You know your kids are homeschooled when...

[Mommy22alyns]

You buy some harmless candy corn for a frivolous little snack and they ask, "Is this for a project?" :lol:

 

Add yours too!

[Country Girl]

:smilielol5: I don't have any to add but that gave me a good chuckle.

[Chelle in MO]

That's happened here, too. It always makes me laugh!

 

Along the same lines...a few years ago when I had 4 kids under 8, I took a few meals to other people without going to the effort to make the same thing for my family. I knew it was time to stop doing that when one of my kids saw me cooking something "nice" and said, "Who's that for?" Now I make sure I have the time and energy to make the "nice" meal for us, too!

 

Is that an appropriate use of quotations? ;)

 

Chelle

[Tarheel Heather]

When your 10 ds pops in the 300 Spartans (1962) for fun, and watches all the battles scenes, and discusses what Leonidas did with his grandpa.

[Hen]

when I take a nip off the chocolate chips I hide in the fridge, my kids will often ask if we are going to do math...

 

thanks for the chuckle today:D

[Catherine]

meat I bought is going to eventually be dissected.

[hsmamainva]

Years ago, we were eating dinner at Friendly's and another family was walking out, past our table, and one of their children asked, "Can we go to Blockbuster and get a video?" And their mom answered, "No, it's a school night."

 

My son, who was then 7 or 8, turned to me and asked, "What's a school night?" He was thoughtful for a moment and then commented, "They do school at *night* around here???"

 

:lol:

[Nicole M]

Along the same lines as Tarheel Heather's....

 

You know your children are receiving a classical education when your 11 yo son asks to take a family vacation "all around the Mediterranean to see all the famous battle sights."

 

Then you ask, "oh, like Thermopylae?" because that's the only battle you can remember.

 

And your son looks at you with pity and dismay and gasps, "Heck no! Thermopylae is probably a total tourist trap. I was thinking more along the lines of the place where Caesar defeated Pompey."

[Slartibartfast]

Along the same lines as Tarheel Heather's....

 

You know your children are receiving a classical education when your 11 yo son asks to take a family vacation "all around the Mediterranean to see all the famous battle sights."

 

Then you ask, "oh, like Thermopylae?" because that's the only battle you can remember.

 

And your son looks at you with pity and dismay and gasps, "Heck no! Thermopylae is probably a total tourist trap. I was thinking more along the lines of the place where Caesar defeated Pompey."

 

 

That's hilarious!! :lol:

[Mrs Mungo]

Along the same lines as Tarheel Heather's....

 

You know your children are receiving a classical education when your 11 yo son asks to take a family vacation "all around the Mediterranean to see all the famous battle sights."

 

Then you ask, "oh, like Thermopylae?" because that's the only battle you can remember.

 

And your son looks at you with pity and dismay and gasps, "Heck no! Thermopylae is probably a total tourist trap. I was thinking more along the lines of the place where Caesar defeated Pompey."

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious.

 

My favorite: dds wanted a craft kit that you use to make flowers, they convinced me on the basis they could make a model of the hanging gardens of Babylon. :lol:

[pianoplayer]

You know your kids are classically homeschooled when they go around the house conjugating English words with Latin endings (octopus, grandpa, etc.) . . . also when what you sit down to watch for fun is a Teaching Company lecture on astronomy or The Joy of Math. :)

[Saille]

Must post this.

 

You know your kids are homeschooled when your seven year old son wants a Viking themed birthday party; you decorate his birthday cake with runes and a drakkar, you give him a fish for his present and he names it Eric the Red, your guests all paint paper mache helmets (no horns)...and your four year old dd tops it all off by telling you she wants a Renaissance birthday party next month.

[cathmom]

when a trip to the library is an acceptable substitute for rained-out miniature golfing.

[pqr]

You know you homeschool when:

 

 

1. When looking at some lead soldiers, your son informs the vendor that the sword style is wrong for said soldier,and that the Roman centurian is carrying a standard that was only used after the reign of Emperor xxxx.

The vendor gives you a look of absolute horror.

 

2. Your child tells a public schooled friend that you watch movies as part of daily lessons. The friend's mother gives you a look of disdain. When you inform her that these movies are Teaching Company lectures, movies like Gettysburg, and History Channel biographies she splutters something about how can anyone watch those and gives you a look of horror.

 

3. When you need to tell your child to be quiet after she asks why the cashier needs a register, can't she just do the math in her head.

 

4. When you have your secret stash of history books and quick links to various sites so that you can continue your forlorn attempt to keep ahead of your children.

