredited institutions out there but TWU isn't one. 

I understand why the law program wasn't accredited/sanctioned. But I also don't get the whole fuss around it, these people will still apply to and (some will most certainly) get into other law schools. Sure it might deter some but it's not going to change the fact that there will be evangelicals pursuing law. And if they were steeped enough to want to go to TWU in the first place I'm not sure that going to a secular school is going to change that. I don't think it should have been accredited but I don't see this as a huge win for anyone. 

I'm not sure how much sense that makes. It's late and I'm tired. But TWU was my first choice school for a while (so much so that I arranged and went on a tour) so I have some feelings on the topic. 

 

[Edhelfin]

On 7/22/2018 at 1:56 AM, singsingsing said:

As someone who’s been on an extremely bland diet for almost a month now due to a medical issue, you never really know why someone might be eating a certain way (I mean, unless they tell you)!

Not everything people criticise about Duggars in the forums is about a member's personal life. This seems to be the pattern these days. Duggar food is bland because they are bad cooks with no taste and refined palate, there is years of mediatized proof of that.

PS: Derick's colour combination in that wedding photo is awful. Love Jill's dress.

[Rachel333]

According to my mom, Michelle used to talk about how it was unnecessary to teach children to read until they were around 10, so it sounds like Jill is making a change from how her mother homeschooled, and I guess I think it's good she's being proactive with Israel's education even if she's starting a little too soon.

[bekkah]

43 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

According to my mom, Michelle used to talk about how it was unnecessary to teach children to read until they were around 10, so it sounds like Jill is making a change from how her mother homeschooled, and I guess I think it's good she's being proactive with Israel's education even if she's starting a little too soon.

I know in Finland, they don’t start school till 7 and reading instruction till later. 

 

Reading is a complex cognitive skill, some kids will figure it out at 4 and most will be later. Most kids aren’t ready to read in kindergarten because they aren’t developmentally there.  I see alegebra being taught at the 8th grade level, only to be repeated in the 9th grade level because the material is to challenging. Our brains are complex, I actually give credit to Michelle for not worrying about if her kids are reading at a certain time.  Kids will wake up one day and just acquire a new skill. 

Here is an article about how modern society is missing its mark on learning and development  . 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/08/19/what-the-modern-world-has-forgotten-about-children-and-learning/

[Godly grifting]

That roast looks disgusting, I doubt the bland cooking is due to medical issues because they have posted eating Indian and Mexican food and all of them are enjoying it. No fussy eating then either. It's bland because she is a shithouse cook. 

[AmazonGrace]

34 minutes ago, bekkah said:

I know in Finland, they don’t start school till 7 and reading instruction till later. /

A lot of kids in Finland already learn to read in kindergarten/ preschool.  My three kids all knew how to read when they started school. It's not a requirement  but they do teach letters and numbers in the early education and as Finnish is a pretty straightforward language spelling-wise a lot of kids pick up reading skills naturally. In my eldest son's preschool group (special needs kids)  they played a computer game with letters and sounds and everyone in the group learned to read before going to school.

 

[Dugg@rTime]

12 hours ago, Ivycoveredtower said:

honestly the one thing that stuck out at me and really only because it's a topic that is being discussed over on the Benessa thread is that it seems Izzy is fully potty trained. 

I don't think he is FULLY potty trained, tho he might be through the day. He's definitely wearing some sort of nappy/nappypants in the video of Sam walking. It looks like he's in pyjamas so might just be for bed time, but it's a nappy/diaper thing nonetheless.

[Rachel333]

All I know is that I am so glad I learned to read (appropriately) early. Reading was a huge part of my childhood and I think I would have missed out on so much if I wasn't able to read until after age 10. I also learned so many things through reading that I wasn't taught in school, but then (according to my mom), that's part of why Michelle didn't want her kids reading early.

At any rate, I think it's probably good for the kids now that Michelle is not their primary teacher.

[cascarones]

Each baby is different and Israel seems motivated (hey candy taught me to count). I think it's also worth noting that while it seems to be Jill driven, Israel may also very much wanting to learn. He has a lot of exposure to slightly older kids in his cousins and that often prompts a desire of early learning to be like them. 

As the youngest child it was natural to want to do everything everyone older than me was doing, I loathed the phrasing of "you can't do that yet" to the point I wrote one of my college essay prompts (What is a really meaningful word to you?) on how yet is the earliest word we learn that is both hopeful and limiting. 

On her pot roast, I guess if it's just the Dillards they have plenty of leftovers for days.

[bekkah]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

A lot of kids in Finland already learn to read in kindergarten/ preschool.  My three kids all knew how to read when they started school. It's not a requirement  but they do teach letters and numbers in the early education and as Finnish is a pretty straightforward language spelling-wise a lot of kids pick up reading skills naturally. In my eldest son's preschool group (special needs kids)  they played a computer game with letters and sounds and everyone in the group learned to read before going to school.

 

So interesting! I went to a talk from a  Finnish guy about their education system for my master’s and he was talking about the 7 thing. It’s good to have a different perspective. 

[Carm_88]

Israel does seem to want to learn, I'm just afraid that if it doesn't go well and he gets frustrated that he will think he's stupid. 

[singsingsing]

4 hours ago, Edhelfin said:

Not everything people criticise about Duggars in the forums is about a member's personal life. This seems to be the pattern these days. Duggar food is bland because they are bad cooks with no taste and refined palate, there is years of mediatized proof of that.

PS: Derick's colour combination in that wedding photo is awful. Love Jill's dress.

Thanks for the random handslap! Did you know that often on this forum we start out discussing something as it relates to the Duggars, and then sometimes the conversation takes a little turn and we’re discussing a topic more generally? Maybe that’s what was going on here, especially in light of my previous responses criticizing the stew...?  Just an idea. 

