Ds was stopped by a police officer this morning

[Lady Florida.]

Ds wanted to go to the nearby convenience store with Dunkin Donuts to get a treat, so I let him take his bike. When he came back he told me he was stopped by an officer who asked him why he wasn't in school. He said he's homeschooled, and the officer just said, "Oh, okay." then asked where he lived. I expected him to show up at our door to confirm, but he didn't.

 

Ds has never been to school, and this is the first time either of us has ever been questioned (either by an official or member of the general public). I guess once you reach the teen years and can go places on your own, you are open to this kind of thing. :tongue_smilie:

Edited February 21, 2012 by floridamom

[songbirdie]

Yes, I suppose they do.

 

My dd (14) was with her friend and friend's mother at a local flea market/antique mall. A man said to the girls, "Why aren't you ladies in school?" DD replied, "We're homeschooled." Her friend said, "Aaaaaannd. . . . .it's Saturday." :lol: Not DD's most profoundly intelligent moment. LOL

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sounds like a polite encounter. I'm glad that the police are making sure that kids are where they are supposed to be and are friendly to homeschool teens too.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, I suppose they do.

 

My dd (14) was with her friend and friend's mother at a local flea market/antique mall. A man said to the girls, "Why aren't you ladies in school?" DD replied, "We're homeschooled." Her friend said, "Aaaaaannd. . . . .it's Saturday." :lol: Not DD's most profoundly intelligent moment. LOL

 

Sounds like the man was the one who not so intelligent.:)

[Lady Florida.]

Sounds like a polite encounter. I'm glad that the police are making sure that kids are where they are supposed to be and are friendly to homeschool teens too.

 

Yes, I'm glad they're watching out for our neighborhood and for our kids. Ds said it was a polite encounter. He said he was nervous too, even though he knew he wasn't doing anything wrong.

[mom2scouts]

I think police and the general public are more used to seeing homeschooled students out during the day and this is why it wasn't an issue. We were out in our driveway on a nice fall day playing basketball for P.E. when a police officer drove around our cul-de-sac, stopped, and rolled down his window. I was ready for a confrontation and asked him what he wanted. He smiled and said, "Nothing. I just wanted to watch.":001_smile:

[Cassy]

Homeschooling is not at all common here, and, while DS10 does go out on his own during the day, I don't let him go out alone before 3 pm during school days, for that very reason that I don't want him stopped. We are registered as home educating with our local authorities and have a very good relationship with them, so we're all legal and above board, but I just think DS10 would find it a bit traumatic to be stopped and questioned. Maybe I'm just a wimp :tongue_smilie:.

 

Best wishes

 

Cassy

[gardenmom5]

back when 1ds was about 12, he and his friend were stopped by the police when they were out trick or treating. apparently, there had been some badly behaving boys out and about as well. they were allowed to go after a few short minutes.

 

when we were going through security with 3ds, the agent commented 3ds was missing school. When I said he's homeschooled, she commented "oh, then he never misses school." ;)

[~Tara~]

At least it was a pleasant encounter. We've had two. I now call my children delinquents :p

Once the eldest two were walking across a parking lot from McD's to WalMart. An officer questioned them briefly then escorted them back and questioned me. That was all, no big deal.

 

I was just so used to 'doing our own thing'. it never occurred to me it might not be the greatest idea to send them across the lot in the middle of the day like that. :p

 

I don't think it helped much that my kids look an easy 3 yr younger than they are. So he likely thought they were 8 and 10, wandering the streets.

 

The next time, someone from the neighborhood called the police as they saw one of my kids running around the block. Officer came to the house, kids were outside at the time, near the end of a ps school day by then. I explained that the child was running for p.e. He said no problem, he was just following up on a call.

 

At first I was annoyed, but now I see the other side and am thankful they are watching out for kids.

[GoVanGogh]

I was out back a few weeks ago, filling the bird feeders. I asked DS to run around front and bring down the trash cans, as I had heard the trash being picked up a while earlier.

DS ran back into the back yard and told me a police officer said "Hi" to him as he was getting the trash can.

I said, "What? Explain, please."

Guess an elderly neighbor down the street had passed away in his sleep and the police decided to pull on into our quiet cul-de-sac to write up the report.

DS said the police officer was parked right against our trash can and he had to be careful getting in back into our driveway.

My response, "Oh, my goodness! You didn't bump the police car, did you?!"

