Yes, I'm on the box!

"What about their socialization skills?"

"They just won't be able to fit in later."

"How will they know what they want to do later in life?"

"They need to know that not everyone likes them."

"How will they learn to make friends?"

"How will they learn to work with other people?"

"What about sports?"

"If only you teach them, how will they learn to take tests?"

"What do you mean you only use encyclopedias? What about text books? How are they suppose to learn about the real world with only encyclopedias?"

Okay so I could go on further, but I won't. I've personally heard these and more. Many of you share some of the questions you get. For us in the home schooling community the answers are a bit obvious. Many times I wonder why it is I have to be the one to educate people on the realities of home schooling. Is it easy? Sometimes, sometimes not. Is it fun? Sometimes, sometimes not. I don't mind answering these. Don't mind sharing what we use or what we do. I do mind the negative questions, and the questions that weren't even thought about before they were asked. Why can't people pick up a book, look online, join a chat or any other way that we (homeschoolers) if they're really that curious? Or at least think about what comes out of their mouths? I do it all the time. When working on animal reproduction in science I read the encyclopedias to make sure that it would be appropriate for a 6 and 8 year old. I read books for three weeks to find ones that would allow for the girls to learn animal reproduction that was appropriate for their ages and learning levels. Then had to reread it all over again when we actually did the lessons. It's what you do especially if you choose to do classical education like we have. And yet for some reason there are people out there that can't seem to pick up a book to simply learn actual facts for themselves.

Maybe it's because we just found out that once again around Christmas time we will be moving. I don't really know but at the moment the million common sense questions seem to be frying my nerves. Thankfully though I have family who are understanding and don't ask the questions because they've managed to pickup books all on their own. Some like my brother and sister-in-law have chosen to home school themselves. I don't know why this is bothering me so much. Normally I'm one of those that really just doesn't give a flying flip what someone thinks about me. I'm happy and so is my family, so to me that's what counts. The change in my children has been wonderful since we choose to do their education ourselves. It could be that my littlest one is wanting to go back to school again, and I quote her here, "So I can play more instead of all the work." I think most of it is she can't simply hide in the middle of a class anymore. We've been struggling to unlearn pictorial reading that was taught to her in the classroom and learn the phonics that she needs to know. I know that I won't go back to having a little girl come home crying anymore because she's been told to quit asking so many questions and to sit and be quiet. Maybe one day they will go back to public school, maybe they won't. We take it one day at a time, and one year at a time. Nothing is set in stone. What we feel is the best option for our children is how we make our decisions regarding school, food, socialization, and every other facet of their lives. The same as every other parent on the planet. Are we perfect? I certainly hope not! I hope that my children see that we love them and are trying to make the best decisions we can, so that they can learn to do the same.

With us moving I've been trying to find out the laws in the new state that we'll be going to and trying to prepare for that. But in doing so I found a study that HSLDA asked Dr. Brian Ray to do in 2003. Dr. Brian Ray is the president of the National Home Education Research Institute. This study was to see what happens to homeschoolers after "school". Did they continue their education? Did they work? Did they fit in to society like public school children? Like most studies I remind you to take into account that the individuals involved probably started out with a bias as to the hopes of it's outcome. Simply add it to what you already know and draw you're own conclusions. I prefer to look at the actual data found and not the results written by those who do the study. In the hopes of not clouding my own opinions. I do hope that you find it enlightening though.

Okay thank you for listening to my vent. I'll be happy to pass of the soap box now.