Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Snark du jour

On this past weekend's WND column entitled "Is Feminism Killing Women?", I hadn't caught up on the comments for a few days and was astonished to see there were over 100.

One commenter named Robert has taken it upon himself to criticize every column I write, particularly addressing the regressive, knuckledragging methods we used to raise our daughters (how dare we homeschool!). I don't mind this in the least, because it generates additional comments, and lovely people step in to my defense.

However Robert does raise one good point: I've neglected to keep readers updated on our daughters' progress.

Here is Robert's comment (referencing my aversion to feminism): What gets to me is that PL's home-schooled daughters were spoon fed a steady diet of this pabulum. Last I knew, neither was college bound and the eldest was working as a hotel maid.

So, without further ado, here's an update on the kids:

Older Daughter, as many of you know, did indeed work as a "hotel maid" for a couple of years. It was actually an upscale motel, not a hotel, and she was the best durned housekeeper the motel owners ever had. She was 16 and 17 at the time. I don't know what else Robert expected a teenager to do to earn money -- CEO of a huge corporation, perhaps? -- but the job gave Older Daughter the opportunity to cultivate her work ethic and save her pennies. As a result, she was able to garner a glowing letter of recommendation from the motel owners and emerge with a substantial savings account.

She took that work ethic and letter of recommendation with her to nanny school last summer, and graduated top of her class.


With yet more glowing credentials, she landed a job as a live-in nanny to four boys with a family in New Jersey, starting last November. She enjoys the job and the family thinks the world of her. Because she's a live-in, she has very few expenses and is banking about 80% of her salary -- a salary, I'll add, that exceeds the pay of many first-year teachers. Her savings account at the moment is a hair's breath away from five figures, and she's been on the job less than six months. Not a bad position for a 20 year old.

Younger Daughter is taking preliminary classes at the nearest college toward her goal of becoming a radiographer. She's acing her exams -- on her last two tests, she scored 100% on one and 94% on the other. To earn money, she's doing yard work for an elderly neighbor as well as picking up other part time work as available. This summer her former violin teacher, who also happens to be CEO of the local hospital, has promised her a job at the hospital where she can work directly with the radiography department. Younger Daughter is 17 at the moment, though she turns 18 in just a few days.

Like Older Daughter, our youngest is cultivating a work ethic, saving her pennies, and earning the esteem of college professors and hospital CEO's. Both our daughters are moral, honest, and hard-working young women.

I dunno, I think our girls are doing pretty well, considering they've been "spoon fed a steady diet of this pabulum" their whole lives.

But maybe that's just a proud mama talking.

40 comments:

  1. Patrice - you don't ever need to go on about your daughters' achievements...anyone who follows your blog regularly knows what kind of young women they are. but as the Big Mamma who home-schooled them - go on and on about all of their achievements as it is your right. i am very pleased that your daughters turned out so well! that's at least 2 young women i can count on for bringing much-needed change to this world.

    hey - do you think you could have and raise a couple more? say about 3? at least 2 being boys? that way i could sleep safe at night knowing that there are 5 kids out there who i can trust to do the right thing throughout life.

    you and your hubby raised very intelligent, har-working and beautiful young girls. go out tonight and howl at the moon!

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  2. First, God has blessed your children and may He continue to watch over them and keep them connected with Mom and Dad.

    Second, I am always amazed at the audacity of some folks, attacking choices other people make in an angry and self-centered way. This Robert strikes me as the perfect Comrade-like propaganda minister.

    Third, while I am not a product of home schooling nor have any kids, it is apparent that today's educational system is broken. Your choice is more efficient and more productive.

    Be blessed.

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  3. Those like Robert, who've knuckled under to their "Masters" and have become used to the weight of their chains, can't comprehend why others refuse to do so. Nor see the blind hypocrisy in his pabulum statement considering today's state indoctrination centers, aka public schools. Good on ya, I say! Your family and lifestyle need no defense.

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  4. Yes you are a proud mother, as you should be. It is hard to get anyone to do anything that involves getting one's hands dirty. Your girls are going to do just fine in life just because you were such loving parents. Having a good work ethic goes far in these times just because so many do not have it! Is this the same guy that degraded Mr. Hand grenade for wanting to become a butcher? It sure sounds the same!

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  5. Hurrah for your reply! I hope you heard the applauding & yahooing from Indiana.

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  6. The old saying tells us that "Living well is the best revenge." That seems especially true to trolls like Robert.

