Thursday, September 30, 2010

I find myself wondering, "Should we be out in public at this time of day?"

   Because of my husband's work schedule and the twins nap schedule, I find that it works best for us if we wake up, eat breakfast and have bible, then kick around for a few hours. The babies go down for their nap after lunch,  then we start school. We also sometimes have to run errands, and this gets done during our "free" time, between breakfast and lunch, but lately I've been feeling a little self conscious when we're out and about.  The reason is that Anna is now unmistakably school age.  I am blessed to live in an area that is very supportive of homeschooling, and that is probably why I haven't gotten any, "Aren't you suppose to be in school?" comments yet.   But still, I wonder if we are setting a good example for homeschoolers, or if people are secretly thinking, "What are they doing at the grocery store at this time of day? Do they ever do any school work?"  Probably not; but do we as homeschoolers have an obligation to not do anything that negatively draws attention to homeschooling?
    I was homeschooled in the "early days" of homeschooling, and if I was ever seen out during traditional school hours, I always got "the question".  People were some times very rude and critical, and yes we were seen as very, very weird.  I wonder if this is making me sensitive to a situation that no longer exists, or if we need to be careful not to let down our guard. 
     So, do you avoid going out in public during certain hours of the day, or are you of the more, "That's their problem, not ours" approach?

2 comments:

  1. Hey Susannah! I have found that if I take my kids out during these hours (which I do, for the same reasons that you listed), this is when I am most likely to meet other homeschooling families, also out. This has turned out to be a blessing for us b/c we are transplanted and don't know anyone in our area yet. And I always have a standard answer prepared, just in case. For example, b/c I have 3 little ones ages 6 and under people are ALWAYS saying to me "oh my, you sure have your hands full!", which kind of ruffles my feathers, so now I just say "yep, full of blessings!". I hate the idea that having several children, and being home with them MUST be a burden.
    I say fear not, and be prepared. If you have a positive response, it usually stops most people in their negative tracks!

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  2. I get the "you must have your hands full!" comment ALOT. I usually just smile and say "I sure do!" like it's the best thing ever, which it is!

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