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Funny misconceptions about homeschooling...


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So now that we're nearing our official first year of homeschooling, I was recently reminded about some of the funny things that others have assumed about the homeschooling....

 

#1 - My mom asked me if my ds5 had finished all of his videos. I was confused and asked, "What videos are you talking about?" She replied, "You know, the ones that the school sends for him to watch of the classes." She honestly thought that our local public school taped the Kindergarten classes and sent the videos to local homeschoolers.

 

#2 - I told a public school mom friend that we were attending our Classical Conversations year-end celebration. She said, "Oh, that's fantastic. Then he'll be able to use the certificate that he receives at his graduation to get into first grade." Huh? I couldn't help but LOL!

 

:lol: So, I know I'm not the only one. I've got about 20 minutes until the baby wakes up and a hot cup of tea (really, it's just tea! :tongue_smilie:) ....share your funny homeschooling misconceptions!

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I have heard some pretty funny things.

 

One person said that hsing is a waste of teacher resources because of all the time the ps teacher has to spend driving from house to house, teaching all the school work to individual children. She said it is better to have all the children go to at the school instead of having teachers go to homes. Yes, she really thought a ps teacher came to my house to teach my dc. Kind of takes away from what hsing is all about, wouldn't it?

 

I was told that it is not fair to home school my children because they are nice and teachers deserve to have nice children in their classes, and my dc are smart, so they should be in school so they can help the other children in their classes. Yeah, that is the purpose of going to school...:lol:

 

I know I have heard more funny comments, but I can't remember them right now.

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Okay, these are hilarious, in a :confused: way.

 

Mine....

 

That somehow all homeschoolers are supposed to be more excited about their education. They don't get that ds is just the average student that complains about coming to school, even though its just walking down the stairs from his room. :lol:

 

That homeschoolers can't take college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT. My darling sister came up for Christmas. She thinks I'm an idiot and can't educate my own child. However, she showed her ignorance when she grilled my dad about how my child was supposed to get into college. Duh, it's the ACT, even given at the college he'll most likely attend. My dad told me what she said, I laughed and realized even though she's spent the last 20 years in college work or study SHE is the ignorant one.

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This one was a two-fer of educational misconceptions:

 

A dad informed me that only wealthy families like mine could afford to home educate. :confused: I inquired further, as politely as I could, and he assured me that he knew that professors at dh's university made about $250K. I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing. Not in the humanities, they don't, my friend. Then I told him dh's real salary, and he was absolutely stunned that a family of five could possibly live on that; and when I threw in (for effect) that we homeschoolers pay all our educational expenses out-of-pocket, with no help from the state, he was absolutely livid. I thought he was going to march down to the Capitol right then and give Rick Perry a piece of his mind.

 

But it's not the first time I've heard the "only rich families can home educate" line.

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#1 - My mom asked me if my ds5 had finished all of his videos. I was confused and asked, "What videos are you talking about?" She replied, "You know, the ones that the school sends for him to watch of the classes." She honestly thought that our local public school taped the Kindergarten classes and sent the videos to local homeschoolers.

 

 

 

:lol: Words can't describe my thoughts right now. :lol:

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My accountant asked me how long I was "allowed" to home school my kids? "Like through elementary but surely not middle school and high school I assume?" Sure buddy, but you know what assuming does right? ;)

 

I have found the longer I do this the less combative my responses are to people's strange and sometimes rude questions/comments. I just don't have the time to educate these folks and my kids!

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I would expect those sorts of comments here in Australia- but I thought homeschooling was much more common and well known over there? Obviously not as much as I thought! Very funny though.

I have found that people presume that we get all our books etc from the education dept and we do the same as the local schools. The idea that we can actually choose our own curriculum, subjects etc and only get checked on once a year- that just blows peoples' little institutionalised minds! Really- how did we as a culture get to the point where we cant even conceive that parents can teach their kids to read and write etc?

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#1 - My mom asked me if my ds5 had finished all of his videos. I was confused and asked, "What videos are you talking about?" She replied, "You know, the ones that the school sends for him to watch of the classes." She honestly thought that our local public school taped the Kindergarten classes and sent the videos to local homeschoolers.

 

One person said that hsing is a waste of teacher resources because of all the time the ps teacher has to spend driving from house to house, teaching all the school work to individual children. She said it is better to have all the children go to at the school instead of having teachers go to homes. Yes, she really thought a ps teacher came to my house to teach my dc. Kind of takes away from what hsing is all about, wouldn't it?