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  7. Hey tell this Robert guy that I have gotton
    worse with age.I homeschooled my daughter and
    she got an associated degree in Early Childhood education and now is being paid to
    take care of grandparents.But if she ever gets
    marriad and brings home the grandkids she all
    ready knows that I will expect the grandkids to react like the sound of music father.The kids will come as called and yes my husband does have the bosin wistle. Just joking kinda.
    But I do believe in very firm dispaline also
    But any way I cannot complian either on how
    my daughter has turned out. And yes she can
    read and write better than I can
    Blessings
    Debby

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  8. So, did Robert not spoon-feed his children anything at all? Did they grow up in a social and moral vacuum allowed to self-invent any weird thing that they and their buddies invented? Or wait, it was likely the public school's job to teach him what he should know of life and morals.

    People who are complete strangers to the parents, who's job is to heard and control thousands of morally neglected children a year, teach them whatever is fashionable at the time. Does Robert even know what pablum his children are fed? Will they stand with him if he needs his family and cohorts to back him, or will they stand with the faceless state that raised them?

    Blue

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    1. All good, sound sense, Blue. But a total waste of time with liberal-progressives, because they are completely UNreasonable with no common sense whatsoever! When trying to reason with the unreasonable likes of liberal-progressives, we might as well be trying to talk sense to a barn door! I let them chatter on and just ignore them! --Fred in AZ

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  9. There you go Robert: young people with integrity and common sense...They are better off than any socialist college educated person who thinks that everyone should pay for all of their stuff, and can speak however rudely they want to......
    So glad hat your daughters are so well rounded....They know how to get the information they need and don't whine to you that you don't do everything for them....You go daughters!!!So proud to see that you and hubby did the best thing you could have done for them.....Teach them and give them a love for God...
    Thank you....
    Love from NC

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  10. I have been reading blogs for more than a decade. Any blog with a fair amount of followers also has trolls. Trolls are narcissistic people who spend their lives criticizing anyone and everyone they can. Imagine living with that type of person! The one thing a narcissist cannot stand is to be criticized. So, having a troll tells you that you are doing very well with life and blogging, and you have created a platform for a troll to attack you. Trip-trap, trip-trap, who is that writing this blog? With the business of writing about your troll and creating an opportunity for him to be criticized, he may crawl back under his rock, or his bridge for a while, but eventually, he will be back, hurtling insults, as only a narcissistic troll knows how to do.

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  11. It makes one wonder just where Robert's kids ended up...

    Some of the parents on the sports teams I used to play on would look at my mom and dad and say, "You're so lucky you ended up with such good kids." My mom would say, "Lucky? Are you kidding?!? This took years of back-braking work!!"

    Isn't it lovely to be able to just step back a bit and say, "Well, see for yourself, sir!" Congratulations on having such successful daughters. You all worked hard and it paid off.

    Maria

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  12. Oh, Robert is just bummed out that conservatives can be successful, mannerly, considerate, and well-liked.

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    1. This is exactly correct. The rabid extreme left (that would be Robert) are furious with people that are happy, well adjusted, and God fearing. I have a few in my own family like Robert, and they worsen with age. Perhaps it's the sense of impending doom and whiff of brimstone that sets them off.

      Congratulations on your daughters, you have every right to be proud. I have two teenagers as well, and they are going to be very busy this summer with jobs, book reports, etc. High on their reading list will be Dave Ramsey. I want them to be financially savvy as well as spiritually strong.

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  13. One needs a college degree to be a successful person in the same manner, and to the same extent, as a fish needs a bicycle to swim.

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  14. Let's see: one went to "nanny school"--well, that's prestigious. And with a great future. And the other one wants to be a technician. OK, they're not in jail or on drugs, but honestly, it's nothing to boast about. One kid is a babysitter and the other will have some marginable skills. I suppose none of it matters once the world ends and you rely on your canned goods, anyway.

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    1. Anon...why are you here if you think so little of the way they live?

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    2. Looking down on people seeking a solid career just because it's not "prestigious" is very short sighted. That kind of attitude is why we have so many people seeking advanced degrees that are better suited for and would be much better off pursuing something "less" or even *gasp* attending a technical school.

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    3. Those "marginal skills" might save your life one day sport.

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    4. And I work in higher ed. I know people with "prestigious" degrees who are waiting tables and the big one; "bartending" with tens of thousands in loan debt for their English and social justice degrees. Many can't put air in a low tire..without help. Say...you wouldn't BE one of them, would you? Natokadn

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    5. I agree with Anon. I'd also like to point out that if it was not for higher-earning, college educated professionals, Patrice's daughter would have a LOT less job prospects as a nanny. Nannying is a job that kind of relies on people with (most likely) two careers and/or lots of disposable income -- doctors, lawyers, CEOs, tech-types and such. Kind of funny that she so regularly snarks on how silly higher education is when I'm pretty sure her daughter's employer(s) would not be able to afford her daughter's services without having first received that education and therefore that kind of job. Nannying is also one of the first jobs that will vanish when/if the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan, because people in a more survival-oriented society will of course not be hiring people to raise their children for them. I guess there's job security as long as everything stays exactly like it is now.

