It’s “back-to-school” time, which means many of my non-homeschooling friends are saying “Oh, Thank God!” Which, of course, homeschoolers often find incredibly sad. I think those friends are also looking forward to the return of routine and order, and cooler weather, so I tend to be sympathetic, rather than imagining that they can’t wait to be away from their children. (Except for the ones who say, “I can’t wait to get away from these children!”)
This is distinct from “end-of-school” time, when non-homeschooling friends can be heard to say “Oh My God It’s Only Been One Week!”
Anyway . . . this is a time of year when homeschooling comes up in conversations, and we hear that “Oh I could never!” “I don’t have the patience.” “My child is too intense/stubborn/strong-willed.” (This one makes me snort coffee out my nose. Uh, have you met my kids?) “I’d go nuts!” “We’d make each other crazy.”
I don’t have a great response to this — I’m not patient, my kids are really intense and stubborn, and sometimes we do make each other crazy. Plus I probably said the same thing, once upon a time. But I just saw this great series of photos that say so much more than my words ever could.
Of course, homeschooling is not the answer for every family, but probably not for the reasons the “I could never” people think.
6 Comments
August 16, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Very pretty and true.
August 16, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I just found your site via WordPress search for Homeschool. This was in between watching the Olympics and ordering school materials for this year. Anyway, I love the way you write. If you don’t mind, I’d like to add you to my blogroll and check in every now and then.
August 16, 2008 at 6:33 pm
What I really, really hope is that the people who say, “Oh, I can’t WAIT for the kids to be out of the house” don’t really mean it — or if they do (or even if they don’t), I hope they don’t say that in front of their kids.
I’m not putting on the snarky perfect parent hat here, but man — one of the reasons we homeschool is because we really *like* to be around our kid all the time.
August 17, 2008 at 1:01 am
Hello! I found your blog through Sheila at Greenridge Chronicles. I’m a homeschooling mum too. NOT looking forward to September, not that our “schedule” (ha ha) will change any, but I couldn’t be bothered with all that reporting (though I do like the money).
Nicola
August 17, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Ok. First off, that looks JUST LIKE our day today;) I just don’t have pictures! LOL;P
And adso, I COMPLETELY AGREE. We <3 our kid. That’s why we homeschool. Say nothing of this silly “PG-ness”.
Forte
November 20, 2008 at 7:33 am
Cool post, maybe you dream fof writters?
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Sry, hehe))