In response to my Homeschool Mom’s Universal Translator (HMUT), readers asked me to create a translator to help homeschool parents deal with disapproving, insensitive relatives. You know the type…the ones who make you feel like DIRT.
Here is your very own copy of my Disapproving, Insensitive Relatives Translator, or DIRT. (For my French readers, it is called the “Translator Universalle for Relatives Disapproving”).
Consider it my gift to you.
|
When Your Relative Says… |
What they are THINKING is… |
What they REALLY Mean is… |
|
What about socialization? |
I am concerned for your child’s emotional well-being. |
Why don’t your kids act as immaturely as mine? |
|
Do they have any friends? |
Perhaps you are being selfish by denying them a wide circle of friends of the same age. |
My children’s friends are horrible and everyone needs to share in my suffering. |
|
What about prom? |
Missing prom will damage your child’s social development. |
Please tell me how to avoid the “nightmare that is Prom” and not have your kids hate you. |
|
How will they get into college? |
Your children may not be taken seriously by the colleges |
Boy, I sure hope my kid doesn’t have to compete with yours for college admission. |
|
You don’t think YOU can teach Calculus, do you? |
Teaching high school subjects requires the expertise that only comes with a degree in education. |
“…expertise that only comes with a degree in education…” Did I really just think that? |
|
Don’t you need to be an expert to teach? |
Your child will be behind when they enter college. |
The teachers in our school are experts in crowd control and chaos management. |
|
Don’t your kids get sick of you? |
I’m concerned about your long-term family harmony. |
My kids are SO sick of me… |
|
Don’t you get sick of your kids? |
I’m concerned about your mental well-being. |
I am SO sick of my kids… |
|
How will they earn scholarships? |
You won’t be able to afford college and your children will live with you forever. |
Please leave some scholarship money for my kids. |
|
How will they graduate? |
How will you know they’re educated unless the government tells you? |
I wonder if my kids will be educated when the government tells me they are ready to graduate? |
|
I could never do that |
You aren’t smart enough to teach your kids |
I’m not smart enough to teach my kids because I am the product of a public school education. |
|
Aren’t Christians supposed to be “salt and light” to the world? |
You are not following the Lord if you do not allow your children to be raised by the government. |
Our schools are spiritually bankrupt and my children are suffering. Please…Help…Me…. |
|
You are smothering your children |
If you smother your children they will never mature. |
Wow,your kids are amazing! You must be doing a great job smothering your children. |
|
Haven’t you given up on that crazy idea? |
There must be something mentally wrong with you for homeschooling. |
Maybe homeschooling isn’t so crazy after all… |
You might want to cut this out and keep it in your wallet for handy reference. (If you think of any others I might have missed, please feel free to post a comment.)
Get our new FREE training webinar, “Grades and Credits and Transcripts, Oh My!!“ It promise it won’t make you feel like dirt!
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Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
karen says:
LOVE IT!
June 24th, 2010 at 5:50 am
Kim @ In Our Write Minds says:
Delightful! I know it will encourage many moms—while bringing a smile to their faces.
Kim @ In Our Write Minds´s last [type] ..Write bravely
June 24th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Renae says:
Thanks for creating this! I laughed so hard.
Renae´s last [type] ..Becoming Available
June 24th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Tweets that mention Translator 2 help #homeschool parents deal w/ disapproving insensitive relatives ok #SaveOurShores -- Topsy.com says:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by badmsm and Rebecca Sorrells, Mom E. Mom E said: RT @jamieworley Translator 2 help #homeschool parents deal w/ disapproving insensitive relatives http://d5x.hers.0sp.in ok #SaveOurShores [...]
June 24th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
J W says:
Tee hee!
June 25th, 2010 at 4:50 am
Cindy R. says:
What about socialiazation?
Yes, like I want my children to learn their socialiaztion skills from a neglected latch-key school mate whose alchololic, drug addicted (prescription or otherwise), self involved parents are more interested in their portfolio or social climbing than their precious gifts from God. Unfortunately those poor young souls tend to act inappropriately for attention, Yea, that’s the ticket.
That is my standard answer when I get that guestion. This has come from pesonal experience. Just because my heart goes out for these young souls doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice mine to the cause.
June 25th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Susan, Mrs.Homeschool says:
I’d have to add one, “Are ALL those kids YOURS?” What they’re thinking: “How could you be such a drain on society! And don’t you have ANY self-control with your spouse???” What the REALLY mean: “I don’t know how you manage to get all those kids in public and not have a mental breakdown because I can’t even leave the house with ONE…”
June 25th, 2010 at 5:51 am
Brian says:
I was raised in homeschool by Christian parents. I had a great education, but when I left home for the Navy I had absolutely no social skills whatsoever. In all my years of homeschooling I was kept isolated from the world around me and when I left home I had no idea how to survive in the real world. By homeschooling me my parents were preparing me to live in a zoo instead of training me how to survive in the jungle.
June 26th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Cindy says:
Brian, blame your parents for that, not homeschooling. I, for one, get my kids out more than most ps school kids get out. And do you really think publicly educated kids are ready to survive when they get out of school? I was publicly educated, and I’m here to tell you, they don’t help matters at all.
Cindy´s last [type] ..The Hillbilly Homeschool Scheduler
June 28th, 2010 at 4:09 am
Lee says:
Boy, that’s for sure Cindy! It’s important for all of us to remember that some things are NOT about homeschooling. Parenting and inborn characteristics, for example, are not the same as homeschooling.
Blessings,
Lee
June 29th, 2010 at 9:25 am
Shoaleh says:
I agree Cindy. I also think that when homeschooling parents choose to home school, they need to check their intentions. Why do we home school? It isn’t to protect our children from ever having the experiences that might teach them to cope in society but to allow them to have a more enriched life experience with diverse choices and more freedom of expression. The kind of over-protection that Brian is talking about is the kind that can happen even if a child is sent to public school.
July 8th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Melissa says:
Most people who are against home schooling don’t fully understand what it really means. They are also threatened and defensive about their own choices regarding their own family.
In response to Brain….I dont believe home schooling is to be training children “to live in a zoo instead of training them how to survive in the jungle.”
It’s more about teaching the children not to become a common drones in a commercial jungle. To give them a better opportunity of individuality!
The school system does not help one grow into their authentic self. Teachers try, but the system does not work. Being common and unchallenged is easy…standing out because you know and do better is not.
I’m sorry your experience was a negative one Brian…but it’s not always like that.
God Bless….
September 14th, 2011 at 10:05 pm