I could just see the headlines: Homeschooled child scraps police car with trash can during school hours... :001_huh:

 

Our only other police encounter during school hours -

We were out to lunch with a friend when someone who obviously doesn't like homeschoolers called the police on us. :tongue_smilie:

The police officer came out, looked at us, then went and chewed out the lady that had called. She was quite upset that the police officer wouldn't do anything about us.

[swellmomma]

We don't even have police in our town lol IF we need police we call for help in the next town over. No chance of an officer stopping my kids for being out during school hours. THen again we know all the officers in that division and they know we homeschool (we have dealt with many due to the bully issue), and pretty much all those working in the businesses we frequent know it too so no one questions the kids beyond asking what topic they are studying now.

[jennsmile]

When I was a teen probably 16 or 17 I was babysitting during the day for a mom who was on a field trip. I had never babysat at their house before and I only had 2 kids probably 4 & 18 months. Somehow the phone got knocked off the hook and the security company called the cops. :confused: I was glad they took the I was a homeschooler and the kids must have knocked the phone off the hook. But boy was I embarrassed.

[NotSoObvious]

It always irritates me when random strangers ask my children (not me) why they aren't in school- as if they have the right to know! I mean, I get the curiosity, but really, I am trying to teach my kids not to talk to you! ;)

 

We were on a trip to New York and a man stopped us in the elevator and asked my kids why they weren't in school. They told him, "We're homeschooled and today we're going to The Met!" He didn't bother arguing that they were missing anything. :)

[5knights3maidens]

Just happened to my son about a week ago and at the beginning of the school year. The first was a lady from the school district at the convience store with a police officer. They askedd my son his name and where he lived. When ds told them, the police officer said, "Oh, you're so and so's son; Ok". ;)

 

This past time a police officer (from a different town) was at the same convience store. He asked the same questions and didn't do anything about it. We told ds that he should have said he was there because he was getting m&m's for a science experiment! :D

 

We are only 2 mins. away from the store so he is always there getting milk, snacks, etc.

[bettyandbob]

My ds was stopped when he was 13. He was walking home mid morning from his French tutor's house. My son was 5'10" at that age, so he looked older. The French tutor lived half way between our house and the high school so walking home was walking away from the high school. As he was walking a police car pulled up to him. The officer asked ds if school let out early and ds just said "I homeschool and I'm walking home from my French tutor." The police officer said OK and left. That was it. It didn't bother me.

Edited February 22, 2012 by betty

[elegantlion]

Homeschooling is not at all common here, and, while DS10 does go out on his own during the day, I don't let him go out alone before 3 pm during school days, for that very reason that I don't want him stopped. We are registered as home educating with our local authorities and have a very good relationship with them, so we're all legal and above board, but I just think DS10 would find it a bit traumatic to be stopped and questioned. Maybe I'm just a wimp :tongue_smilie:.

 

Best wishes

 

Cassy

 

I'll be in the wimp camp with you. Our neighbors know we homeschool, but I don't let ds out on his own before school is out. We're in a small town. I'm seriously considering walking down to the police station and introducing ourselves. Ds is old enough to walk to the library or the convenience store on his own.

[nono]

My kids stop every police officer they see to talk to him/her. After reading this thread, I guess they are employing the "good offense is a good defense" strategy! :lol:

[AdventureMoms]

No police yet, but lately I have had some random people stop me to ask why my DD isn't in school. She is 3!!! Yes, she's tall for her age, but not THAT tall. She might be mistaken for 4, but not 6. And homeschooling is pretty common here. IDK, but I thought I wouldn't have to answer those questions until she was actually being homeschooled!

[Hen]

 

Our only other police encounter during school hours -

We were out to lunch with a friend when someone who obviously doesn't like homeschoolers called the police on us. :tongue_smilie:

The police officer came out, looked at us, then went and chewed out the lady that had called. She was quite upset that the police officer wouldn't do anything about us.

 

oh my goodness, Suzanne! what a busy-body, kind of glad the policeman let her have it! :glare:

[happi duck]

We live in an area with a daytime curfew, so my dc don't go out alone during school hours. I had always assumed it was the same everywhere. Guess not!

 

Even with the curfew, our police would not respond to a call about some kids out to lunch with their mom! Why are people so crabby?

[mamajag]

There's a daytime curfew here, too, during school hours, but it applies to children enrolled in school. The way they worded the ordinance, they unintentionally left out homeschooled kids. I was questioned once, and the officer called the truant officer and found me to be a registered homeschooler and that was the end of it.

[swellmomma]

I'll be in the wimp camp with you. Our neighbors know we homeschool, but I don't let ds out on his own before school is out. We're in a small town. I'm seriously considering walking down to the police station and introducing ourselves. Ds is old enough to walk to the library or the convenience store on his own.

