s/o Poll - we have to have one - How well do you fit into HS Mom Sterotype? Others?

[sassenach]

The only stereotype that I hit is that I do drive a giant van.  It's a converted Savana, so nicer than the bare bones Econoline, but huge.  It's especially fun to try to park the thing on the hills of San Francisco.  I can't fit into half of the parking garages in the city.  When you have a kid in a wheelchair, the options are slim.

[Guest]

The only stereotype that I hit is that I do drive a giant van.  It's a converted Savana, so nicer than the bare bones Econoline, but huge.  It's especially fun to try to park the thing on the hills of San Francisco.  I can't fit into half of the parking garages in the city.  When you have a kid in a wheelchair, the options are slim.

 

Driving into parking garages gives me the willies even if my car is within the height restrictions. It looks like I'm going to bash into a concrete cross-beam overhead at any moment. I find myself ducking inside the car as I drive up the ramp, as if that will make any difference. 

[Annie]

I wish I had purple hair. Does that count? :)

[8circles]

I had pink hair last week. I consider that in the spirit of purple hair.

 

Drive a minivan.

 

I had a mini-denim jumper in highschool. I don't think that counts.

 

I don't run-into them often, but there are a good number of the denim a jumper crowd in this area. They are primarily out in the boonies.

[sassenach]

Driving into parking garages gives me the willies even if my car is within the height restrictions. It looks like I'm going to bash into a concrete cross-beam overhead at any moment. I find myself ducking inside the car as I drive up the ramp, as if that will make any difference.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop the car, open the door, and stand on the side if the frame so I can SEE how close I am to scraping my roof.

 

For a city that has nude running races, and neighborhood where you can see @ssless chaps on the regular, somehow me, my 4 kids and my giant van are the freak show.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I wore a denim jumper 15 years ago, but it was actually much more stylish than the homeschool uniform.  I do have a couple of below the knee skirts I wear to church (one is a lovely diagonal wool plaid skirt I got for a steal on the Eddie Bauer clearance rack.)  I have a summery flounce skirt that I wear on occasion.  Neither of these are particularly frumpy or homeschoolish seeing that I saw them on some fashionable teen girls once.  The short skirts show off my knees that are permanently swollen from osteoarthritis so I actually look younger in longer skirts. 

 

I wear makeup every day - I just don't feel dressed without it.  I don't like to look uber made up, but if I don't wear makeup everyone asks me if I am feeling OK and says I look tired.  I have curly, curly hair so I wear it short-ish.  I try for a chic style, but curly does what it wants to.  I have been straightening it lately and people tell me I look so put together. I wonder what they thought when I wore it curly.

 

I drive the 13 year old minivan most of the time, but on occasion, I do get to drive the 3 yo Honda Pilot.  No econoline van for us. 

 

As far as the stereotype is concerned, I had always thought that it was the crunchy hippie wannabes since I heard about it from friends at La Leche League and I joined a non-sectarian group that had a mix of the crunchies, with some purple hair thrown in, as well as some head-covering Muslims and just the plain "I haven't spent money on myself in 10 years and shop at Goodwill" chic.  I didn't encounter the "homeschool stereotype" until I met some people from the local Christian group, who promptly informed me that they couldn't have me (a Catholic) as a member since I "wasn't a Christian" and they would pray for me.  Blech!

[Guest Adelina]

I like the question about hair, because it is very paintful for me :) All the time during my school I was trying to do smth with my hair, dye them, cut, make then straight (my natural hair is curly). But then I read one article at therighthairstyles.com and I realized that I was very foolish :) After that I started changing only my clothes. By the way, I also tried denim :)

[FO4UR]

I used to own a denim jumper.  I got rid of it the year I became an official HS mom. :blushing: 

 

I wear long skirts often.  I don't think it's fair to lump long skirts (of all kinds) into the same category as The Denim Jumper.  I'm stylish and cute in my skirts. tyvm. :coolgleamA:   (I just bought a denim skirt, just below the knee. humph!)

 

 

My HS mom uniform is jeans & polo shirt.  When my hair is long enough, I usually have a pencil stuck through a messy bun.  I do a bit of make-up daily.  I blow dry my hair and look rather like a normal mom on most days.  I drive a 14yo mini van.  It was nice 14 years ago...

[Jeannie in NJ]

I have never owned a jumper, in fact as I am 5 ft 1 in I do not wear dresses or skirts except to weddings.  My legs have always been my best feature so I wear leggings, skinny jeans, shorts and capris. I wear t shirts or polo shirts with these and either flip flops, sandals or uggs (winter).  I only wear make up to church or parties.  I have a pixie haircut which I dye a rich brown.

