Would like to move to White Bird, Idaho..? (Boise, Meridian: skateboarding, how much)

[Mamaj456]

I thought that maybe I should give a little info about myself before asking my question.
My name is Jenn. I am a single mother with 3 children. I home school, and I'm currently attending online college for communications. I also run my own at-home business. I'm looking to move to small-town Idaho.
I don't want to sound racist, but I've noticed a lot of post about there a majority(whites,and no,not as in snow!) in Idaho, and the remaining population being mostly Native American or Hispanic. I'm Black(African American). However, I'm used to living in an area where the majority is whites, but I was a bit concerned because I plan on owning a farm.
I live in PA. I'm not trying to run away from anything, I just want a decent place to raise my kids. Anyone who lives in White Bird...could you give me a bit more insight as to what it's like living there? Do you consider the majority of people living in the area to be friendly to people not born and raised in the area? Do you think the majority is welcoming to..minorities? Are there activities(in the community) that you could recommend for newcomers like myself could do to grow closer to the community? Are there a lot of things for children to do outside of school?
And, if you think this area isn't so grand for a my family, can you recommend an area that may be nearby that is(in Idaho)?
I really don't know a lot about Idaho, so anything you post(good or bad) is greatly appreciated!.
Thank You to all who answer!

[wildflower82]

First off, White Bird is no place for a single-women with children, it's off the beaten path. Not that it's a dangerous town, it's just got nothing for a person to do for entertainment, the local bar is about the most happening spot. The people are very friendly, I really don't recall to many children around there. Your kids will be bored to death.

The population is about 150, maybe, I'm not sure. You might look more at the small towns around Boise. I use to home school and there is a great support system in Meridian, Idaho..... curriculum and school supplies, Curriculum Cottage, Inc. Meridian, ID Home give this place a call they might be able to direct you to the towns with the most homeschoolers.

Your kids would be better to be around other home schoolers. Unfortunately, in a small town home schoolers are not very accepted, with the other kids.

[Keim]

Whitebird is truly tiny. If you are set on that area you might wish to checkout Grangeville instead. Pop. of about 1000. It is a nice little town.

If homeschooling is a big issue for you check out Moscow. Home of the University of Idaho, with a total population of about 25k. Several hundred homeschooling families in the area. And the universities (Washington State U. is nearby) provide lots of opportunities for homeschoolers to enhance their kids education.

[FarmerDan]

This is going to depend on what you like to do for entertainment. Certainly when my big city nieces went to visit their cousins in the small town, they were bored stiff. There was nothing to do. No malls, only one theater and that was in the town a half hour away. No place to drag main. No water parks... Funny thing was, when my small town nephews visited their cousins in the big city, THEY were bored stiff. There was nothing to do. Couldn't build a fire or go mountain biking. No place to go fishing or camping. No garden to work in or steal snacks from. The only place to hike was on the green belt and that got old fast. Had to pay to go swimming. Couldn't shoot anything--not even a pop can. Had to have the dog on a leash all the time...

White Bird is a nice place, and if you want a quiet place where you can teach your kids to connect with the land, it might be for you. If you can get your learning from books and the internet (although you'll have to ask someone else about high speed availability), home schooling will probably work fine there. There are some important historic sites close if you count Indian battlefields and explorer routes. If you need field trips to zoos or state capitals, you'll need to go a bit farther out. There's plenty of culture, though, if you don't mind creating your own curriculum. There is also a home schooling community in the area if you don't mind including Grangeville and the surrounding areas, but there aren't as many families as you will find in the more populated places. If you have enough computers for internet access for all your kids, they can easily create their own circle of friends on e-mail, chat, and forums. Or get them cell phones (if you can get reception in White Bird) and they might not notice how far away they are as much. Texting can really bridge the distances. Be prepared to drive a ways for dances and parties and study groups. Also play practices or musical groups or sports if you plan to integrate with the public schools. However, the only traffic jams you're likely to see are due to road construction.

There is stuff to do but you'll have to create a lot of your own entertainment. River swimming is great in the Summer, and there are plenty of places you can do outdoor activities. Maybe try skateboarding down White Bird Hill? Brundage is close if you like skiing, and if you like snowmobiles you're in luck. The growing season is decent, and the land is excellent for gardening. Just be aware that you're going to need irrigation to grow much. There may be work for teenagers moving pipe or bucking hay if they're reliable.

As far as minority goes, it probably can't get much worse. You might be the ONLY black family in the entire town. That being said, I think most of the people are generally accepting of others... depending. Younger kids might get teased by their peers some. A lot will depend on you and your attitude. If the locals feel you look down on them or don't like how they do things, you may have problems. If you get involved in the community and obviously like it, maybe not so many.

There are some simple things you can do to help create good will. There might be people there who really know how to grow stuff--farmers who have been growing stuff for decades. If you ask for advice, and actually take it seriously, you might learn some good stuff, and you might make some good friends. Also, I recommend teaching a section on local History. Find some old people and have your kids call them up and ask if they can interview them about what life was like in White Bird when they were young, and write up reports. I expect there will be a strong local Native American culture. Great possibilities for curriculum that can help accentuate similarities and mitigate the differences.