 

These are both so hilarious! Can you imagine sitting your kid down to watch five hours worth of other kindergarteners being distracted and called to attention? Can you imagine the logic beind the school system having an army of teachers on the homeschooling circuit, going from house to house?

 

(Now, most school systems do have teachers who will go to the homes of children who are too ill to go to school for a prolonged period. I had that a few times myself, as a kid. But not just by parental choice!)

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I've been surprised by how many people think the local school district gives us the textbooks and we just work on them at home.
Yes, I've encountered many people who ask, with great apparent anxiety, if at least we homeschoolers are allowed to have copies of the school's textbooks. I've found trying to explain that we don't want or need the textbooks--that in fact the textbooks are one of the aspects of public school we are trying to avoid--to be useless. I've been reduced to just semi-fibbing and saying we don't have any trouble getting hold of the texts the public schools are using, which is met with great relief. :lol:
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Yes, I've encountered many people who ask, with great apparent anxiety, if at least we homeschoolers are allowed to have copies of the school's textbooks. I've found trying to explain that we don't want or need the textbooks--that in fact the textbooks are one of the aspects of public school we are trying to avoid--to be useless. I've been reduced to just semi-fibbing and saying we don't have any trouble getting hold of the texts the public schools are using, which is met with great relief. :lol:

 

:lol: I have met those who assume we get all our materials from the local school as well. When they find out I don't, they are surprised that we don't get money instead of the books. Wouldn't that be nice?! :D

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I had to ask my retired neighbor to watch 2 of my boys recently due to an appointment that I could not reschedule. She's the grandma type to them.

 

When I came back she honestly asked if homeschool kids are required to go through the summer for school since they have so much free time throughout the year.

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These are some amazing questions! I can't believe what misconceptions there are!

 

I usually get comments like, "I don't think I could stand to be around my kids all day."

 

I usually have two thoughts, both of which I keep to myself. First, "Why did you have kids if you don't want to be with them?" Or, for certain ones, "Well, yeah, I couldn't stand to be around your kid all day, either."

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You homeschool? Oh you must save so much money on school clothes and lunches!:001_huh:

 

 

This one is true for our family. I spent less on clothes for me and the kids when we homeschooled. (I afterschool now.) We wear clothes at home, on weekends, etc. that wouldn't be suitable for school, work, or being out and about. I don't mean brand names or anything fancy, either. I also spend more on our lunches.

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I've been surprised by how many people think the local school district gives us the textbooks and we just work on them at home.

 

I get that one all the time.

 

Oh, and my MIL, who did go to college to be a music teacher fifty years ago, and who never, ever worked as a teacher is always telling me how I am not in compliance with our state's educational law. 'Cause when she was studying to be a teacher she was taught.......

 

Yeah, things are exactly the same as they were when you were a college sophomore back in the 1950s

 

Of course, this is the same woman who asked if my son was born prematurely because I am a vegetarian.

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When I withdrew dd from first grade in the first week of 2nd semester after we had paid for testing, again asked for a grade skip and were refused the principal told me I could not just home school...I had to get permission from the state. I am a lawyer married to a lawyer. She was well aware of this yet that was her knee jerk response. I told her I had all my paperwork ready and needed to go home to resume teaching my child. The local hs group has a facilitator who serves as a sort of mentor /bull**** detector to the newbies without regard to whether they are going to join the local support group or not, and she actually told me I would hear this. We had a good laugh when I returned from the meeting and told her she was spot on. Unreal.

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My 13 year old niece, who sees my daughter a few times a year, has the impression that she's some kind of uber-genius.

 

"She's got to be super smart...she's learning LATIN!"

 

More than anything else, though, people ask me whether I get my curriculum from the local school or from the state, or some other distributor of ready-to-use boxed curriculum. I find it remarkably hard to find a way to tell them that we research the choices for each subject and choose what's right for us without it sounding like we just wing it.

Edited by s.z.ichigo
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I have found that people presume that we get all our books etc from the education dept and we do the same as the local schools.
Yes I get that all the time - the other one I also get is "Well I guess the curriculum is all online now anyways so you just look it up and follow it". I just smile and agree "Yes the curriculum is all online these days" and then to myself I add "not that I use it". :D

 

Of course since my DH is a PS teacher most people just tell me "Oh but your DH is a teacher -so he'll be teaching the kids right?" I just smile at that too - and let them think what they want because honestly people in Australia are way too shocked when they hear the truth - the couple of times I've actually tried to explain how it will really be all I get is silent, uncomprehending stares and then "Well that will be interesting to see how she (DD) turns out" :lol:

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I've been surprised by how many people think the local school district gives us the textbooks and we just work on them at home.

