Seewalds 40 - Threewald is Here! Ivy Jane

[nolongerIFBx]

23 hours ago, NoKidsAndCounting said:

I think if Jessa and Ben had a girl, would they choose "Veronica?"

"Veronica One of the more memorable stories in the New Testament surrounds this name—Veronica is the woman who wiped the face of Jesus as he dragged his cross to Calvary (her cloth was instantly imprinted with his face). The name means "victory bringer".

It's not a story in the KJV of the Bible so doubtful.

[dpndetfarm]

Why do we Americans north of Mexico and south of Canada have to make everything so complicated? Not that we purposely set out to do this  And I don't know really how to explain what I mean.  First we have 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico.  I don't think the other American territories are as closely bound to the US as Puerto Rico.  Each one has their own rules, requirements, etc. for education.  Then we break that down into counties and cities and towns.  Some states allow more autonomy  from town to town or county to county.  Others do not.  Some have plenty of money to spend, some do not.  Some states the money comes from the state, others it comes from the town or county.  Next we have to contend with individual autonomy and parent's rights to direct what they do with their offspring.  And then we have conservatives, liberals, and everything in between.  But most of all the states of the USA will be damned if the feds are going to tell them what to do with their education system.  Even if that system is completely in agreement with what the feds want to implement.  I mean hell, we can't even get the federal government to require vaccinations for children which in my mind is a national emergency  (Could we build a wall around these families?).  

I think this is probably hard to even imagine for someone who lives across the ocean.  Heck my brother lives on Long Island and I live in Northern New England and it's like we speak different languages when we discuss school funding, educational requirements, and credits for graduation.  And what the heck are the Regents?!?  (HS graduation testing in NY).

So Jessa does what she does to prepare her kids for the future in whatever way she feels is important  (Arkansas looks pretty standard and the couple of sites I checked showed an August 1 cutoff and their kindergarten curriculum was the same as well). I did.  You all did/are/will.  Just let me say this, the number 1 thing you can do to help your child to succeed in life is read to them.  Every day.  Out loud.  Even if you never, ever want to read Green Eggs and Ham again. Put the phone down.   Turn the TV off and read.  Bedtime reading is awesome!

[HereticHick]

22 minutes ago, nolongerIFBx said:

It's not a story in the KJV of the Bible so doubtful.

Its not a story in any version of the Bible. Its an "extra-Biblical" story.

[just_ordinary]

1 hour ago, dpndetfarm said:

Why do we Americans north of Mexico and south of Canada have to make everything so complicated? Not that we purposely set out to do this  And I don't know really how to explain what I mean.  First we have 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico.  I don't think the other American territories are as closely bound to the US as Puerto Rico.  Each one has their own rules, requirements, etc. for education.  Then we break that down into counties and cities and towns.  Some states allow more autonomy  from town to town or county to county.  Others do not.  Some have plenty of money to spend, some do not.  Some states the money comes from the state, others it comes from the town or county.  Next we have to contend with individual autonomy and parent's rights to direct what they do with their offspring.  And then we have conservatives, liberals, and everything in between.  But most of all the states of the USA will be damned if the feds are going to tell them what to do with their education system.  Even if that system is completely in agreement with what the feds want to implement.  I mean hell, we can't even get the federal government to require vaccinations for children which in my mind is a national emergency  (Could we build a wall around these families?).  

I think this is probably hard to even imagine for someone who lives across the ocean.  Heck my brother lives on Long Island and I live in Northern New England and it's like we speak different languages when we discuss school funding, educational requirements, and credits for graduation.  And what the heck are the Regents?!?  (HS graduation testing in NY).

So Jessa does what she does to prepare her kids for the future in whatever way she feels is important  (Arkansas looks pretty standard and the couple of sites I checked showed an August 1 cutoff and their kindergarten curriculum was the same as well). I did.  You all did/are/will.  Just let me say this, the number 1 thing you can do to help your child to succeed in life is read to them.  Every day.  Out loud.  Even if you never, ever want to read Green Eggs and Ham again. Put the phone down.   Turn the TV off and read.  Bedtime reading is awesome!

Rest assured, even some of the good old European states have similar problems. Germany’s states (16) all have slightly differences (with big consequences) in their school systems. That is because education is under the sovereignty of the states. It’s not going to change because it’s mostly a power battle/about loosing power. And the education system is just one topic.

Children start kindergarten around age 2.5/3. It’s not mandatory but the majority does. Older children will get certain pre-school hours but it’s still mostly about playing, singing, crafting, being outside. They work on their fine and gross motor skill, being away from home, listening to other adults as their parents, following rules, dealing with other children, self-regulation, finding their place in a group... it is mostly a so called „hidden curriculum“ as it happens while they play.