You already know how much hard work homeschooling is if you want to do a good job. You might have to work a little bit harder to create the opportunities you want for your children. However, there's a good chance it will be worth it.

[Mamaj456]

thank you farmer dan! I was a bit intimidated with the other two replies. Thank you for your honesty. Do you live in the area? It seems like you know a lot about it.
I'm actually really excited by your response, i can't wait to get there in June! I will be taking your advice on everything, it seems as though you know so much about the area. I wasn't completely concerned about the ethnicity factor. I live in an area now where I have next to none contact with other black families. I'm used to it.
Thanks again for the input!

[shades_of_idaho]

MamaJ I sent you a direct massage.

Chris

[FarmerDan]

I don't live in White Bird. In fact I have never actually stopped there, but I've lived in Idaho County for many years and driven through White Bird many times. I also don't have any actual experience being home schooled, but I've watched lots of kids do it in Idaho, and I've watched and listened to what people say. So take my advice with a pound of salt, and only listen to it if it makes sense. But I'll tell you what I've observed and what I would do in your position.

There is a huge difference in ways that families home school. Some families use it as an excuse to not do any schooling, and their kids end up idiots. Other families do intense schooling and their kids end up geniuses. Most families are somewhere in between. From what I've observed, a lot of that comes from WHY they home school. Some families feel that public schools corrupt their kids and control what they are taught. This is a valid concern, but sometimes these families feel that no schooling at all is better than public school. That could be dangerous. There are horror stories of kids that spend all day playing "educational" video games and watching videos. Other families feel that public schools are not efficient in teaching their kids. Or teach them things that are not as important while ignoring things that are more important. This is also a valid concern. These families usually spend more time actually learning, and you'll see them put huge amounts of work and creativity into their school. Some of them concentrate more on character development and less on academics. This is as it should be, since public schools are limited as to what they can teach in the areas of Religion and Values. The parents should be the ones to teach those things.

How well you and your children, as home schoolers, are received by the community will depend a lot on which route you take. If you complain a lot about how bad the public school system is and what bad habits public schooled kids pick up (or worse yet, are passing on to your kids), that's a bad sign. If your kids are hermits, and when they actually do appear in public they are badly dressed or don't express themselves well, that's a bad sign. If they don't know how to do very much and don't appear to have read anything, or only know who Jane Austen is because they saw the movie, that's a bad sign. And listen to what they talk about with their teen-age friends. If they're talking about the latest MTV video or what Lady Gaga was wearing, that's a bad sign. Monitor some of their on-line communications. Do they misspell a lot of words and never use punctuation or capitalization? Do they not know the difference between their, there, and they're? To, too, and two? Loose and lose? Do they spell separate "seperate", and definitely "definately"? If they're older than 12, this is a bad sign.

On the other hand, if they like to hang out with other kids, home schooled or not, that excel in many things, that's a good sign. If they know how to play the piano or acoustic guitar and regularly play in church or accompany their peers in talent shows or local plays, that's a good sign. If they like to go to dances, and the other kids like to dance with them because they "know how to dance", that's a good sign. If they are fascinated with everything, and know how to do a lot of things and love to learn how to do even more things, and aren't afraid to try anything, that's a good sign. Do they know how to fly airplanes or hang gliders? Do they have amateur radio licenses? SCUBA diving certificates? CPR or EMT certifications? Do they know how to ice skate and ski and snowboard? Are they eagle scouts? Can they drive a tractor and a backhoe and a bulldozer? Canoe or motor boat? All good signs. If they talk to their friends about concepts they read about in Atlas Shrugged or people sounding just like Mr. Darcy, this is a good sign. When they give a presentation in church do they prepare it well and express themselves well? Do you get compliments from other parents? This is a good sign.

People will watch your kids and judge you if your kids don't seem to be as educated as their similar aged public schooled peers. You need to make sure that not only do your kids learn MORE than their peers, but that it shows. People also have the mistaken idea that your home schooled kids don't learn any social skills. You also need to make sure that they learn better social skills than their peers, and that it shows. The better home schooled families I have observed don't have much problem with this. First off, the kids usually have a higher degree of respect for people and property. That goes a long way. But in addition, their homes are usually the neighborhood "happening place". There is always something interesting and educational going on. They're learning how to make stained glass windows, or figure four traps, or ARM powered robots, or trebuchets. They also seem to be able to relate better to people of various ages. Old people, younger children, other kids and grownups. If you are trying hard and obviously doing a decent job of actually schooling your kids, and if they don't have a "holier than thou" attitude, you should have very few problems fitting in. There may be some die-hard old lady that used to teach fourth grade Geography that will hold out. If so, have your nine-year-old ask her some Geography questions. Assign him to do a report on why the climates are so much different between PA and ID if they're so close in latitude or something. There's nothing teachers (even retired ones) like more than teaching people who love to learn.

