Another Movie Presents Homeschoolers as Socially Awkward
Have you seen the new Julia Roberts movie, Wonder? It is based on the New York Times bestseller by the same name (See the book, click here)
The movie tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August (Auggie) Pullman. Born with facial differences, Auggie was homeschooled until fifth grade. That year, he joins a more traditional school and in the process, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes. His family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance for him. Auggie’s difficult and inspiring journey will unite them all and prove you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
In our house, we have a rule that you have to read the book first before seeing the movie. So have you read the book and are you planning to see the movie?
A Kinder Place
What if the internet could be a kinder place? Inspired by #WonderTheMovie, the #ChooseKind Chrome Extension (get the extension here) could change the way you see the web by replacing any mean/abusive comments with positive/uplifting words.
The extension leverages powerful machine learning technology to spot abuse online — making it easier to focus on kindness as you scroll through social feeds and video comments on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in Chrome for desktop.
Snapchat Lens
In honor of #WorldKindnessDay, you can get the Snapchat lens to support Children’s Craniofacial Association! Try it here: http://lions.gt/wondersnap
Final Thoughts
I have mixed feelings about Auggie being portrayed as a socially awkward little homeschooled boy who is entering the traditional school world unable to cope with the social dynamics. I am trying to remember that any child who was dealing with craniofacial anomalies might suffer from social anxiety… but I do get tired of seeing homeschoolers portrayed as awkward!
How about you? Am I being overly sensitive?
A few months ago, I read Autobiography of a Face, the story of a girl with a deformed face because of cancer. My heart broke for her, not only did she endure terrible pain and many surgeries, school was a nightmare. The kids were cruel. I couldn’t help but wish she would have been homeschooled.
Frank Peretti (successful author) had facial deformities and talks about never fitting in at school. There’s only a certain amount of cruel words a person should have to hear in a day. Let alone, every day.
Peretti said his parent’s attentiveness and his faith helped him to get through it. The Wounded Spirit is his book about his struggles.
The woman who wrote Autobiography of a Face, a sad book, ended her own life as an adult. She didn’t write of having any faith. Not a Hollywood happy ending.
Homeschoolers akward? Or nice and not dependent on peers?