 

:iagree: Yes! People seem to have no idea that homeschooling outside of the p.s. oversight means that we can use any materials we want to. I try to mention this because I think it's one of the most exciting parts of HSing and I think it can give people a new view of it. My oldest dd has also found it nearly impossible to explain to her non-HSed friends what HSing is like. They can't comprehend the freedom.

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When I first started homeschooling my 2 daughters in first grade (now finishing 8th grade), someone asked me "Don't you worry they will end up being gay?"

 

I was speechless....

 

That literally made me laugh out loud. What in the world.. :)

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When I first started homeschooling my 2 daughters in first grade (now finishing 8th grade), someone asked me "Don't you worry they will end up being gay?"

 

I was speechless....

 

Mmmmmmkay...:001_huh:

 

I've encountered many people who assume that homeschoolers must go through the PS system, i.e. be approved by the local school, use their books, and have a teacher check up on us. They think that is the only legal way to do it, and some friends and relatives have expressed serious concern that I am mistaken when I point out their error.

 

A few of our relatives have been surprised to learn that we don't receive any tax breaks related to homeschooling.

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When I first started homeschooling my 2 daughters in first grade (now finishing 8th grade), someone asked me "Don't you worry they will end up being gay?"

 

I was speechless....

 

:confused: Huh?

 

Most of these are pretty funny. I'm enjoying picturing the harried public school teacher driving around to give lessons to all the homeschooling families in her area. :lol:

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You homeschool? Oh you must save so much money on school clothes and lunches!:001_huh:

 

yep, that's right, we're naked, non-eating homeschoolers!

 

:lol:

 

 

But we make up for it in toilet paper and water usage, and of course, GAS, as we drive our kids too all those places that public schoolers don't get to go!

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My 13 year old niece, who sees my daughter a few times a year, has the impression that she's some kind of uber-genius.

 

"She's got to be super smart...she's learning LATIN!"

 

More than anything else, though, people ask me whether I get my curriculum from the local school or from the state, or some other distributor of ready-to-use boxed curriculum. I find it remarkably hard to find a way to tell them that we research the choices for each subject and choose what's right for us without it sounding like we just wing it.

 

Regarding the part I bolded: I got something similar not too long ago when talking to a friend. 'Twas both funny and awkward at the same time!

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The only weird comments we've ever gotten always come from older people. They always think that we get all our materials from the local public schools. When we tell them that we don't, they seem surprised and always ask if a teacher comes to check in on us. They are always very sweet about it, but they seem rather shocked that we have almost nothing to do with the public schools. This has happened several times with different people, but it's always the same thing.

 

I've also gotten, "you must be much more patient than I am!" and "I could never do that!"

 

I hate those comments, because I can never think of a way to respond that doesn't make me sound rude.

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I, too, have been amazed at the number of people who assume that there's someone in the school district who is assigned to help homeschoolers get the materials and advice they need, and that the state provides our instructional materials. A number of people have been angry on our behalf when they realize that we have to both pay taxes for the schools AND pay for all of our own books and materials. A few years ago our state passed a voucher program that was going to help parents pay for private schools, and homeschoolers would have been given a smaller amount as well, but it was overturned before it really went into effect. There were all sorts of people who were irate on our behalf that year. I sometimes think I should tell them I am happy to take donations. But then, if they made contributions they would probably feel entitled to know what I did with their money. (Bon bons, obviously.)

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When my oldest was still a toddler, I had a Developmental Psych professor tell me that he would miss out on interactions with people of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and intellectual abilities, because all homeschoolers would be just like us.??? We're a western Shinto Zen Buddhist family in the deep south.

I didn't really know where to go with that one.

As it turns out, our homeschool group is VERY diverse (there are some faith based ones that are more uniform), and we now live in a small rural town, where everyone knows everyone, everyone went to the same 2 schools, the whole town is made up of the same families for the past 200 years and everyone goes to the same church. It's also EXTREMELY racially and economicly divided. Where exactly is the diversity here?

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When my oldest was still a toddler, I had a Developmental Psych professor tell me that he would miss out on interactions with people of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and intellectual abilities, because all homeschoolers would be just like us.??? We're a western Shinto Zen Buddhist family in the deep south.

