An interesting analysis on primogeniture, for those of you who have daughters that are questioning the reasons for the practice, prominent in Jane Austen novels, of entailing property to the oldest son. This has been a real sticking point for my kids, and I haven't been able to explain it very well, as it is a sticking point for me too. The explanation in the above post makes a lot of sense, although Triss and I agree that primogeniture works much better in a society in which the women are allowed, encouraged to, even applauded for seeking gainful employment when necessary.
(There is a small example of the contrast in one chapter of the novel, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, in which Jo and Meg are looked down upon by a young lady from England, because they contribute to their family's income, and are glad to do so. I remember Mr. Brooke talking about how that independence was not applauded in England at that time, but was more appreciated in America.)
A pertinent post on the limitations of habit training. Willa's points help me reconcile habit training with the idea of poetic knowledge.
A post, found via Sierra Highlands, answering critical questions regarding homeschooling. This especially resonated with me, as I was subjected to some rather intense questioning by the director of the regional science fair, dealing with whether it is responsible for parents to homeschool their children and whether they might be teaching them misconceptions in the area of science. The ironic thing is that the questioning came *after* my exclusively schooled-at-home child scored highly enough in the regional competition, along with children from public, private and science magnet schools, to be invited to the state competition. She has never had a science teacher besides uncertified ol' me. Unfortunately, I didn't hold up very well under the director's questioning, and ended up saying some things I regret. :sigh: So this post helped me plan for next time.
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