 

5. When you set standards that are ever so high and your children exceed your expectations.

 

6. When you can honestly say that your children are better educated that you were at their age.

 

7. When the woman you meet in the store who "happens to be a school teacher" talks to your kids for a few minutes (yes the standard quiz we all occasionally get) and then walks off. That one feels good.

[Mrs Mungo]

7. When the woman you meet in the store who "happens to be a school teacher" talks to your kids for a few minutes (yes the standard quiz we all occasionally get) and then walks off. That one feels good.

 

With us recently it was a seventh grade English teacher. She asked eldest "what's your favorite book?" DD said "The Iliad." Teacher almost fell over.

[Melissa in Australia]

When the 4 year old gives everyone a description of the complete digestive system from start to finish, including time food is in each section, at the dinner table. and concludes with " and sausages use the guts for their skins."

yes his older siblings are doing biology, I didn't know he was listening.

[FlockOfSillies]

"What Olympics?" :blush: Time to find a rock big enough to crawl under...

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

You know you homeschool when...

 

You are standing in front of the National Museum in Vaduz, Lichtenstein and the children refuse to leave because, "You can't count it as visiting a country unless you've been to a museum." (We later learned that churches and castles can count as well.)

 

or

 

The other tourists stop to listen to your children explaining the meaning and artistic accomplishment of the various panels on the pulpit in the Baptistery of the Duomo in Pisa, then check their guide books, close them in disgust and continue listening to the children instead.

[elegantlion]

Let's see...

 

1. When you march around the house with toys guns military style chanting your Latin for the week.

 

2. When you let the spider live that has built a home in between the glass and screen of your window. It's nature study.

 

3. When you take your childs tooth that they just pulled out and put it under the microscope to study.

[Soph the vet]

Hmmm, we've had a few here....

 

When the popular Minnesota resort town of Alexandria is mentioned and your dc think you are taking them to Egypt.

 

When dd10 is "publishing" her own magazine and is using up your precious stamps to send it to her mailing list all within a five mile radius:glare:.

 

When ds8 uses his 500 army figures to reenact DDay on the family room floor with blue tarp for the ocean and brown pillows placed to look like the cliffs over Omaha Beach. (We haven't even gotten to WWII yet but he has already devoured all of our books on it already.)

 

When your dc see someone wearing purple clothes and feel the need to tell them of the boiling snails in Tyre and Sidon.

 

When one dc is "betrayed" by another dc and you hear "Et tu Brute?":lol:

[VaKim]

When you start realizing that your kids know more than you do on many subjects, because they have become self-learners. :)

[Tarheel Heather]

When ds8 uses his 500 army figures to reenact DDay on the family room floor with blue tarp for the ocean and brown pillows placed to look like the cliffs over Omaha Beach. (We haven't even gotten to WWII yet but he has already devoured all of our books on it already.)

 

 

 

My ds has the Zulu's and the British, that reenactment takes place at my parents.

[Mommy22alyns]

When the 4 year old gives everyone a description of the complete digestive system from start to finish, including time food is in each section, at the dinner table. and concludes with " and sausages use the guts for their skins."

yes his older siblings are doing biology, I didn't know he was listening.

 

 

Becca informed us all at the table during dessert (at a restaurant, no less!) that "poop's formed in the large intestines." Take that with your cheesecake! :001_huh:

[Carrie12345]

When your 5 year old's Webkinz is stuck in a tree, so she rigs a catapult from a shovel and rocks.

 

And you know you need to focus on critical thinking skills when she winds up smacking herself in the face with the handle of the shovel.

[NevadaRabbit]

You buy some harmless candy corn for a frivolous little snack and they ask, "Is this for a project?" :lol:

 

Add yours too!

 

You know you're a homeschooler when your 7 year old sits down to write a story and asks, "Mom, how do you spell prologue?"

[Michelle in MO]

You know your dc are homeschooled when:

 

1. Your dc describes the convoluted love triangle on a popular TV series as a "love dodecahedron".

 

2. Your dc asks for CD's on teaching himself/herself Irish/Gaelic

 

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of any more off the top of my head. I can't top these, though! :D

 

You know your kids are classically homeschooled when they go around the house conjugating English words with Latin endings (octopus, grandpa, etc.) . . . also when what you sit down to watch for fun is a Teaching Company lecture on astronomy or The Joy of Math. :)

 

This one was great! I wish I'd thought of this when we were doing Latin! :D

 

I can't top these, either:

 

You know you homeschool when:

 

 

1. When looking at some lead soldiers, your son informs the vendor that the sword style is wrong for said soldier,and that the Roman centurian is carrying a standard that was only used after the reign of Emperor xxxx.

