tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.comments2023-05-21T12:53:11.969+02:00The Swede LifeSwedeLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120190870636748590noreply@blogger.comBlogger651125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-107747568648560472016-07-04T02:14:06.725+02:002016-07-04T02:14:06.725+02:00So excited for your family!! I sit here reading th...So excited for your family!! I sit here reading this in CHINA, waiting on a baby and contemplating my future, as well. I miss being settled. I totally get the circle, square, triangle analogy. Having lived overseas 4 years myself (and we pretty much moved at the same time, both times!) I have also had a challenging time fitting back in to the norm. <br />Who knows what my fall may bring ;) <br />Abundant Blessings, my friend <3 Sandi B.http://www.flamidwyfe.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-6278549096458366032012-09-16T20:43:23.853+02:002012-09-16T20:43:23.853+02:00I am an American looking to move to Sweden. We hav...I am an American looking to move to Sweden. We have 3 kids and my husband works for a company in America....so he wouldn't need a job. We're looking for housing, and an American mentor that can help us figure out where to start and what to do....if you could email me that would be great...LOVE your house! Comment back on here and we can maybe swap emails?YFU Minnesota Lakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084842049646173035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-10312583343556028232012-09-16T20:42:56.381+02:002012-09-16T20:42:56.381+02:00I am an American looking to move to Sweden. We hav...I am an American looking to move to Sweden. We have 3 kids and my husband works for a company in America....so he wouldn't need a job. We're looking for housing, and an American mentor that can help us figure out where to start and what to do....if you could email me that would be great...LOVE your house! Comment back on here and we can maybe swap emails?YFU Minnesota Lakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084842049646173035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-73570738769616177982012-08-29T21:11:00.579+02:002012-08-29T21:11:00.579+02:00Hello, i stumbled on your blog for a google hit on...Hello, i stumbled on your blog for a google hit on homebirth in sweden.<br />pleeeeaaaassse do tell me how you went about it!!<br />I am so interested. I did not have m first at home because i found no information and had 2 over worrying at mothers waiting for there delayed by 1 month grandson at home and opted for hospital instead. It was however still natural but not at home.<br /><br />I want the next at home and would love to trust my body more! and i would love to hear your story! please do comment, im scared to give out my email for spamming reasons but i will definately check once a week for a comment :) <br /><br />Thanks!!!gabbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-44084663604816888042012-08-29T21:04:57.024+02:002012-08-29T21:04:57.024+02:00Hello, I think this may be an old post now, but i ...Hello, I think this may be an old post now, but i stumbled across this - homebirth hit in google. Im found in southern sweden (not pregnant right now) but wanting to and wanting a homebirth for my next. how did you go about it? I wanted it for my first but didnt know how to go about so i gave birth in the blekinge hospital instead, it was great and all natural but i would love to trust my body in my own home! <br /><br />Ill check her again every week for a comment im scared to give out my email address for spam! <br /><br />Gabbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-91379515870563219102012-08-20T14:04:20.535+02:002012-08-20T14:04:20.535+02:00Little slow here. So are you back yet? Call or e-m...Little slow here. So are you back yet? Call or e-mail me!! Can't wait to see you!!!<br />XOXOXOJesse Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04552804009576771010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-84409180830601683572012-08-11T10:22:16.129+02:002012-08-11T10:22:16.129+02:00Hahaha! LOVE it!
LOVE PEACE enJOY!
Julie
xHahaha! LOVE it!<br />LOVE PEACE enJOY!<br />Julie<br />xSWEDISH HOUSEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05377579784088363254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-43714352084594891952012-08-07T21:07:08.530+02:002012-08-07T21:07:08.530+02:00Enjoy the new chapter of your life! I also made th...Enjoy the new chapter of your life! I also made the decision (after leaving for college, coming back to Sweden and leaving again for grad school) that Sweden was not for me. Probably for somewhat different reasons than you, but still...<br /><br />Happy Trails.Annikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15241331781715640833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-7773138703412521262012-08-05T16:19:52.464+02:002012-08-05T16:19:52.464+02:00Yipee!!!! See you soon my homeschooling friend!Yipee!!!! See you soon my homeschooling friend!Rosehttp://www.thelaughingmonkey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-66553485428418552662012-08-03T19:00:44.377+02:002012-08-03T19:00:44.377+02:00wow! good luck Heidi and family!wow! good luck Heidi and family!karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13643769697440423380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-19581871995503401582012-07-30T00:36:40.426+02:002012-07-30T00:36:40.426+02:00LOVE it!