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    6. Horsepuckies! My brother and sister in law - the ones with the least education (a tech certificate between them) are the only ones in the family with a $400k house and Mercedes and Audi among their 6 vehicles. She is medical Admin and he is in sales. He is the one with no "higher" education. Natokadn

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    7. I should add sister in law grew up in a house with in door out door plumbing. It was indoors - but going outdoors was easier on the farm. It only flushed with the help of a full 5 gal bucket of water. She knows how to WORK. And so does he. N

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    8. That would be "marginal", not "marginable". And also the wrong term, anyway! See how "marginal" you think their skills are the next time you need a radiographer's services. Why don't you tell us how "non-marginal" your or your children's skills are?

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    9. My brother is a nuclear physicist , he has pointed out that often college education just means someone is talented at attending school. I have relatives who never graduated high school , but run their own businesses , and have done very well. What kind of American disparages a working person for what kind of work they do ? ???

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  15. Robert thinks your daughter's education was not up to his standard, yet he cannot correctly spell pablum. 'Nuff said. DWLee333

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    1. FYI, pablum is a former trade name, 'Pablum,' decapitalized as it became something of a generic term. Nonetheless, the word 'pabulum' is the origin word, properly spelled.

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  16. Patrice,
    food for thought, as you are aware of the feds are trying to close down any type of home schooling and and they want total control of our lives and do NOT like the type of people you are ( myself and family included ) I visit many sites and see lots of Government trolls doing many things on these site to disrupt and or spread disinfo. and or just gather info. and i might suggest Robert may be one of these trolls! anyway, DO NOT fret! you guys are great and on't ever forget that! AMEN to you and your family!!

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  17. Robert's children are probably majoring in Gender Studies, rioting at the presence of conservative speakers at their university and running for safe spaces when someone chalks something on a sidewalk.

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  18. If more kids had been spoon fed this pablum he speaks of, the country might not have ended up in this condition

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  19. A word of caution. When these trolls crawl out from under their rocks to criticize those of us who are attempting to raise our children correctly, don't fall for the temptation to divulge extra information about yourself or your family in response. Call me paranoid, but privacy is something we need to maintain in this weird world we live in.

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  20. my guess is Robert is 34 years old and living in his parents basement--rent free--playing video games & if he isn't-- who really gives a rat's behind what he thinks?..Shadowfax hound

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  21. Just remember no one has the right to say anything negative about any one unless they have walked in their shoes. Robert needs to keep his opinions to himself. Patrice you have been a wonderful mother and parent. Your daughters are beautiful. I praise God for all of you. Beth S.

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    1. Actually Robert does have the right to express his opinions. His right was earned by the blood, sweat and tears of much better men than him.
      Montana Guy

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  22. Patrice, this is one kick-a$$ blog!!! (please pardon me, all you of faint heart). 'Robert' should be sniveling his/her (let's be PC here...) way back to the basement after this. Alas, I fear that your logic and facts and morals and ethics may be way over his/her head. Please keep up the good work! You are an inspiration.

    God Bless,
    Janet in MA

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  23. I am a proud public school teacher. (Don’t crucify me. We’re not all bad. I consider my job one of my mission fields.) I teach many of the skills you write about in your blog. In addition to the standard academic areas, my kids with learning and behavioral challenges learn about gardening, bees, animal care, homeopathic remedies, cooking, budgeting, a good work ethic, etc. Guess what? THIS public school teacher supports a parent’s choice in regards to their own child’s learning. If you want to homeschool, then do it. Only you know what is best for you and your family.
    Your children seem to be well-adjusted, productive citizens. I’m sure they will continue to make you proud. I hope and pray that my students learn something from me to help them also. I pray that we all quit criticizing and start supporting each other in educating our children, regardless of where they get their education.

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    1. do you have a blog? If so, I'd love to read it!

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  24. But you actually CARE about your students. That is what makes a difference. (And I know there are others like you. My kids had several and we were lucky.)

    Look at Detroit. They took two days off to protest the POSSIBILITY of not getting paid next summer? Really?! Call in sick if and when you don't get paid-not now! In the private sector they'd get fired! They don't give a rip about their students-just themselves. And they are the products of "higher ed". Just sad. Natokadn

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  25. With "Robert" sneering at your daughter working as a hotel maid [sic] in her teens, what does he have to say about college graduates with 4-year liberal arts degrees and a mountain of debt working at fast food restaurants?

    We chose to homeschool our kids, and out own daughter is waiting to for one last class to become available so she can finish her degree at the local community college, biding her time working at a local gas station/convenience store, usually third shift. The other day I stopped in for coffee and the manager told me she wished she could clone my daughter.

    People like Robert need to take a look at the real world and what it really takes to get ahead.

    Steve Herr

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  26. Better pablum than poison.

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