School starts age 6 or 7 (cut off date is June 30 might depend on the state though). There was a test to check if a child is ready iirc. They learn reading and writing, basic math as well as lessons in music, art, sport. It’s only short hours and it’s still a lot about getting them into the system school. I don’t know how it’s today but till a few years they didn’t get real grades before 3rd grade. When I hear what other nations demand and compare that to stories that in the same nation children aged 3 are not allowed to use scissors or play in the garden by themselves it’s baffling to me. It’s like two extremes: on the one side demanding a lot but on the other side treat them like toddlers. It’s always so interesting to learn how other nations do it and the benefit here is to get a perspective why they do it as people take the time to explain.

[Smee]

Australia has been trying to get a national curriculum happening for decades. It’s finally been implemented across most years/subjects (I think there are a couple where it’s still optional or in draft stage, but it’s been a while since I was a teacher so I’m not totally sure). But it’s taken aaaages, and that’s with only 8 states and territories to get on board and a population of 25 million. Funding is distributed to public schools by the states and to private schools by the federal government and it’s a hot mess and massive political issue too. I don’t admire the US education system but it’s far from the only one with problems.

[SweetJuly]

Even though LittleJuly is only 10 months old we have started looking into "schools" here in Brussels. Pre-school/kindergarden (école maternelle) starts at 2.5/3 years old, and as always in Belgium signing up for schools is a labyrinthic nightmare because each school has its own procedure.

I'm currently leaning towards signing LittleJuly up to the Catholic school that is right next door. It has a good reputation, lovely modern buildings, the teachers seem nice, and it's a 2-minute walk from our place. We'll need to look a little more closely into the extracurricular activities offered, etc., but it seems like a good option so far. I find it difficult to tell the difference between public schools as they all claim to follow the same basic principles and goals, and all seem to focus less on time outside and seem in general stricter than anything comparable in Germany.

There is also a number of private schools we considered, especially the International German School, but the fees are pretty high and we'd have to drive LittleJuly every day, so it's not that appealing. My husband is also very much against us sending LittleJuly to a Jewish school because he's worried about the security. In fact, I have a friend my own age who grew up close to a Jewish school in Brussels and he said that even 25 years ago there was armed security personnel in front of the school, so my husband has a point ?

How do you decide what pre-school/kindergarden suits your child at such a young age? I have no idea if LittleJuly would profit off a more "academic" approach, or a Steiner/Montessori-type school, so I'm always a bit concerned that my choice might not be the right one for her.

Edited May 19, 2019 by SweetJuly
She is 10 months old, not 10 month sold

[KeshetParparNesicha]

On 5/17/2019 at 2:41 PM, dpndetfarm said:

Why do we Americans north of Mexico and south of Canada have to make everything so complicated?

Because we are actually 50 little countries connected by a single federal government.

[Pecansforeveryone]

Thank you @KeshetParparNesicha. Trump and his ilk make quality of life so much harder and more painful for others. Combatting that ignorance is truly an everyday battle. However, the United States is significantly larger than any one European nation both in land mass and population. Things are more complicated due to that as well. 

[medimus]

7 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

Even though LittleJuly is only 10 months old we have started looking into "schools" here in Brussels. Pre-school/kindergarden (école maternelle) starts at 2.5/3 years old, and as always in Belgium signing up for schools is a labyrinthic nightmare because each school has its own procedure.

I'm currently leaning towards signing LittleJuly up to the Catholic school that is right next door. It has a good reputation, lovely modern buildings, the teachers seem nice, and it's a 2-minute walk from our place. We'll need to look a little more closely into the extracurricular activities offered, etc., but it seems like a good option so far. I find it difficult to tell the difference between public schools as they all claim to follow the same basic principles and goals, and all seem to focus less on time outside and seem in general stricter than anything comparable in Germany.

There is also a number of private schools we considered, especially the International German School, but the fees are pretty high and we'd have to drive LittleJuly every day, so it's not that appealing. My husband is also very much against us sending LittleJuly to a Jewish school because he's worried about the security. In fact, I have a friend my own age who grew up close to a Jewish school in Brussels and he said that even 25 years ago there was armed security personnel in front of the school, so my husband has a point ?

How do you decide what pre-school/kindergarden suits your child at such a young age? I have no idea if LittleJuly would profit off a more "academic" approach, or a Steiner/Montessori-type school, so I'm always a bit concerned that my choice might not be the right one for her.

Having grown up in Belgium, going to schools in Brussels. All the maternelles are very similar. Are you looking at the Francophone or Flemish schools (sounds like francophone if you are calling them maternelle). It's what happens at six that is different in the Freinet and other method schools. The pressure on places in Flemish schools in Brussels has increased a lot in recent years, so you do have an advantage if you are a dutch speaker. Good that you are looking in to it now though, as some schools have common applications and others are separate. 

[SweetJuly]

2 hours ago, medimus said:

The pressure on places in Flemish schools in Brussels has increased a lot in recent years, so you do have an advantage if you are a dutch speaker. Good that you are looking in to it now though, as some schools have common applications and others are separate. 