 

I send my big kids to the post office, library, and the convience store on their own. The grocery store they are not allowed in currently so I walk all the littles over to that one. It is way easier just to send my bigs on their own instead of bundling everyone else up. I don't care if it is school hours or not. The only other place they can not be during school hours is the park, because it is school property and the principal will call the police for trespassing if school aged children are there during school hours but not students in the school. If I am with them they do not care if the kids are there during school hours. Today I sent dd to the library twice for me (the second time because she forgot to pick up a movie for the littles, the first to return some items).

 

Your ds is plenty old enough to go to the library etc alone, If it makes you feel better do introduce yourself at the police station because it is nice for the kids to be able to go and do those things while the town is still in it's quiet school day state.

[LucyStoner]

Our only other police encounter during school hours -

We were out to lunch with a friend when someone who obviously doesn't like homeschoolers called the police on us. :tongue_smilie:

The police officer came out, looked at us, then went and chewed out the lady that had called. She was quite upset that the police officer wouldn't do anything about us.

 

Oh my word, what precisely did she think would happen? That they would issue a "no feeding your kids lunch" citation? :confused::lol:

[EllaMinnowPea]

It sounds like your son handled himself well. None of mine have ever been questioned. I notice a lot of kids out and about during school hours, though, so maybe the officers don't give it a second thought here.

[Mabeline]

Our only other police encounter during school hours -

We were out to lunch with a friend when someone who obviously doesn't like homeschoolers called the police on us. :tongue_smilie:

The police officer came out, looked at us, then went and chewed out the lady that had called. She was quite upset that the police officer wouldn't do anything about us.

 

Oh my! Since when is it illegal to take your kids out to lunch? When I was a kid my mom would take me out to lunch after dentist appointments. It always felt weird being in public during school hours, but I also loved the special time alone with my mom.

[missmoe]

My ds was kicked out of the library by a police officer because he was there during school hours! :confused: The police officer told him he was truant and could leave and go home or could be taken to the police station. He left and called me. I called the library and spoke to the librarian who knew us. The librarian said send him back, I'll talk to the officer. My son went back inside and the officer refused to back down. Long story--short. After a polite talk with our local city alderman, police officers in the city of Saint Louis now have special training about homeschoolers, libraries, and truancy. :D

[ktgrok]

Huh. There are so many different private schools here that have random days off I don't think a police officer would even think to question why a kid wasn't in school.

[MrsJewelsRae]

We live in the country and our closest neighbor actually has 2 of their grown children who homeschool, one is in my homeschooling group. So I don't fear the kids being outside around here. My kids are still too young to be out and about without me, but if they were old enough and if we lived in town, I would not be afraid of encounters with authorities at all. There are several police officers kids in our homeschool group and our Member of Parliament has nearly 20 of his grand kids in our hs group as well. :D One of my best friends home schools here and her dh (one of dh's best friends) is on the SWAT team. So I'd say our town is quite hs friendly.;) We have been questioned many times while out during school hours, but always by curious people in a friendly manner.

[2squared]

The only other place they can not be during school hours is the park, because it is school property and the principal will call the police for trespassing if school aged children are there during school hours but not students in the school. If I am with them they do not care if the kids are there during school hours.

 

My kids are out & about during school hours with this one restriction. I am sure the principal would be OK with my older two hanging out at the playground while they are waiting for a class or a ride, but I think it's more respectful if they are supervised on school days. I generally don't like being at the playground during school hours anyway b/c the school kids come out in a huge mob and overwhelm my littles.

[TravelingChris]

In my 17 years of homeschooling, only one of us was ever questioned by a cop. That was my middle daughter when we were living in Florida and she was either going or coming from the library where she was a volunteer. She was a high schooler then but did look younger- once he stopped her, he realized she was older and she relayed that she was doing volunteer work at the library. He went on his way.

 

Around here, no one is ever asking us why my dd is out. Probably because I see so many kids out anyway. I know we have lots of homeschoolers here but we also have three school districts in the area plus numerous other private schools. No one keeps track of who is out when- they all have different schedules. As I remarked to my daughter yesterday as we were doing Spanish homework at the allergist while waiting to be taken back, the other high schooler in the room was sitting bored. She remarked that our family is different= we actually want to learn and do well- many others don't.

[AuntieM]

A decade ago, I did make a conscious effort - fueled by dh's specific request - to keep to school at home in the mornings and save the errands out for the afternoon (I mean groceries and the like, field trips with other hsers were fine). We did get questioned, typically by the retired-school-principle types.

