3 ms·

My wife and I were both homeschooled and are homeschooling our children. Their opportunities are far more diverse than if they were in school most of the day. T

My wife and I were both homeschooled and are homeschooling our children. Their opportunities are far more diverse than if they were in school most of the day. They don't have digital device addictions and play outside 10x most other kids. They are capable of engaging people across a wide range of ages, not just those within a year or two in age. When playing with similarly aged peers, they are consistently the leaders of play because they have more natural creativity, imagination, and, most importantly, initiative. They can fit into a system when needed, but they can also create systems on the fly because they haven't been trained to be cogs on a wheel. As an evolutionary developmental biologist, I was trained that the key ingredient to adapting to changing environments is phenotypic diversity (diversity has to precede natural selection). If you think the current system of mass technology, mass corporations, and mass culture are sustainable and desirable, leave your children in a system originally created to meet the needs of the barons of the industrial revolution. They'll fit right in and never notice what they are missing. Long-term, monocultures are rarely sustainable and generally quite boring. So, if you question the value of our current system (e.g., wealth/power distribution) or think it is unsustainable (e.g., global warming), you might want to raise your children outside of the system. They can always choose to conform later, but it is much harder to reacquire the true creativity that comes from not feeling the internal need to conform. I was raised outside "the system", but entered the system to get a PhD in evolutionary computational biology and now work for a health related biotech. I got my position because I have a distinctively different approach to problems than most.

jemmyw 4y ago
My kids are also homeschooled. There's a lot of benefits and fewer downsides than I expected. School was shit for me and I'm glad my kids are having a better experience. On the other hand I can't stand the evangelism of many homeschoolers such as yourself. We tend to avoid homeschooling groups. They (we? :( ) aren't good for just having normal conversations and a laugh with. > When playing with similarly aged peers, they are consistently the leaders of play because they... Yeah I know the type. Otherwise known as the precocious brat children everyone else can't wait to get away from.
- biomcgary 4y ago
  > aren't good for just having normal conversations and a laugh with Absolutely true about me since I have zero interest in being normal and prefer discussing science/philosophy over chitchat. I have a son on the autism spectrum and he didn't fall far the tree. My wife, on the other hand, is much more approachable. To each their own. > precocious brat children everyone else can't wait to get away from Perhaps you misunderstood what I was saying about the value of creative play. Other kids beg to come play with our kids because they don't get the chance to experience creative, imaginative play to the same degree in other contexts.
  - jemmyw 4y ago
    In my limited experience having a laugh requires a good bit of intelligence and knowledge with the addition of some humbleness and a thick skin. "Normal" people spend too much time talking about how much their house cost. > Other kids beg to come play Jesus
za3faran 4y ago
> I got my position because I have a distinctively different approach to problems than most. How does your approach differ?
- biomcgary 4y ago
  It blends functional genomics with evolutionary developmental biology. Instead of trying to solve health problems just by looking at humans and mice, I integrate data from as many species as possible, including yeast and plants. With the right analysis, data from those species is quite predictive of human biology.

jemmyw 4y ago

My kids are also homeschooled. There's a lot of benefits and fewer downsides than I expected. School was shit for me and I'm glad my kids are having a better experience. On the other hand I can't stand the evangelism of many homeschoolers such as yourself. We tend to avoid homeschooling groups. They (we? :( ) aren't good for just having normal conversations and a laugh with. > When playing with similarly aged peers, they are consistently the leaders of play because they... Yeah I know the type. Otherwise known as the precocious brat children everyone else can't wait to get away from.

biomcgary 4y ago
> aren't good for just having normal conversations and a laugh with Absolutely true about me since I have zero interest in being normal and prefer discussing science/philosophy over chitchat. I have a son on the autism spectrum and he didn't fall far the tree. My wife, on the other hand, is much more approachable. To each their own. > precocious brat children everyone else can't wait to get away from Perhaps you misunderstood what I was saying about the value of creative play. Other kids beg to come play with our kids because they don't get the chance to experience creative, imaginative play to the same degree in other contexts.
- jemmyw 4y ago
  In my limited experience having a laugh requires a good bit of intelligence and knowledge with the addition of some humbleness and a thick skin. "Normal" people spend too much time talking about how much their house cost. > Other kids beg to come play Jesus

za3faran 4y ago

> I got my position because I have a distinctively different approach to problems than most. How does your approach differ?

biomcgary 4y ago
It blends functional genomics with evolutionary developmental biology. Instead of trying to solve health problems just by looking at humans and mice, I integrate data from as many species as possible, including yeast and plants. With the right analysis, data from those species is quite predictive of human biology.