Title: "Dangerous Fruit"

[similiesslip]

Title: "Dangerous Fruit"

Mom used to say they make you practice putting condoms on bananas.  I’ve never even seen a condom.  I read somewhere that you can blow them up like balloons.  It really sounds difficult if you have to put a banana inside a balloon.  Balloons have such small necks!  I wonder how long they give you to get the

Comments

[whipchick]

This is funny and sad at the same time...I've met some homeschoolers raised like this, and I admire their family's strength of belief while still feeling sad at how insulated from the wonders of the world the kids are. That's got to be one of the most difficult parts of parenting - letting your child have the wonders also means exposing them to the terrors.

[similiesslip]

It's a difficult balance. Parts of this are based on my life and now, as a parent, I wonder sometimes if I let my kids try, read etc too many different things.

At the same time, I want them to grow up with less fear and less...confusion and guilt. I want them to not feel horrible for enjoying certain things.

I want them to see that yes, there are shadows in life but there is also light, almost everywhere.

The oldest is only 11. I'm not sure how this will all turn out. I guess time will tell.

Thanks for commenting!

[jem0000000]

Poor girl. *hugs*

I went from a private middle school to a public highschool, and while I wasn't quite this jumpy, I remember spending the whole first week watching for "violence and drugs" and basically trying to figure out who not to talk to. Scary stuff!

[similiesslip]

And yet you found it wasn't quite the cesspool you had always heard it was, right?

I'm glad you made it through!

[jem0000000]

Lol, it probably was (there were certainly drugs anywhere if you cared to look, although I suspect the violence was only low to average), and my experience there was occasionally turbulent -- but there were also a lot of wonderful people, and even though I was never popular, several of the girls who were took it upon themselves to look out for me. So all in all it was a pretty good experience. :)

[jacq22]

I have just read two books thst portray this sort of lifestyle, and I always feel sorry for anyone made to feel 'on the outside' You did this well, the perfect pitch from the central character. I liked her conversations and thoughts, they rang so true.
As for our children,well just do the best you can, keep them feeling secure and loved, and they will come to you to talk.

Books "Why be happy when you can be normal".

"Oranges are not the only fruit", this woman had a seriously whacky mother.

[mstrobel]

Oh wow, I loved this :) Really interesting to get inside Jenny's head and see how much her mother has influenced her. I found that fascinating.

[halfshellvenus]

Oh, gosh, I feel so for this girl. Public school has been so demonized for her, and she's been so overly sheltered that she has no idea what to expect or how to cope.

Just finding your classroom is something most kids fear anytime they move to a new school. Imagine not even having a sense of that as a construct!

The idea of turning to Anne of Green Gables for fashion choices was perfect!

Of all the unfortunate choices for a (not even truly modern) book, 'The Scarlet Letter' would have to be the one the school was working on, wouldn't it?

I'm sorry that much of this is non-fiction, because to me that implies either a difficult childhood, a difficult transition out of it, or both. :(

Just a note: I can't tell which of you wrote which prompt. Neither of you has indicated which you did!

[similiesslip]

I'm sorry it wasn't clear who did which prompt. I did Cesspool (the high school seems like a cesspool of evil to the mom.) Milk_and_glass did closer, as the mom closed the deal/decision that her two older kids HAD to go to school immmediately.