[VelociRapture]

When it comes to preschool and early learning I feel like it’s best to just follow your kid’s lead. If Izzy is a bright and curious kid who wants to learn numbers and how to read then I don’t see an issue, especially since he’s likely around his older cousins a lot as someone else pointed out. It’s normal to want to be like the big kids. If his parents are forcing him to sit and learn that’s another matter altogether, but we haven’t seen any videos indicating that’s the case (yet - I’m not delusional. I just like having evidence. Lol!)

[NotQuiteMotY]

13 hours ago, xlurker said:

This will not be popular, but I really really really don't like the "teaching" kids before Kindergarten.  Both Lurkerlings were lucky to have either me or Dad home at any given time, and did not go to preschool.  That is not to say they didn't learn things.  We played, and thru play we learned letters and numbers. If they were interested in stars--we all learned about stars, or dinosaurs, or animal tracks--whatever.  I actually had a kindergarten teacher tell me my child will forever be behind because she switched up her lower case b's and d's!  Fast forward many years, both of them were in top 12% of class, AP classes aced and went on to both major in sciences in college and graduate.  No need to put that kind of pressure on a preschool kid.  I firmly think that to do this may cause them to burn out just when they need it most--high school and college.  As I said, may not be a popular opinion, and YMMV.  Its just how it worked out for my family

As long as there is learning going on, I can't see that non-curriculum learning is a problem. Kids do learn primarily through play and interaction when they're young, after all. We're planning on sending Little NQ to preschool once he's old enough, but that's a combination of wanting him to get used to the structure (since he's usually either home with a parent or at a grandparent's) in a low-stress environment before "real" school and getting in some socialization.

[Rachel333]

I think there is way too much pressure on kids in high school and even before, but it's hard for me to imagine that preschool would be the cause of high school or college burnout.

[justoneoftwo]

1 hour ago, Rachel333 said:

I think there is way too much pressure on kids in high school and even before, but it's hard for me to imagine that preschool would be the cause of high school or college burnout.

This is the thing that scares me most about sending my kid to preschool.  We are doing it because the social side seems like ti would be good for him (he is an only, with no kids his age around and we go to mommy and me classes, but only once a week).  I hope kids don't feel too pressured, but preschool offers other benefits too.

[EmmieJ]

Just now, justoneoftwo said:

This is the thing that scares me most about sending my kid to preschool.  We are doing it because the social side seems like ti would be good for him (he is an only, with no kids his age around and we go to mommy and me classes, but only once a week).  I hope kids don't feel too pressured, but preschool offers other benefits too.

My son went to preschool from age 3 to age 5.  He really loved it because he was an active, social kid and made his first best friend in pre-school.  I loved the teachers, the classroom helpers, and the whole atmosphere, which was well-organized, calm and gentle.  It was kindergarten that was unpleasant and stressful (for both the students and the parents).  The pressure to get kids to reach certain goals was ridiculous!  

[Glasgowghirl]

I'm glad she using decent materials for Izzy and Anna has recommended things that have worked for her. I hope she keeps it up as they get older. 

[Georgiana]

I was very motivated to read at a young age, and my parents refused to teach me.  I remember begging for Hooked On Phonics, but my mom told me "No, you're 3.  You're too young to read."  BUT I did get to learn my letters.  

So then I would make my parents read me the SAME STORY from my Children's Bible every time I got reading time, and have them use their finger so I could follow along with the words.  The story I chose was Elijah Kills the Prophets of Baal.  I think I chose it because I felt 'a' was one of my strongest letters, and Baal has 2 a's.  It's not exactly a pleasant story, and I am sure it was not a pleasant time for anyone as my parents struggled to figure out why their pre-schooler was suddenly obsessed with a story of smite and vengeance.  

Eventually, between memorization and knowing letter sounds, I could recognize common words and began to sound out others.  Kid's books repeat the same common words over and over, so it wasn't too much of a jump for me to start on other stories that I was familiar with, but less so.  My mom figured it out when I started coming out of my room, asking for a specific word, and then returning to my room to read. 

Basically, my point is that if your kid wants to learn to read, let them try!  If they fail, it's a great time to teach them about how failure happens, you can try again when you're more ready, and how the important thing is NOT that you failed, but that you keep trying.  

Because if you don't, you might have to read Elijah Kills the Prophets of Baal over and over and over and over.  And no one wants to do that.  

[Rachel333]

8 minutes ago, Georgiana said:

Because if you don't, you might have to read Elijah Kills the Prophets of Baal over and over and over and over.  And no one wants to do that. 

That's actually the story my brother would request over and over too. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

17 hours ago, socalrules said:

Back on the food issue. The Duggars are from the south, why are they never seen to be eating southern food? My grandparents were from Arkansas and Tennessee. Their southern food (soul food as we called it) was always flavorful and delicious. My grandmother would never have served us anything on a Duggar menu. Where are the greens, cornbread, fried and smothered chicken, various pies, smothered cabbage, Mac and cheese not out of a box, black eyed peas and sweet potatoes/yams? They don’t seem to cook anything from the south. 

Michelle is from Ohio, not Arkansas. All of the foods you mentioned are associated with the Deep South and African-American culture, while Northwest Arkansas is pretty far north. As we’ve observed many times, they have a convenience food mindset, and it doesn’t seem to occur to them to put greens in the pot and cornbread in the oven. Jim Bob did take Michelle to that restaurant in an old corn mill near Eureka Springs for their anniversary, and they had beans and cornbread. Also, the restaurant where they went for Jim Bob’s birthday looked like Cracker Barrel to me.