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[Ann.without.an.e]

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Edited March 8, 2017 by Attolia

[SparklyUnicorn]

Eh..I don't know.  Maybe you just aren't feeling it right now.  Or are tired.  Or something.

 

I will say I no longer want to talk homeschooling as much as I used to.

 

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Eh..I don't know.  Maybe you just aren't feeling it right now.  Or are tired.  Or something.

 

I will say I no longer want to talk homeschooling as much as I used to.

 

 

I deleted it Sparkly because I really don't want to sound like a B, but maybe that is it?  I just don't enjoy talking about homeschooling anymore.  

Edited March 8, 2017 by Attolia

[KungFuPanda]

I get it.  You're tired.  You're fried. You just wanted an outing with your child without repeating a conversation you've had 5000 times.  Nothing wrong with being chatty and striking up a conversation.  Everyone is a potential new friend, however, it helps to have enough social skills to read when the person is just being polite and give them their space after a few minutes.  It lets that person off the hook and frees you to seek out someone more open to your chitchat.  I'm a talker myself, but I'm also mid-forties and I have a quota for some homeschooling topics.  

 

I ran into a mom whose oldest was ten.  She thought something was off with a group of teenagers because they didn't want to have a conversation with her.  Ummmm . . . they were having their own conversation when she came along.  She had been led to believe that homeschooling teenagers were different and were happy to hang with all ages.  Nope.  They don't want to hang with you or your elementary kid when they're trying to catch up with friends they haven't seen in a week.  They're normal kids who prefer their peers at this age. This was news and she was pretty sure her son wouldn't become one of THOSE teenagers.  I've learned to smile, nod, and never, ever say "Good luck with that!" out loud.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

I get it.  You're tired.  You're fried. You just wanted an outing with your child without repeating a conversation you've had 5000 times.

 

 I've learned to smile, nod, and never, ever say "Good luck with that!" out loud.  

 

 

Yes, this!!!!!  Thank you, I am not alone.  Bless my soul, maybe I am not just turning into a b#$ch after all  :lol:

[Catwoman]

I deleted it Sparkly because I really don't want to sound like a B, but maybe that is it? I just don't enjoy talking about homeschooling anymore.

I read it before you deleted it and I thought you sounded fine. :)

[Catwoman]

Eh..I don't know. Maybe you just aren't feeling it right now. Or are tired. Or something.

 

I will say I no longer want to talk homeschooling as much as I used to.

Same here. I find that it depends on the other mom's attitude. If she's brand new to homeschooling and is genuinely looking for information from more experienced moms, I'm fine with that and I don't mind taking a little time to encourage her and tell her to look at the big picture and not let other moms get her too caught up in competing to see whose 6yo is more fluent in Ancient Greek. But if it's one of those brand new homeschoolers who thinks she knows it all and wants to lecture anyone who will listen on how everyone is ruining their kids because they don't do things exactly the way she does and she brags about how her kid will be going to Harvard by the time he's 8 years old because he's just so gosh-darned brilliant... well... I don't have time for that nonsense.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Same here. I find that it depends on the other mom's attitude. If she's brand new to homeschooling and is genuinely looking for information from more experienced moms, I'm fine with that and I don't mind taking a little time to encourage her and tell her to look at the big picture and not let other moms get her too caught up in competing to see whose 6yo is more fluent in Ancient Greek. But if it's one of those brand new homeschoolers who thinks she knows it all and wants to lecture anyone who will listen on how everyone is ruining their kids because they don't do things exactly the way she does and she brags about how her kid will be going to Harvard by the time he's 8 years old because he's just so gosh-darned brilliant... well... I don't have time for that nonsense.

 

 

Yes, ok....this is me.  This mom definitely came across as "you homeschool?  yay, let me tell  you how you can do that better (with her oldest kid being 2nd grade and all)!?!"  I am NOT saying that I have it all figured out because I have homeschooled forever, I am saying that I have homeschooled long enough to know that I do NOT have it all figured out and there isn't one perfect way to do anything, but it shouldn't irk me when people DO think they have it all figured out, but it does....like nails on a chalkboard.

[Catwoman]

Yes, ok....this is me. This mom definitely came across as "you homeschool? yay, let me tell you how you can do that better (with her oldest kid being 2nd grade and all)!?!" I am NOT saying that I have it all figured out because I have homeschooled forever, I am saying that I have homeschooled long enough to know that I do NOT have it all figured out and there isn't one perfect way to do anything, but it shouldn't irk me when people DO think they have it all figured out, but it does....like nails on a chalkboard.

I know!!! I only have one son, but he's 17 and we have always homeschooled, so if your oldest kid is 6, you should probably think twice before you tell me the right way to homeschool high school -- or even worse, tell me how everyone should send their kids to "real" school for middle school and high school because everybody knows that moms aren't qualified to teach high school subjects.