Hope life is treating you well and you ma...LOVE it!<br />Hope life is treating you well and you making the most of the Swedish summer.<br />LOVE PEACE enJOY!<br />Julie<br />xSWEDISH HOUSEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05377579784088363254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-24417150519533459922012-07-13T01:27:54.608+02:002012-07-13T01:27:54.608+02:00Yes.Yes.Rosehttp://www.thelaughingmonkey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-49992918647247368422012-07-13T00:51:56.338+02:002012-07-13T00:51:56.338+02:00Love this!!Love this!!karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13643769697440423380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-82963594911365076082012-07-07T23:43:41.351+02:002012-07-07T23:43:41.351+02:00Dear SwedeLife,
I think you misunderstand what th...Dear SwedeLife,<br /><br />I think you misunderstand what the Swedish society/state wants early childhood education to accomplish: <br />1. to integrate the children into a Swedish normative system (this can´t be measured by annual reviews as culture is an intangible).<br />2. to make sure that the child is able to negotiate a Swedish collective (i.e. a large group other Swedish peers, however mean and uncontrolled).<br /><br />This is a (somewhat) benevolent method of social engineering coming out of the 1940s and 1950s Folkhemmet idea. It was carried through with more carrots than sticks, i.e. "this is the best for your children," wellfunded daycare and schools. <br /><br />I also think there´s a cultural difference in what many Americans consider a successful and welladjusted child and what Swedes consider one. In Sweden that child is not welladjusted and successful unless it learns to negotiate the collective (regardless of whether it is happy, engaged and very academically advanced). Individualism, as I am sure you already know, is not highly praised. If your individualism makes you grate against the collective, then you are the problem...<br /><br />I am a Swede who´s lived in the United States for the better part of 15 years. I was also very unsuccessful at integrating into the Swedish educational system even though I attended it from age 3 to 18. On the other hand, I do have some hesitations about homeschooling becoming widespread but won´t get into those here. I am just fascinated by the controversy you are creating and wanted to share my observations on the ideological foundation of the Swedish notion of childhood that you are up against (an interesting read in this regards is also Ellen Key´s the Century of the Child). <br /><br />Anyway, best of luck taking on the norm and in finding the best possible way to raise and educate your children!Annikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15241331781715640833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-56531925988266730952012-07-05T21:21:51.205+02:002012-07-05T21:21:51.205+02:00I'm a stay-at-home mom to 4 daughters (12, soo...I'm a stay-at-home mom to 4 daughters (12, soon 9, 4 and soon 1 years old) who also live in the forest...I wish I lived closer to you so we could visit - we have quite a few things in common. I partly homeschooled my oldest daughter until 5th grade, then after the new school law the principal of the freeschool they go to didn't dare to let her continue that way. Both of my "school aged girls" like their school but would still prefer to home school. My husband is American (I'm Swedish) and if we were able to we would most likely relocate to America or another country where homeschooling is possible. I have also desired to birth my babies at home but it never worked out for me. I still had good birth experiences though, especially the first and the last one. <br />Well, I totally understand it's a lonely life for you here in Sweden and I wish you and your family all the best!Ulrikanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-83462855233039886202012-07-04T00:13:49.105+02:002012-07-04T00:13:49.105+02:00I truly thank you for dialoguing about this, your ...I truly thank you for dialoguing about this, your words illustrate the very typically Swedish response to this...To get kind of mean and attacking and close up to new ideas is the dark side of the lagom, of the sameness of Sweden. This is how Swedes keep people in line, how individualism is squelched. You seem to be certain of your position, based on uninformed opinion, and show a lack of curiosity. You seem to have not gone to the list of links I gave you in response to the first comment you made on my blog.<br /><br />As far as this post goes, it is interesting you are so strong in your ridicule. The opening text is an opinion piece from the Seattle Times Newspaper (see the by line, the title is a link). She refers to this article:<br />http://www.academicleadership.org/392/academic_achievement_and_demographic_traits_of_homeschool_students_a_nationwide_study/<br /><br />And as far as evidence goes, the infographics are based on published peer reviewed studies, there are also links to that research in the first response I gave you which you seem to have not followed the links...<br /><br />Demographics of home schoolers in USA<br />http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_hsc.asp<br /><br />Standardized Test Results from Home School Students<br />http://www.academicleadership.org/1511/state_regulation_of_homeschooling_and_homeschoolers_sat_scores/<br />and<br />Performance of Home Schooling Students http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/543<br /><br />Bibliography of More Home School Articles<br />http://www.nheri.org/research/bibliography-references-studies-international.html<br /><br />The evidence is home schooled students perform better than school attending students. So we know home schooling kids are doing well socially and academically across the board, and that it is the right of the family to choose how the children are educated. <br /><br />The burden of proof should be on those who wish to forbid a human right, not on those who wish to exercise them. If a country wants to take away the right of the family to home school, they should show why it is not good for the child in that circumstance.