 

Nowadays I think folks are much more aware of homeschoolers and our irregular schedules. And I dare anyone to engage my youngest. That kid was a born logical conversationalist. I just smile and nod.

 

ETA - OP, I'm glad your ds had a positive experience. Whether or not you support HSLDA, I do think there are some articles on their web site that deal with how to handle such encounters.

Edited February 22, 2012 by AuntieM

[Jean in Newcastle]

My ds was kicked out of the library by a police officer because he was there during school hours! :confused: The police officer told him he was truant and could leave and go home or could be taken to the police station. He left and called me. I called the library and spoke to the librarian who knew us. The librarian said send him back, I'll talk to the officer. My son went back inside and the officer refused to back down. Long story--short. After a polite talk with our local city alderman, police officers in the city of Saint Louis now have special training about homeschoolers, libraries, and truancy. :D

 

I'm glad that it ended well. That police officer was crazy!

[mommaduck]

There are a lot of homeschoolers in this area. This autumn, my kids were taking regular walks (three times a week) from our house to a homeschooling friend's house and back. They pass an inner city, Catholic school on the way and there were kids their age at recess. The kids would yell at them to, "Get back to school!" and mine would yell back, "Homeschool rocks!" They said that the school security guards would just stand there chuckling.

[mommaduck]

My ds was kicked out of the library by a police officer because he was there during school hours! :confused: The police officer told him he was truant and could leave and go home or could be taken to the police station. He left and called me. I called the library and spoke to the librarian who knew us. The librarian said send him back, I'll talk to the officer. My son went back inside and the officer refused to back down. Long story--short. After a polite talk with our local city alderman, police officers in the city of Saint Louis now have special training about homeschoolers, libraries, and truancy. :D

When did this happen? There are a lot of homeschoolers in that area!

[amey311]

More and more I think kids need these: http://books.google.com/books?id=jUcosKI3a7QC&pg=PA227&lpg=PA227&dq=free+range+kids+card+print&source=bl&ots=drs5O87U4L&sig=8K2Qlaz_awFUxaVwy2OvfTMX9uA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QCZFT4ewK8e2sQLIpaXDDw&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=free%20range%20kids%20card%20print&f=false

[missmoe]

When did this happen? There are a lot of homeschoolers in that area!

 

About 4 years ago. There are a ton of homeschoolers in the city of STL. What I didn't get is the fact that a "truant" kid would be sent out on the streets instead of contacting the parents. If the officer had just called me, I would have said that my child is homeschooled and is at the library to complete school work.

[mommaduck]

About 4 years ago. There are a ton of homeschoolers in the city of STL. What I didn't get is the fact that a "truant" kid would be sent out on the streets instead of contacting the parents. If the officer had just called me, I would have said that my child is homeschooled and is at the library to complete school work.

:iagree:That makes no sense.

[Hathersage]

That reminds me of what I've witnessed here at our library. Two girls were asked by a police officer, "Where are your parents?" They said they were homeschooled, and the officer said "You need to leave and be truant someplace else." Basically, if you want to be at our library during school hours, the parent needs to be inside the library with them. Kids checking out by themselves always get asked, "Where are your parents?"

[Jean in Newcastle]

That reminds me of what I've witnessed here at our library. Two girls were asked by a police officer, "Where are your parents?" They said they were homeschooled, and the officer said "You need to leave and be truant someplace else." Basically, if you want to be at our library during school hours, the parent needs to be inside the library with them. Kids checking out by themselves always get asked, "Where are your parents?"

 

Our library has a written policy that children under age 12 must be supervised by a parent. I think it is a fair policy.

[Tammyla]

My son would have been nervous too. I'm glad it wasn't a negative encounter.

 

I'm going to have to think and ponder my school hour policy now.

 

Yes, I'm glad they're watching out for our neighborhood and for our kids. Ds said it was a polite encounter. He said he was nervous too, even though he knew he wasn't doing anything wrong.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

we have a curfew for school age kids during the day for m-f in our town....we haven't been stopped or asked anything either (yet)--but kiddo's not old enough to go out on his own yet....

[AHASRADA]

Ds was stopped one day, not because he was out during school hours (it was the weekend), but because of how he was riding his bike. Apparently, he rode his bike through an intersection, when he should have walked it across. It seems if you are riding, you act like a car and go with the flow of traffic. If you want to act as a pedestrian, you walk your bike across.

 

OT, but how was he supposed to know this? Kids don't get a license to ride their bike. You just teach them to ride and off they go. I had no idea, but I don't ride so, anyway...