Thank you for your input! We're looking at Francophone schools because my husband's mother tongue is French and LittleJuly is already growing up with 3-4 languages at home, so adding Dutch at this point in time would be a bit much both for her and us. We live in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, and everyone keeps telling us that every school there would be fine which is nice but really not helpful.

If you have any additional thoughts or recommendations, please do feel free to send me a PM ?

[agentshade]

6 hours ago, KeshetParparNesicha said:

Because we are actually 50 little countries connected by a single federal government.

If there was a tea emoji that I could react to this with, I would. That should totally be added as a reaction, by the way, as this site spills the tea quite frequently.

[Greendoor]

What ever school you choose, remember Thomas Edison was only in school for a few months.  Your child will learn as he/she was born to learn.  Some kids are academics from day one, others as artists, or athletes.  All will be well.

 

[Hisey]

16 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

How do you decide what pre-school/kindergarden suits your child at such a young age? I have no idea if LittleJuly would profit off a more "academic" approach, or a Steiner/Montessori-type school, so I'm always a bit concerned that my choice might not be the right one for her.

If your child is only 10 months old, it's far too soon to know whether she'll prefer an academic approach or some other kind. You need to choose a school that you are comfortable with--the one you like the best. If you are happy with the teachers and program, your baby is likely to sense this and will feel comfortable and happy at school.

Later on, at age 5 or 6, you'll have a much better sense of your child's strengths and interests. At that point, you can make any changes necessary.

[19tacos&counting]

Bens sister Jessica got married this weekend in a very non fundie dress. Jessa was in the wedding party ( last one on the left) 

[Markie]

Ewwww... Foot washing. 

[VelociRapture]

6 minutes ago, Markie said:

Ewwww... Foot washing. 

Can anyone tell me if this is a thing in some denominations? I have never seen anything like this at any wedding I’ve been too.

[karen77]

So... Ben just turned 24 and already has almost 3 kids! sometimes when I see the ages of these guys I'm just blown away.

[JillyO]

Was this filmed for Counting On? That camera crew that's visible in the first picture seems like more than one would hire as a personal videographer, right?

And to the foot washing.

[Longhairedheathen]

51 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

Can anyone tell me if this is a thing in some denominations? I have never seen anything like this at any wedding I’ve been too.

I've seen it in baptist, Nazarene , and Pentecostal. I've always found it ironic because in "to kill a mocking bird" Miss Maudie spits out the insult 

"I don't know how he had children, that foot washing baptist" 

[Destiny]

Wolf girl was reading sight words at 2. We used an English series, Peter and Jane. Big letters, only a few words on a page, and the books built on each other Grand Wolf 1 used them, and grand wolf 2 is using them now.

I thought I was the only one who knew about these! I learned to read from them too, hence my inability to pick a version of English and run with it and instead of a weird combo of American and British English.

Edit: re the early reading convo I think it depends a lot on the kid. I literally do not remember a time before I could read. One of my earliest memories is going to the library bus thing (bookmobile?) that used to park across the road and asking them for a book my mom had told me about about someone named Nancy drew. The librarian refused to believe I could read it until I showed her. I was around five and half at the time.

[SassyPants]

1 hour ago, karen77 said:

So... Ben just turned 24 and already has almost 3 kids! sometimes when I see the ages of these guys I'm just blown away.

What I think is so interesting about Ben is that for a kid who basically married into a family with a built in (for now) career, home, cars, plenty of free time and money, he does not seem to have become entitled. From how he presents  in the media (show, social...) he’s a nice, grounded, bright young man. I hope he can move his family away from their current life style, because in the long run it’s not healthy.

[HereticHick]

22 minutes ago, Longhairedheathen said:

I've seen it in baptist, Nazarene , and Pentecostal. I've always found it ironic because in "to kill a mocking bird" Miss Maudie spits out the insult 

"I don't know how he had children, that foot washing baptist" 

My family has always jokingly called FW (Free Will) Baptist Churches "foot washin' Baptists".

I guess the pastor and the bridesmaids got quite a view down Jessica's bodice during the footwashing ceremony.

 

And yeah, that is quite a professional camera crew--complete with a boom mike. Were Ben and Jessa in the wedding party?

[Pecansforeveryone]

I am struck by how though Jessica did indeed wear a very non-fundie dress she still engaged in what I consider to be a very fundie practice of foot washing. I have been to some fundie light weddings and I have never seen foot washing. 

[bal maiden]

I'm going to hope he washed her feet too. Foot washing with an audience is not my bag, but at least if it is reciprocal, that might be okay, I suppose. Otherwise, ew ew ew, patriarchy, etc. 

[Kelsey]

I have never seen foot washing at a wedding before in person (only from fundies online). 

I have also never washed my husband's feet. He has not washed mine either. He probably would though if I asked ? I would not. Feet are gross.