Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Introverts

Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] IntrovertsBeing outvoted is a common concern. It is one which I believe, however, misses the point.

The bottom line in a democratic school is that people can only participate in making rules about their own stuff, i.e., that which belongs to the school as a whole or one's own personal things. In addition, one must follow the "laws and principles of the land". One such principle is that a law cannot place a burden on a particular person that places a differential burden on them than it places upon others without just cause. For example, the government could outlaw the production of cigarettes, but could not outlaw cigarette production indiscriminately by one company while allowing it for others. (In the recent Do-Not-Call case, for example, the court struck down the law because it placed a differential burden on telemarketers than on political or charitable callers.)

There is also a principle that says that one can do whatever one wants with ones own property, so long as its use does not violate the law.

How does all this apply in the case of home schoolers and messes? Who owns the house and the things in it? My guess is the parents. Therefore, it is not up to the kids to tell you how to use that property. In fact, it is just the opposite. No one has the right to tell me that they are going to use things that I own in ways that I do not want them used, unless the uses I planned were illegal in the first place. My kids, who can outvote me, as well, cannot tell me where I am going to drive my car, what food I am going to buy, how messy my living room will be, etc.

That said, when it comes to their things, the same applies to my "power" over them. I have input, but not decision-making ability! So, if dh is referring to the kids' own rooms, dh is out of line and will have to deal with his/her own ability to "stand" it. If dh is referring to public spaces, then I assume that you and dh own the stuff in the public rooms (as well as the room itself) and it is then up to you and dh to make your own policies, hopefully, of course, with input from the kids.

~Alan Klein
  ----- Original Message -----
  "Is the Democratic Schooling way of divvying up the cleaning responsibilities "authoritarian"? Not in my eyes. Why not adopt that methodology when it comes to cleaning up at home? "

  There are three kids and two parents, so dh and I would get outvoted. :) Their attitude is "Who cares if it's messy, can't you step over it?" Dh's attitude is, "I can't STAND this" and my attitude is somewhere in the middle.
Received on Wed Oct 29 2003 - 17:10:31 EST