<br />Free societies do not prohibit someone from exercising a human right on the grounds they *might* abuse it.<br /><br />Instead, they deal with people who abuse the right. In the USA where there are over 2 million home schoolers, the education is monitored by having a teacher from the school district who reviews their portfolio of work every year.<br /><br />Social services deals with issues of isolation or neglect. There are measures in place to protect children in society. Child abuse is child abuse and should be stopped, but home schooling is a separate issue all together and one should not try to stop child abuse by forbidding home schooling- they are two different issues. <br /> <br />There are many reasons to home school, and I suspect you have not taken the time to look at the links I gave you in response to the first comment you left on my blog. The variety of home schoolers and the reasons they home school are best represented by the families themselves, there is no typical home schooling family. People choose this for many reasons, but in the end it is because they are committed to their children's education, have to believe that is the best scenario for their individual circumstance, and because they enjoy it.<br /><br />If someone wants to stop them, they need to show with solid peer review evidence why they should be forbidden their rights.<br /><br />You may not want to or need to home school, but some other people in Sweden, for a variety of reasons need to or want to and are being forced to leave the country to do so. About 15 families, a total of about 75 people, have moved from Sweden to Åland this year in response to Sweden outlawing homeschooling. http://www.marknadsliberalen.blogspot.se/2012/06/jan-bjorklund-effekt-i.html<br /><br />This should bring shame to Sweden, that it's citizens must flee to be able to excerise a basic human right. <br /><br />A German family won political asylum in the USA because of Germany's policy on home schooling. <br />http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/01homeschool.html?pagewanted=allSwedeLifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02120190870636748590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-701182680125709482012-07-03T16:50:58.525+02:002012-07-03T16:50:58.525+02:00If you call that scinetific evidens of anything, i...If you call that scinetific evidens of anything, it only proves too well that homeschoolers are NOT qualified as teachers, and need to be educated themselves! <br /><br />Just the fact that you start your post with a false dichotomy makes it hard to take you seriosly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-69102024800375814802012-07-03T16:48:17.258+02:002012-07-03T16:48:17.258+02:00Showing that homeschooled children do well doesn&#...Showing that homeschooled children do well doesn't mean anything unless you can show that they do well "All other factors taken into account". My guess is that parents who homeschool their children devote a lot of time to their children, which is good of course. But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't have done even better with devoted parents but aloud to go to regular school with teachers with better education in both the subjects and learning, and being able to meet more other children.<br /><br />And again - many people who wants to homeschool their children are religious. Having parents that seriously believe in, and are making decisions based on a belief in, the supernatural, and thus not understanding science at all, is in it self a MAJOR reason those children should meet other people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-52368870752081103192012-07-02T23:55:28.537+02:002012-07-02T23:55:28.537+02:00Anon, you sum up very well the position of most Sw...Anon, you sum up very well the position of most Swedes on home schooling, the very reasons it is illegal here. However, the reasons you give are not based on facts but on outdated stereotypes. There is solid research that home schooling works, and you need only se it in action and meet families who are truly walking this path to understand what it is about. I will put a post with some more information, and do my little part to educate Sweden about home schooling.<br /><br />As far as the families I know here in Sweden, one educates at home as her children are trilingual and far advanced of what is taught here in Sweden, her poor children would could read and write English, German, and Swedish by age 4 would be bored sick in a Swedish school. Another friend who wishes to home school has a son with a sensory processing disorder and he simply can not hear or function in crowds, a classroom setting is torture, not help for him. He has been asked to leave a dozen schools, as he reacts terribly when stressed by the noise his body simply can not manage. School is not for everyone, and home schooling is a valid method used around the world. People have a number of reasons they do not fit the mold of school, and they should have the freedom to choose to educate another way. Even if you do not agree, the European Convention of Human Rights does, it recognizes home schooling as a right. It is just a matter of time before an EU court case puts an end to the struggles of those who wish to home educate in Sweden. <br /><br />You must remember school has only been the thing to do the last 100 years or so, and I assure humans functioned quite well and were learning and leading productive lives!SwedeLifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02120190870636748590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-37086069808633526762012-07-02T19:30:37.493+02:002012-07-02T19:30:37.493+02:00No, anyone can NOT be a teacher. It takes knowledg...No, anyone can NOT be a teacher. It takes knowledge in a lot of different subjects. Not only does homeschooling mnean a great risk of not learning, it means the childre will basically only get the parents view of the world. Most parent who wants to homeschool their children are pretty much fanatic religious people. It's a good thing it is not allowed! Parents will always give their children their way of looking at things, but then the school can broaden the perspective and the children will meet other people, both adults and children, there. Luckily, most people here understand that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-61052705375389488562012-07-02T12:19:30.472+02:002012-07-02T12:19:30.472+02:00Anonymous poster, I guess I am glad you asked. Cul...Anonymous poster, I guess I am glad you asked. Culturally, home schooling is so foreign in Sweden. I hope other reader will chime in too.