 

I drive a Hyundai.

[Janie Grace]

Okay, you can NOT lump denim jumpers in with long skirts! Maxi skirts are cool; denim jumpers are not. 

[OneStepAtATime]

Interesting that this thread got resurrected...

 

I have always worn jeans and t-shirts whenever possible, whether as a middle schooler, high schooler, college kid, young adult, middle aged mom, or homeschooling mom.  But now I find that stretch pants with tshirts are more comfortable.  The cloth on jeans bothers me now, for some inexplicable reason.  I wore a denim jumper when I was 8.  I had a jeans skirt when I was in college.  I wore overalls at the ranch in my 20's.  But nope, no denim jumpers since 8.

 

And I was driving a mini-van as soon as we had our second child...but I had always wanted my own VW van as a youngster because I wanted to paint my car with lots of cool colors.  

 

My hair used to be shoulder length...then i got cancer and lost it all.  Then when it grew back I discovered it was so much easier to take care of if it was really short.  But DH and the kiddos now associate me having short hair with me being very, very sick, so they asked me not to cut it for a while.   DD didn't cut hers either for a very long time.  We both have hair down to our rears now.  She braided mine tonight while I worked on paperwork.  But it has nothing to do with homeschooling.  And she was braiding it because she was bored.  :)

 

[Above The Rowan]

I have never worn a jumper.

I have short hair that is currently growin out a Mohawk style, and the colour varies from bright red to black to violet depending on how my stylist is feeling lol.

 

I drive a lifted pickup truck and my partner drives a civic. No minivans or buses here.

 

I wear jeans and a fitted concert tee and/or hoodie and skate shoes on most days. In the summer it's fitted cargo capris and tanks (usually a band or concert tank).

 

In the area I live in, I am definitely not like the typical homeschoolers lol. I stand out here.

[Entropymama]

I knew one HS mom who wore denim jumpers and skirts. She was definitely into the image. 

 

I don't fit any of the stereotypes but I will soon! We're expecting #6 and I think we're going to have to take the plunge to a 12 or 15 passenger van. I just can't see all of us fitting into an 8 seat minivan, especially as the big kids get so big!

[I.Dup.]

Haven't read the replies.....I think it's more an age thing. I notice moms in their mid-forties or above tend to embrace the HS stereotype. I don't know anyone I can think of around my age (early 30s) or younger that fits the HS stereotype. Although, I am a part of some conservative large-family groups online, and several of those ladies would. But no one I know IRL, because I wouldn't be close friends with those really conservative women IRL. Most people around here are pretty hip and fashionable, and we live in small-town USA.

 

eta: we do have a 12-passenger van (that I totally love) but that's because our family size is too big to fit into minivans anymore.

[Mom-ninja.]

Honestly, I hear that denim jumper thing, and I've never, ever seen anyone who wears a denim jumper.

 

My neighbor wears denim jumpers all the time. With white socks and white Keds.

 

She's a high school teacher.

[icollectkids]

ok, I never wear denim jumpers, but I do love me a maxi skirt ;) (I'm a jeans/tshirt, capris or shorts kinda gal..)

 

I drive a 15 passenger van and my 'putt around' car is a Tahoe with a 3rd row installed (so it seats 8 instead of 5)

 

I wear makeup whenever I feel like putting it on. ;o) and my hair is a mess all the time. messy bun kinda mess. Sometimes I'll actually fix it and scrunch my curls with gel or something.

 

I tell dh all the time-- my goal in life is to not look like a homeschool mom of a bunch of kids. ;o)

[Butter]

I wear skirts below the knee (every week to church... I don't wear skirts otherwise), but they aren't denim and definitely not jumpers.  I have four kids so a minivan is required (none of the SUVs we looked at were comfortable for the kids).  It's got a stick figure family on it.  Of taekwondo-ers.  I don't usually wear make-up, but that's because I'm lazy.  My 14 year old daughter wears make-up.  A lot of it because she likes it.  I'm fine with that.  My hair used to be long and I usually had it up in a ponytail.  A few months ago my daughter and I donated our hair so it's almost shoulder-length now.  I usually just brush and go or put on a headband.  I don't look like a "typical" homeschool mom, but then I don't know very many "typical" homeschool moms.  They were more common when I was homeschooled in the 90s.

[MamaBearTeacher]

I have never owned a denim jumper or anything similar but whenever I read posts about them I feel like I want one.  They look like they would be super comfy to wear with a pair of tights while you homeschool on a cold winter day.  I have never seen them in the stores.  Weren't they stylish in the early 80's?  Or maybe I'm thinking of those overalls for girls that were gathered at the top.  Sigh...maybe one day I'll wear a denim jumper.