Questions and Answers

This morning I had to reschedule the big boy's follow up appointment with the ear doctor because we are still without a car and Mark is on duty, so he has to be in by 6:30. While scheduling with the receptionist, who was trying to work around school hours, I told her we are homeschooling and have Monday and Wednesday mornings open. Usually this information makes appointment schedulers happy, but this one's response was "Oh, that wasn't an option when my kids were little...I'm not sure I would have been able to do it anyway...They liked having friends...How's Wednesday at 8:15?" As usual in these situations, I bit my tongue.

But it brought to mind The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List and I said "No. 17" to myself. Number 17: "Stop saying 'Oh, I could never homeschool!' Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more." You can find all 25 at http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/.

I have two all time favorite comments from other people about our family's very psersonal decision to homeschool. The first was from my brother, who said "How can there be no requirements from the state? What if you raise a bunch of idiots?"

Number 11: "Please stop questioning my compentency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least 12 years in the kind of chew-it-up and spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school."

The second was from another mom at karate class. "Oh, I could never do that. I really just want my kids to blossom."

Number 3: "Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize."

So, when I know people really aren't interested, I keep my mouth shut. When people are interested in what we do all day, how we learn, what the adventure is like, I talk up a blue streak. When they shut me out with their judgements, I smile and call off a number in my head.

"8:15 will be fine." I replied.