[marbel]

Yeah, I still run into the new homeschool moms telling me how I should do things.  If you can't see my sig, I have a homeschool senior and a graduate.  Which is not to say I couldn't have done some things better, but I'm not going to listen to the mom of an  8 year old tell me about that.  

 

I think new homeschoolers are like people who recently quit smoking, or people who just found (or left) God. They are just so full of their new status and knowledge and can't stand not to share it.  

 

I don't even like to get asked for advice anymore.  Other than a few notable things, I don't remember what we did in 5th grade or whatever.  And, there's new stuff now; probably some of the things I used are no longer available.   

[Ann.without.an.e]

I know!!! I only have one son, but he's 17 and we have always homeschooled, so if your oldest kid is 6, you should probably think twice before you tell me the right way to homeschool high school -- or even worse, tell me how everyone should send their kids to "real" school for middle school and high school because everybody knows that moms aren't qualified to teach high school subjects.

 

 

Yes, bless!  Heard this many times.  One person who used to ridicule me so much for homeschooling is now homeschooling  :lol:   We all say crazy stuff so I need to be gracious  :rolleyes: I'm just finding it hard right now for some reason.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

 

 

I don't even like to get asked for advice anymore.  Other than a few notable things, I don't remember what we did in 5th grade or whatever.  And, there's new stuff now; probably some of the things I used are no longer available.   

 

 

I know.  I guess once upon a time I was excited about this or that but then I eventually realized that nothing is "the one thing" or "the absolute best for..."  There are many great things, especially right now and I can't feel passionate that I have some sort of answer because there are many paths to a great education.  I think moms get a little disappointed when I say there are many good options, they want me to tell them exactly what to do, they want to feel like they are doing "the best thing out there"ummm...no, it doesn't exist  :lol:

[KungFuPanda]

Yes, ok....this is me.  This mom definitely came across as "you homeschool?  yay, let me tell  you how you can do that better (with her oldest kid being 2nd grade and all)!?!"  I am NOT saying that I have it all figured out because I have homeschooled forever, I am saying that I have homeschooled long enough to know that I do NOT have it all figured out and there isn't one perfect way to do anything, but it shouldn't irk me when people DO think they have it all figured out, but it does....like nails on a chalkboard.

Yeah, the moms who really have it all figured out in the very beginning are too busy applying that expertise to their own kids to evangelize about CC.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Yeah, the moms who really have it all figured out in the very beginning are too busy applying that expertise to their own kids to evangelize about CC.

 

 

Oh my, I love that phrase "evangelize"  because they do that, right?  I don't know a single CC mom who doesn't think it is something they absolutely must share because it is just *the* way to homeschool  :glare:   I won't rant, but I did try it for one year and it sure wasn't my cup of tea.  I can see how it might be just the thing that some moms need and overall I wouldn't call it terrible, just not for me and definitely not something to "evangelize" about  :lol:

[SparklyUnicorn]

I deleted it Sparkly because I really don't want to sound like a B, but maybe that is it?  I just don't enjoy talking about homeschooling anymore.  

 

I don't think you sound like a b.

[happi duck]

I don't like to talk homeschooling either.

 

I want people to get to know me without having the burden of (always wrong) assumptions.

 

I also have found myself doing conversational "cleanup" when a homeschooler rudely goes on and on insulting public school. If they don't take the hint as I guide the conversation another direction I end up reassuring the shell shocked public school moms.

[marbel]

I don't like to talk homeschooling either.

 

I want people to get to know me without having the burden of (always wrong) assumptions.

 

I also have found myself doing conversational "cleanup" when a homeschooler rudely goes on and on insulting public school. If they don't take the hint as I guide the conversation another direction I end up reassuring the shell shocked public school moms.

 

Oh I hate this so much.  

 

Sometimes I just say "educational freedom; it's a beautiful thing" and bring up something completely off topic.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

 After 15 years, I've done that conversation to death. 

 

 

 

 

I like that.  Hmmm...would it be rude, "sorry but that conversation topic was dead to me years ago, how's the puppy?"  :lol:

[FaithManor]

Oh I get it. I have graduated three successfully and am down to my last who has one more year. More and more I am looking towards my life beyond homeschooling and want to talk about other things. I also do not want to get into the competition for top dog homeschooler because so and so's child diagrams latin with the left hand greek with the right while singing Beethoven's 9th. On the other hand I am also not interested in the you are destroying your child's childhood by making him read before he is 16 convo either. Sadly it seems like the polarizing extremists are the ones doing a lot of the conversing so I get apathetic mighty quick.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Oh I get it. I have graduated three successfully and am down to my last who has one more year. More and more I am looking towards my life beyond homeschooling and want to talk about other things. I also do not want to get into the competition for top dog homeschooler because so and so's child diagrams latin with the left hand greek with the right while singing Beethoven's 9th. On the other hand I am also not interested in the you are destroying your child's childhood by making him read before he is 16 convo either. Sadly it seems like the polarizing extremists are the ones doing a lot of the conversing so I get apathetic mighty quick.