<br /><br />But yes, actually anyone can be a teacher.<br /><br />I guess I will have to write a post about it, and would encourage you to do what a home schooler would do- if there is something you are curious about you want to know more about, seek to learn about it, and see how that process goes! You can ask experts, seek out people who are doing it, borrow books about it, and of course google it and read blogs, watch youtube videos, read research about your topic, or find a meeting or conference on your topic of interest to attend. Think like a home schooler and it will not be hard for you to learn more about home schooling and see that one does not need to be in school to learn!<br /><br />For our family, my husband is a programmer, he can work from anywhere, and I am writing and doing phone consultations for midwifery clients, providing information for people from a far. We are not tied to a physical location for our work.<br /><br />We want a life in two locations (or more) and that does not sync up with the school year. There is a whole community of people doing what is called world schooling, which is traveling around the world as a family, parent educating as they go, basically living life as like one big field trip, learning by doing. Imagine learning art history at The Louvre, or Spanish in Peru, or Greek myths while visiting the ancient site. Home schooling presents a world of exciting possibilities. There are a bunch of blogs by world schooling families, as I said, think like a home schooler and do some self directed research! Here is a good post to get you started, <br /><br />"30 Traveling Families Share Their Best Educational Experiences"<br />http://worldschooladventures.com/2011/06/06/30-traveling-families-share-their-best-educational-experiences/<br /><br />Here is a blog roll of traveling families:<br />http://worldschooladventures.com/other-traveling-families/<br />and<br />http://www.familiesontheroad.com//fotr.html<br /><br />The above families are not rich or lucky, most say by doing slow travel and choosing they spend less on the road than they did maintain a home. Here is a FAQ post from a world schooling family with 4 kids : http://edventureproject.com/faq/<br /><br />Though most home schoolers do not road school, but that is my interest at the moment.<br /><br /><br />In USA there are 2 million home schooled children and they out perform their peers in school. This is a short pdf on home school facts.<br />http://www.nheri.org/ResearchFacts.pdf<br /><br />The resources for families planning to school at home are so numerous....here is a page of some examples. http://www.homeschoolsupercenter.com/new_site/home.php and http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/<br /><br />I come from Floria, there is even a free online public school for people who want to work with the system but school on their own.http://www.flvs.net/Pages/default.aspx<br /><br />My town has a full schedule of meet ups with home schoolers every week, the kids could have more playdates with other children than I could manage to take them too if we home schooled in Florida. And of course kids do activities like sports, or horse back riding and scouts that gives them the experience of being part of a group of kids.<br /><br />The world is a big place and there are may ways to go at anything. Learning can happen anywhere, this is as true or more true for children as it is for adults.<br /><br />Sweden has so few parents at home even with small children, families have a hard time imagining what it would be like to be with older children all day. And Sweden has a certain deference to authority, people are more likely here than most places to believe an expert is imbued with some special magical knowledge unattainable by the rest of us (like doctors or teachers).SwedeLifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02120190870636748590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-19958290219911584102012-07-02T07:19:51.109+02:002012-07-02T07:19:51.109+02:00Why would you not let your kids go to school? I ca...Why would you not let your kids go to school? I can't think of any reason to homeschool, I even fins it quite scary that anyone is allowed to just take the kids out of school, as if just anyone could be a teacher?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-53201816827761395312012-07-01T02:46:58.942+02:002012-07-01T02:46:58.942+02:00As a homeschooling mama, this makes me so sad. I o...As a homeschooling mama, this makes me so sad. I only wish all families could know the joys of homeschooling and I'm so disappointed to hear this about Sweden. Hopefully those there will fight for the right to make their own educational choices--and to decide what's best for their children.Rosehttp://www.thelaughingmonkey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-84805645037875217762012-05-13T22:58:41.805+02:002012-05-13T22:58:41.805+02:00Thank you, that was so beautiful to read! Especial...Thank you, that was so beautiful to read! Especially on Mother's Day. So glad your labor has ended and spring is upon you. You are brilliant, that is why you need the life giving light so much...because it is what you are made of.Maggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767449354029499066.post-17785263695408333952012-04-29T13:59:23.687+02:002012-04-29T13:59:23.687+02:00This is a very beautifully written post. It made m...This is a very beautifully written post. It made me teary eyed. I can relate to being Persephone in this story in that whenever I visit the US, of course I'm visiting my family and mother. I can easily see her feeling as Demeter does, whenever I return from the "abyss" of not existing in her real life.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10816728508733702249noreply@blogger.com