Look for ways to ask locals for advice. Do you have a farm in PA? If you do, some of your experience will transfer, but there will be some new stuff. Some of the crops that grow well there won't grow well here. A good way to learn is to find an old couple with a serious garden and ask for information. Ask them what grows well and what you have to do to grow it. Are you going to have animals on your farm? Ask them how much hay you'll need for each animal to last the winter, and where to get the most appropriate protein content. If your son gets bored one day give him a piece of string and tell him to go catch a rabbit. When he gives you a blank look, tell him to go google snares. When he comes back in a couple of hours with no rabbit, pick one of your older Native American neighbors that seems like they might know and tell him to go ask them how it's REALLY done. And if they don't know ask them who does. You might have to go through three or four referrals until you find someone who has actually done it, but in a small rural Idaho town with a strong Native American History, there's gotta be someone who has caught a rabbit with a piece of string. The next time he's bored give him a magnifying glass and tell him to go start a fire. Then tell him before he actually goes outside you want him to repeat to you from memory the boy scout fire safety code. After a few ideas, he should be thinking up his own new things to learn, and he should know which of the locals he can ask about which kinds of things. Another good thing all Idaho home schooled kids should know how to do is cook a potato. There are a bunch of different ways to cook a potato, and your kids should know some of the best ones. Ask the locals what are their favorites. Borrow a Dutch Oven if you have to. Then have your daughter cook a peach cobbler in it and return it to the owner with the cobbler still hot.

Whenever the town has a shindig, show up and participate with gusto. Same for the church. Especially if it's a service project. Bring the whole family and be the ones that work the hardest. When they have a potluck, bring something extra yummy, and bring more than your share for your family. Don't be afraid to allow others to serve you. Don't solicit, but be gracious if it is offered. And make sure to express genuine thanks. And look for ways to serve others. Have your ten-year-old computer whiz volunteer to fix your neighbor's computer when she accidentally turns the brightness on the monitor all the way down. Do you have a cow? It's probably illegal to sell raw milk, but people love homemade butter and cheese. And ice cream! Mozzarella isn't hard to make. Have a pizza party and invite all the teens in town. If you have teens, have them offer to help the locals with various things. Mow lawns, weed gardens, shovel snow, clean out stables or move pipe. If there are widows or empty nester neighors and you have younger kids, have them deliver cookies or homemade bread and stay and chat a while. And ask them about their kids. Old people are so easy to get along with. All you have to do is spend a little time with them and ask them about their kids. Or their operation.

Running a home school, a business, and a farm is a pretty ambitious undertaking. And a lot of work. I understand that's probably the main idea when you're raising kids, and the farm is a big part of the home school. But I sure don't envy you doing it as a single mother. If you can pull if off, you'll have amazing kids.

[Sights_Set]

Farmer Dan gives makes excellent points and suggestions. I am a public school teacher (I am also looking to relocate to idaho) and I have to say that there are some areas where public schools excel and there some very weak areas as well. My main problem with public schools is the bureaucracy, specifically the state curriculum. IMO there is no denying the political agenda, left and right both, that is woven into what we are mandated to teach. I will give an example. I teach science and in my science text book global warming is presented as scientific fact. Keep in mind that my books are three years old and the debate among scientists continues to this day especially after '"Climategate" (the UN's top advising climate scientists were caught discussing via email how best to hide the manipulations they made to the climate data over the last 30 years so that other scientists wouldn't discover the fraud. The goal being to provide the UN with the data the need to thrust the world into some sort of a global carbon tax system where the first world governments and the World Bank would stand to make trillions and trillions of dollars in tax revenue from the citizens of the cooperating countries, including the US - look it up, some articles whitewash it and others will report it as the most nefarious scandal in the scientific community in recorded history) broke a few months ago and let's not forget that Al Gore has publically been caught lying about climate data recently as well. To reiderate my point, the climate debate is not even close to being settled and my science text book has been purposely indoctrinated with inaccurate information. That is just one incidence cited, the question is how extensively have political agendas or propaganda or whatever you would call it been embedded into what we are teaching our kids as scientific fact, historical fact etc. That to me is another huge reason that so many well informed people home school. To give my professional opinion, Farmer Dan is absolutely correct in that if done well your kids can be head and shoulders above publicly schooled kids but if done ineptly your kids will pay for it for many years to come. Beware, there is a tremedous amount of prejudice and animosity directed toward homeschoolers from government officials, public schools officials, even everyday people. My advice is to research all of the homeschooling facts and figures so you will be prepared to defend your position because I am sure that you will be challenged. Hopefully you will be able to snap some people out of their misinformed, stereotypical thinking. Best of luck!

[banjomike]

The real tiny towns are usually very conservative. They're not exposed to many black folks, so you may be an object of curiosity, or you may be resented in some- it really depends on the particular area a lot.

[Mamaj456]

Is there anybody here that is from White Bird, Idaho that may be able to give me some personal insight?