I didn't really know where to go with that one.

As it turns out, our homeschool group is VERY diverse (there are some faith based ones that are more uniform), and we now live in a small rural town, where everyone knows everyone, everyone went to the same 2 schools, the whole town is made up of the same families for the past 200 years and everyone goes to the same church. It's also EXTREMELY racially and economicly divided. Where exactly is the diversity here?

 

I love this reply.

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Last year when ds was finishing up his 2nd grade year at his private school, he came home one day and told me that we could only home school for 3rd grade. That one of his friends had told him that if I home school for more than 1 year I would go to jail. I wonder what those parents were talking about at home...

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When I first started homeschooling my 2 daughters in first grade (now finishing 8th grade), someone asked me "Don't you worry they will end up being gay?"

 

I was speechless....

 

I was informed that my son would "turn out gay" thanks to spending all his time with me. My thoughts, in order:

 

1. So?

 

2. His father works at home, so the boy is hardly being steeped in estrogen.

 

3. You're an idiot.

 

I think I just mumbled something like, "Not really a big concern" and bean dipped her, but honestly.

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Recently my sister visited with my neice and nephew - she wanted to know when I was going to enroll DS in school, basically said the play school thing was obviously fun, but when was he going to start getting his real education?

 

--------------

 

On another note, two fathers in DS's cub scout den asked me what I was doing in homeschool with DS since it was obviouse to them he is miles ahead of their boys in math and science...not only that, but they noted that both boys were bored in school, especially in math. I wasn't sure what to say, especially since I really don't want to dog the ps to them since we're the only homeschool family in our pack that I know of - so I suggested they read WTM and consider afterschooling as an option to consider to challenge the boys more.

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Oh, I had a chat with a HS grandma one day...her dd HS's her grandkids.

 

She was pro HSing and just thought it was so great we were HSing, etc etc etc...

 

 

She kept trying to talk me into using K12 (ps charter) b/c it's FREE and *SO FLEXIBLE.* :001_huh: (Her dd uses K12, which is great for her...I'm glad she's happy with it LOL.) I had to bite my tongue to not give her my definition of flexibility.

 

Her version of flexibility = you can do the cookie cutter lessons any time of day and you have several days to do the lessons before the state starts calling your house.

 

 

My version of flexibility = This curric ain't workin' so scrap it!!! and get something that does, skipping things we don't need, redoing things that aren't 100% solid, taking weeks off in the middle of spring and fall instead of a big summer, not to mention my GOALS are completely different that k12...so their lessons are not necessarily going to fit in with what I want for my dc's education.

 

I don't think she could fathom that I would have a different educational philosophy. That would just blow her mind.:lol:

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My dc, in high school and middle school, were playing a Jeopardy video game with their cousins, who were in high school and college. My two high schoolers had been taking community college courses.

 

My nieces and nephew generously offered to have each of my dc on different teams with them so they could help my dc play the game. (Their attitude demonstrated to me that they thought my dc wouldn't be able to play Jeopardy without help.

 

So the game started, and questions were being answered. My dc ended up answering most the questions,and my nieces and nephew actually had their mouths agape, and there were comments like, "How did you know that? I'm in college and I didn't know that!"

 

One niece finally said with amazement, "But you're home schooled. How can you be smart?"

 

Then my nephew commented that it is too bad my dc are so smart because they won't ever be able to go to college because they are home schooled. My sons laughed and said that they already had been taking college classes for one or two years (varies by ds). More amazement from my nieces and nephew.

 

My dc gained respect from their cousins that day. :lol:

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The sweet, elderly couple next door to us heard from my father I was being homeschooled this year.

 

I went over one day to help them with their grocery bags and the man said, "So, your father says you're schooling at home now." I replied, "yup" and he said "Hmm, that's why you're so pale" while scrutinizing my face.

 

I suppose my father forget to mention that they unchain me from my desk in the dusty, windowless basement for 2 hours a day.

 

:lol:

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I'll play.

My MIL had fantasies of being the "room grandmother" and "reading books to all the dc at school" when my oldest approached school age.

That all crashed and burned when we told her we were hsing...but, she didn't understand the term "Homeschooling" b/c she scrunched up her forehead and said....."Homeschooling?....I love homeschooling! Where is that located at?"

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Then she was furious that I was ruining her precious dgs's future by hsing him. :glare:

 

We're still looking for where hsing is located though. Let me know if any Hivers find it!

 

Cheers,

 

Michele

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