Comments on: Dealing with Friends Who Don’t Support Homeschooling

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:11:06 +0000

Karen,
My husband’s parents have been very supportive ever since school shootings started happening. The rest of his family just tolerates our strange behavior, and chooses not to talk about homeschooling anymore than they would talk about politics, LOL!!
Blessings,
Lee

By: karen

karen — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:26:39 +0000

Lee,
What is your husband’s family saying now? LOL

By: bj

bj — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:51:26 +0000

I too have a family full of teachers. I usually tell them that homeschooled kids are about 2 “public” school grades ahead of their “Piers”. and then proceed to let them know my 14 year os taking chemistry. Fam – no comment

By: Lois

Lois — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:16:42 +0000

One of my friends had someone ask her, “Would you let your kids go to public school if they wanted to?” She replied sagely, “I’m not sure. Would you let your kids be homeschooled if they wanted to be?” That seemed to shut them up. No matter what, always smile and share all the exciting things you’re doing in your homeschool. Even when your children shrug and say, “I dunno,” you can inform the nosy busybodies that that is usually the answer when you ask the same of public school kids.

By: J W

J W — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:41:21 +0000

Anyone with a teaching degree does have a lingo they learned in college. Most of the terms are about managing thirty kids, the intricate regulation and standardization of curriculum, and the qualifications and ongoing training of the teacher him/herself. That’s probably what that teacher was throwing at you, Lee.

I haven’t had teachers quiz my pupils – usually my eldest talks their ears off first. Anyone who has encountered her knows that’s like being hit with a fire hose that squirts dictionaries, thesauruses, and fantasy novels instead of water.

By: karen

karen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:16:41 +0000

Sunniemom I like your answer

By: Sunniemom

Sunniemom — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:20:10 +0000

It is SO tempting to be snarky, especially if you’ve heard the same question every week for 15 years. But it isn’t how we should represent homeschooling- even though homeschooling isn’t a ’system’, folks still lump homeschoolers together, so if they meet a rude homeschooler, forever after they will believe and spread the word that all homeschoolers are rude. If I had a nickel for every “I met this weird homeschooling family” story…

Anyway, I usually answer questions with questions of my own, in the form of clarifying some part of their question. It not only requires them to rethink the premise of their question, it helps me gauge more accurately where they are coming from, and I can answer accordingly.