As a follow up on the last blog post…
Mother of public schooled (PS) kid : Are your kids ok socially?
Me : (what sort of a question is that?!) Yes, they are very fine socially.
PS Child #1 : But they have friends???
Me : (sighs inwardly) Yes, they do. We are homeschoolers not hermits.
PS Child #2 : But where do they find friends?
Me : (seriously?!) They do occasionally go out and meet up with other homeschoolers. They also attend our Church’s youth group.
Mother of PS Kid : Oh. So they are not alone la?
Me : (sighs inwardly again). You know, most people think that homeschoolers are very deprived and very “poor thing”. But honestly my children think that public schooled kids are the ones who have it tough. My kids finish school by lunch and then they get to do whatever they want to do after that. Most kids are still stuck in school at that time.
PS Kid #2 : Do they go out?
Me : (seriously! again?) If they want to. So sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. But they are free after lunch. Whereas you guys are in school till late afternoon, right?
PS Kid #1 : Huh? They are free after lunch????? I always have to stay back!
Mother of PS Kid : Sometimes till 7 or 8 o’clock!
Me : There you go! So don’t you think it is not the homeschoolers that are so poor thing? 😉
Conversation ends. Food for thought for them, I hope. I am not saying at all that homeschoolers have it easy. But neither do they have it bad. There is no need to pity homeschoolers due to a perceived lack of social life. Homeschoolers who prefer a more active life have a more active life. But others who prefer to be homebound then spend more time at home. There is no cookie cutter homeschooler. But yeah, we all do have a lot more control over our time than public schooled kids. So be envious 😛
3 Comments on Be envious of our free time indeed!
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Following up on my previous comments. It’s great that you want to educate others about what homeschooling life is like ! But hey, don’t need to point out all the stressful bits about public schooling to reiterate how great homeschooling is right ? Is there really a need to talk about how public schoolers should “envy” you for all the free time that you guys have? It’s abit of an overkill perhaps? Like …. ” hey, don’t pity me ok. I’m actually so much better than you” … hmmmm.
I think its great that you try to talk about what homeschooling is like for you. But just as you don’t want others to bring you down or view your situation as inferior, don’t do likewise towards others.
Again, thank you for your comments. Perhaps you are not a homeschooler or know people who homeschool? Homeschoolers everywhere have born the brunt of such derogatory speech for a long while. Sometimes we laugh about it and sometimes we don’t. I am merely stating upfront certain benefits that those who are public schooled do not see.
Hello, thank you for responding. Let me introduce myself. I am a stay home mother with 2 young daughters, both of whom are below the age of 4. I hope, with God’s blessings, to return to the workforce at some point when they are more independent. And no, I’m not a homeschooling mommy.
As I had written in my previous post, I get a vibe that you tend to get rather sensitive about comments made about stay home moms and homeschoolers. Take this post for example. Perhaps we see things very differently, but I just don’t understand how a simple question like “what about friends” constitutes “derogatory speech”. Isn’t it merely a perfectly legitimate and reasonable question that one might have about an unfamiliar situation that appears, on the surface at least, to lack the aspect of social interaction?
As a stay home mom, my best friends who are working mothers who tell me to my face that they cannot imagine staying home with the children and not work. They tell me that working is a medium of respite and an indispensable avenue of accomplishment for them. I don’t get offended at all! They tell me these things not to bring me down, but to allow me an insight into their thoughts. I don’t feel derided in the least. I identify with alot of their sentiments and I am happy that working empowers them the way it does. I have chosen to stay home with my children for now because I believe that is what the Lord has called me to do at this point in my life. I am happy about my choice, just as I am happy for my working friends. I’m often asked what I do all day. I just tell them, hour by hour, how I spend my time!! There are benefits to every situation – work or stay home; home school or public school.
People are more often ignorant than they are mean. Instead of viewing their words as catalysts for defensive rhetoric, it might be better to use these questions as a platform to positively, and cheerfully inform. The less inclined we are to impute derisive connotations to others’ comments, the better we would be at educating / informing others of paths that are less travelled. The more defensive we get, the more insecure we appear.