The vendor gives you a look of absolute horror.

 

2. Your child tells a public schooled friend that you watch movies as part of daily lessons. The friend's mother gives you a look of disdain. When you inform her that these movies are Teaching Company lectures, movies like Gettysburg, and History Channel biographies she splutters something about how can anyone watch those and gives you a look of horror.

 

3. When you need to tell your child to be quiet after she asks why the cashier needs a register, can't she just do the math in her head.

 

4. When you have your secret stash of history books and quick links to various sites so that you can continue your forlorn attempt to keep ahead of your children.

 

5. When you set standards that are ever so high and your children exceed your expectations.

 

6. When you can honestly say that your children are better educated that you were at their age.

 

7. When the woman you meet in the store who "happens to be a school teacher" talks to your kids for a few minutes (yes the standard quiz we all occasionally get) and then walks off. That one feels good.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[woolybear]

--When your kids think pretending to be different Greek gods is fun.

 

--When you go to Goodwill and ds (5) asks,"Can we go yet?" and you say,"Just a minute...I'm looking to see if they have any books on myths because I know you like that." And ds says,"I LOVE myths." and proceeds to wait patiently while I look.

[hsmamainva]

When your boys pop popcorn :lurk5: and hunker down on the couch to intently watch ....... the Democratic National Convention!?!

 

Never ceases to amaze me!! :D

[Chelle in MO]

When you have a preschooler running around the driveway at 10 A.M. on a weekday, chanting in Latin!

 

Chelle

[newlifemom]

When one dc is "betrayed" by another dc and you hear "Et tu Brute?":lol:

 

:smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:

 

 

 

 

 

:lurk5:

[frogpond1]

is full of pencils, pens, inkpens, sharpies or crayons. I couldn't believe they were even in the bathroom. My bedroom drawers had writing utensils, the playroom, kitchen, dining room... they are everywhere. DH freaked when I came home from Staples with the free pencils for teachers. He thought I bought more.:tongue_smilie:

[Saille]

...when your son is heard to utter, "When (friend) gets here, he's going to think it's so COOL that we're coloring pictures of Beowulf!"

[FO4UR]

:lol::lol::lol:I'm looking forward to all of this!

 

OK - I'm new at this, but here is mine....when you come home from running errands w/o the dc and they run to great you with "what book did you bring me today, Mommy?".....and they are thoroughly disappointed when you do not have a new book to read. (and dh is relieved you did not buy yet one more book:tongue_smilie:)

 

one more.....when your ds5 would rather read more about rodents and amphibians than Diego or whoever the next thing might be.

 

OK....when your ds5 knows more about rodents and amphibians than you EVER knew.....before you had a HSing 5yo.

[dragons in the flower bed]

. . . when you make an emergency midnight trip to the evil store you normally boycott because you can not go without your lost three-hole punch. (That one's more, "you know you're a homeschooling parent if . . .")

 

. . . when your children set out books to share with their playdates.

 

. . . when a clipboard, colored pencils and field guide live on the shoe rack in your foyer.

 

. . . if your children scream and jump up and down when they see unusual snakes or insects, that is, if they're screaming "A NEW SPECIES FOR OUR LIST!" and doing a happy dance.

 

. . . when your two-year-old can name more than five different types of any one thing (wolf spider, daddy long legs, brown recluse . . . Banties, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red . . . ).

 

. . . if you always remind your children, before a social occasion, not to start any sentences with the word "actually".

 

. . . if they always get at least two science kits on gift-giving occasions.

[kristavws]

You know your dc are homeschooled when:

 

When you are staking your tomato plants, and hear your 5-year old declare, "This is the greatest day of my life." You then turn around to see that your boys have caught a snake, and the youngest is already heading to the house to set up a habitat in kitchen.

 

When your kids tell you that you have to let them set up a habitat in the kitchen for the snake they just caught, because we are studying animals in science this year, and they are entitled to a 48-hour observation period. After all, there is already a praying mantis, turtle, and who knows what else in there.

 

Krista

[kate in seattle]

when your 7 year old dd gets her mermaid Barbie and says, in a high sing-songy voice "Oysseus, come here odysseus" and you ask what is going on and she explains the Barbie is a Siren! yes, we were doing the ancients that year!