 

It appears the officers thought he was older (he was 14 at the time, but 6ft.), so they just gave him a warning. I was scared to death they would ask for his address, then ask what school he goes to. Where we live, that would open a whole can of worms...definitely don't want to go there.

 

So now, in addition to not letting my kids outside alone during school hours, I have to be vigilant about their actions outside of school hours as well, so as not to have them put in the situation where they have to tell a person of authority that they homeschool.

 

BTW, if a random member of the public asks why they aren't in school (and could conceivably find out who we are/where we live, etc.), I just say, "Oh we're on our way back to school now." Which we are :)

[missmoe]

Our library has a written policy that children under age 12 must be supervised by a parent. I think it is a fair policy.

 

That is a fair policy. My son was in high school at the time.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds was stopped one day, not because he was out during school hours (it was the weekend), but because of how he was riding his bike. Apparently, he rode his bike through an intersection, when he should have walked it across. It seems if you are riding, you act like a car and go with the flow of traffic. If you want to act as a pedestrian, you walk your bike across.

 

OT, but how was he supposed to know this? Kids don't get a license to ride their bike. You just teach them to ride and off they go. I had no idea, but I don't ride so, anyway...

 

It appears the officers thought he was older (he was 14 at the time, but 6ft.), so they just gave him a warning. I was scared to death they would ask for his address, then ask what school he goes to. Where we live, that would open a whole can of worms...definitely don't want to go there.

 

So now, in addition to not letting my kids outside alone during school hours, I have to be vigilant about their actions outside of school hours as well, so as not to have them put in the situation where they have to tell a person of authority that they homeschool.

 

BTW, if a random member of the public asks why they aren't in school (and could conceivably find out who we are/where we live, etc.), I just say, "Oh we're on our way back to school now." Which we are :)

 

Is homeschooling illegal where you are?

[Julie Smith]

Is homeschooling illegal where you are?

 

Judging by the fact the poster lists location as "Northeastern US and Canada" I would say the poster lives in Quebec. The Homeschooling laws in Quebec are the worst I know of in the USA and Canada. It's not illegal, but has numerous - sometimes impossible hoops to jump through.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Judging by the fact the poster lists location as "Northeastern US and Canada" I would say the poster lives in Quebec. The Homeschooling laws in Quebec are the worst I know of in the USA and Canada. It's not illegal, but has numerous - sometimes impossible hoops to jump through.

 

Gotcha.

[Julie Smith]

More and more I think kids need these: http://books.google.com/books?id=jUcosKI3a7QC&pg=PA227&lpg=PA227&dq=free+range+kids+card+print&source=bl&ots=drs5O87U4L&sig=8K2Qlaz_awFUxaVwy2OvfTMX9uA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QCZFT4ewK8e2sQLIpaXDDw&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=free%20range%20kids%20card%20print&f=false

 

Nice link.

[AHASRADA]

I would say the poster lives in Quebec. The Homeschooling laws in Quebec are the worst I know of in the USA and Canada. It's not illegal, but has numerous - sometimes impossible hoops to jump through.

 

You guessed correctly. Great summary of our hsing climate as well. Not illegal, but extremely hostile.

 

Interestingly, as I forgot to mention, ps kids have an hour lunch break and, if a parent is home, walk home for lunch. Teens typically roam the streets in bands during their lunch break, buying food at the local shops, etc. So, in this regard, the ps system is fairly free-range, as long as it's on their timetable.

[Holly IN]

In my area, there are a lot of year round schools so kids are typically out and about during weird times. Year round schools let kids out for 3 weeks at a time then school 9 weeks. So typically it is normal to see kids in stores when you normally wouldn't see them....At least it is that way in my area.

 

 

Holly

[scrapbookbuzz]

Holly, I like that 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off idea! Except I think my kids would drive me crazy within those three weeks if they didn't have some structure!

 

I live in one of the most education-choice friendly states: AZ. And when I do get questioned about homeschooling, it's usually honest curiosity.

 

However, last Wednesday I had my kids in Barnes & Noble, in the cafe, around 1pm. There was a lady that I swear kept giving me the eye. I didn't say anything; I left the cafe so I wouldn't say anything not nice. :D But I really wondered what her problem was! Because she seemed to be the only one, out of about 20 people, who had a problem with me and my kids being there.

 

Or maybe she just wished her mom had taken her to a B&N cafe during school hours! 'Cause B&N did exist back then! ;)

 

(OP, glad your child had a positive experience and I, too, am glad the police make sure the kids are where they're supposed to be!)