Every once in awhile though, someone’s blatant opposition to your choice smacks you in the face and you can’t help but feel…smacked in the face.
People comment—often—about me home schooling. Sometimes people are full of praise and admiration. I find that kind of hollow because I don’t think I’m doing anything heroic. I’m just doing…and a lot of times it feels like I’m not doing it all that well.
Sometimes (like today) people are full of suspicion and even hostility. I don’t understand. Are people that concerned about my children? Are they afraid they need to intervene? I don’t think so. My sturdy children don’t really look like children that need an advocate. Are people afraid that I’m judging them because they’re not home schooling? Do they feel defensive? I don’t think that’s it either. I don’t care what other people are doing.
Today I realized that a segment of this population who is opposed to me home schooling will be watching with interest—and perhaps glee—for my children to fail when they enter school finally. They will then maybe be validated that they were right all along and I shouldn’t be making this crazy choice. (I know, I’m probably just really paranoid but some people have such a malicious look about them.)
I’m asked why I home school. I’m asked how long I’m going to continue this madness.
I don’t know the answer to either question. Why I home school is as simple as I wouldn’t miss teaching them to read for the world. Why I home school is as complex as Braeden telling his incredulous peers that profess dislike for their sisters in socially appropriate ways that his sister is his best friend. I doubt that would be the case if they didn’t learn together day in and day out in the same room.
I found the following song, sung to the “Twelve Days of Christmas” tune. It’s funny because I’ve heard all of these things from people. It’s un funny because I’ve heard all of these things from people.
On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can you homeschool legally?"
On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?"
On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?"
On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "They'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?"
On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "What about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "I could never do that, what about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
As I struggle with the day to day am I doing a good enough job as their teacher questions I think of the luxury it would be to send them to a teacher. Let her assess their progress. Let it be someone else’s responsibility. Believe me I understand why people choose that route.
I also understand that while I can’t succinctly verbalize what I’m doing and why when I’m under attack, I am happy in my knowledge that this is the right choice for us. I relish the dynamic, chaotic cacophony that is our home school life. It’s never the peaceful respectable school I envisioned before I started but what about mothering is ever peaceful and respectable?
1 comment:
I loved the song, Thelma. I'm right with you. It's a mystery to me why some people have to be so rude about a very personal, prayerful decision. Ask questions, be curious, but don't be rude and judgemental. I think it's fear of the unknown, but magnified for some strange reason. I'm ready to put home schooling right up there with religion when it comes to unsolicited comments that people feel they need to express when they really just don't.
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