 

 

kate in Seattle

[MenifeeMom]

When your three year old tells her grandma she is going to be a barbarian when she grows up. (big sisters are studying the ancients this year)

[Jennefer@SSA]

When you walk into one of those super trendy stores, dimly lit with music blaring to return clothes that were bought as a birthday gift. Upon seeing the surfer music CD's for sale your 5yo asks, "Excuse me sir, do you have any Tchaikovsky?" The 18yo behind the counter looked at him and then at me and said, "Who?" Ds5 said, "You know the COMPOSERS: Bach, Beethoven, Handel..."

 

I almost fell on the floor laughing!

[Closeacademy]

You 6 year old tells another about negative numbers and the other child also homeschooled but not introduced to negative numbers begins to argue about whether or not they are real.

 

This also happened with the number Google.

 

a trip to the park in the fall turns into a cicada hunt--collecting shells and looking for the newly emerged to watch.

[katalaska]

In the children's class at church, the teacher mentioned Brazil.

 

Dd said, "I know where Brazil is. It's in South America."

 

Apparently this surprised her teacher, who then asked, "Okay, so where is China?"

 

And dd said, "China is in Asia, south of Mongolia."

 

This amazed her teacher, who then asked (somewhat with the attitude of "all right, smarty-pants, here's one that will stump you!"), "Do you know where England is?"

 

To which dd replied, "In the British Isles, across the channel from France."

 

The teacher decided to stop the quizzing and instead find out how dd knew these things.

 

Dd told her about the maps on our wall and the globe, but neglected to tell her about the Geography songs she listens to regularly!

[Kalypso]

When your kids are building a caterpillar habitat and giving all the caterpillars Roman names. It was hilarious just listening to them trying to keep the names straight.:)

[Nicole M]

when your 7 year old dd gets her mermaid Barbie and says, in a high sing-songy voice "Oysseus, come here odysseus" and you ask what is going on and she explains the Barbie is a Siren! yes, we were doing the ancients that year!

 

 

kate in Seattle

 

You told that story on the old board. Since then, during every visit I have with my mother, at some point one of us will say, Odysseus! Come here Odysseus! And then we laugh until we cry.

 

Oh, I love that story!

[Paula in MS]

When a complete stranger walks up to you in the craft aisle of Walmart and asks you if you know how to make a volcano for school, and you can tell her.:D I am not kidding you. This happened last night.

 

Paula

[pianoplayer]

When you walk into one of those super trendy stores, dimly lit with music blaring to return clothes that were bought as a birthday gift. Upon seeing the surfer music CD's for sale your 5yo asks, "Excuse me sir, do you have any Tchaikovsky?" The 18yo behind the counter looked at him and then at me and said, "Who?" Ds5 said, "You know the COMPOSERS: Bach, Beethoven, Handel..."

 

I almost fell on the floor laughing!

Now that I can picture!:lol::smilielol5:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

2. Your dc asks for CD's on teaching himself/herself Irish/Gaelic

 

 

Hey, I'm facing that one too!

[Happy Camper]

while the septic tank is being pumped. The guys cleaning it out were stunned - they said "usually people run the opposite direction!" :001_smile:

[lauranav]

This is so encouraging! Someday my nephew will say something like this.

We started yesterday and we're all still here to tell about it. It actually went pretty well and today is going well, too. I'm excited! Thank you for all the encouragement and honesty and advice on this board.

[dragons in the flower bed]

. . . you play Latin hangman waiting for supper in a restaurant, and the eight-year-old wins.

 

. . . you arrive to home to find a box on your porch, and the kids run for it, screaming, "MATH! MATH! NEW MATH!"

[BusyMum]

...when your kid thinks it is totally normal to have the day off schoolwork on their birthday

 

...when a huge parcel of birthday presents arrives for Mr7 from his homeschooled cousins in another city and it is full of acrylic paints, brushes, canvases, sketch pads and oil pastels - and not a single felt tip or colouring book.

 

...when strangers see you playing as a family at the pool on a weekday and feel compelled to reveal that they were homeschooled when they were young and they think you are doing a great thing! (happened to us twice today!)

[Mom to Aly]

OK, I'll play!

 

When people tell you how well behaved and bright your child is, and ask why she is so different.

 

When people speak to her and assume she is 12-13, not 9.

 

When her fave book since she turned 8 has been Oliver Twist, unabridged.

 

When she begged me, at 7, to start saving, so we could get Shakespeare plays, the Shakespeare Stealer, and other Shakespeare related books, and start an extensive study of him and his plays.

 

And, my fave, when the lady at MUS at the homeschool convention, after quizzing her extensively, made a mistake on the math on my purchase, and dd caught it :).