 

 

First of all....diagrams latin with the left hand  greek with the right...truly funny  :lol:

 

You have hit the nail on the head with the polarizing extremes.  There is never a happy medium.  It seems like either mamas are stressing their kids out about everything or watching Sesame Street. There is occasionally a happy medium mama but the problem with us middle of the road people is that we are too relaxed for one mama and too pent up for the next.  We just lose all the way around  :laugh:  Literally got caught in a group one time where one mama crucified us for doing AP's at home (what's the point, that sounds hard) and then another mama (like ten minutes later) was telling me that dd had no chance at competitive colleges because she had only had AP Calculus and she needed to have calculus beyond AP because *her* son was in Calc 3.  See, lose lose.

[FaithManor]

Wow Attolia! Judged for trying hard, judged for NOT GETTING TO CALC 3???

 

Good grief. Some little special snowflake needs to get an education. Not even Princeton expects incoming freshman to have studied Calc 3 in high school. Insert largest eye roll imaginable.

 

Sometimes I think chill pills should be handed out along with M & M's before social gatherings.

Edited March 9, 2017 by FaithManor

[Arcadia]

Literally got caught in a group one time where one mama crucified us for doing AP's at home (what's the point, that sounds hard) and then another mama (like ten minutes later) was telling me that dd had no chance at competitive colleges because she had only had AP Calculus and she needed to have calculus beyond AP because *her* son was in Calc 3.

You can blame articles like this 2006 WaPo article for the Calc 3 opinion.

"More than 500 students in the Montgomery and Fairfax school systems, the region's two largest, are taking multivariable calculus, a course traditionally taken by math majors in their second year of college -- at least in the old days. That means the students have a full year of college-level calculus under their belt before they leave high school."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020501041.html

 

We are in an afterschool frenzy area and I have only met a homeschooling mom who thinks her kids are better than any of the students in top public and private schools.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Wow Attolia! Judged for trying hard, judged for NOT GETTING TO CALC 3???

 

Good grief. Some little special snowflake needs to get an education. Not even Princeton expects incoming freshman to have studied Calc 3 in high school. Insert largest eye roll imaginable.

 

Sometimes I think chill pills should be handed out along with M & M's before social gatherings.

 

 

I thought it was insane too.  Actually, chill pills disguised as M&Ms would be appropriate for some people in my life   :lol:

[FaithManor]

Bet if we invented some sort of "natural" chill pill and make them look like candy, place in candy bags, market as "Mellow Crazies" - want to make family reunions more pleasant, give them the gift of Mellow Crazies. Mellow Crazies, take the edge off the nuts!

 

 

We could be millionaires!

[TABmom]

I was at gymnastics the other day- evening classes, not a during the day homeschoolers only class- and there were two DADS sitting behind me, one was absolutely evangelizing for CC! It was hysterical. I didn't say anything to them, but my son was sitting by me working out of a Saxon homeschool edition book. I was also kind of shocked that there were at least 3 homeschool families there- there were probably only 10 parents total.

[Ann.without.an.e]

:lol:  :lol:

 

Possibly a tad rude, but true nonetheless!

 

"I'm sorry, curriculum is dead to me."

"I'm sorry, Charlotte Mason vs electic neo Classicism is dead to me.'

"I'm sorry, organising homeschool field trips is dead to me."

 

"IT IS ALL DEAD! Except at home, with my kiddo, actually, you know, doing the work. Seen any good movies lately ?"

 

 

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Ann.without.an.e]

Bet if we invented some sort of "natural" chill pill and make them look like candy, place in candy bags, market as "Mellow Crazies" - want to make family reunions more pleasant, give them the gift of Mellow Crazies. Mellow Crazies, take the edge off the nuts!

 

 

We could be millionaires!

 

 

...take the edge off the nuts  :lol:  :laugh:  :lol:   

[Ann.without.an.e]

I was at gymnastics the other day- evening classes, not a during the day homeschoolers only class- and there were two DADS sitting behind me, one was absolutely evangelizing for CC! It was hysterical. I didn't say anything to them, but my son was sitting by me working out of a Saxon homeschool edition book. I was also kind of shocked that there were at least 3 homeschool families there- there were probably only 10 parents total.

 

 

I was semi-friends a few years ago with a cult following clique of CC'ers and boy did they preach it.  And boy did I become mud to them when I tried it and then didn't take to it  :lol:   They preached it so hard.  I can't think of a single one who is still in it now, even though they have kids of the right age.  Hmmmm.......

Edited March 9, 2017 by Attolia