The Ugly Truth about Home Schoolers!

Well, I had great intentions of posting a deep, theological post on Calvinism today but THEN I WOKE UP!    When I awoke I realized a couple of things.  I know very little of Calvinism or how it related to anything I have posted.(I'm not really sure why I dreamed I wrote about it.)  I am not feeling very smart today. (Sigh, typical day!)  Worse than that, I woke up late and my morning turned straight to chaos as I rushed to cook breakfast and start school.  Since my thoughts were turned directly to homeschooling, that is what my post will be about today. 

When my girls and I are out and about during school hours, someone always asks us, "Did school get out early today?"  These people are always extremely nice to us until we say these words, "Actually, we home school!"  Weird pause.....look of disgust......as they step back like we have leprosy....and the TYPICAL questions come flying out of their mouth. 

1.  WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?
2.  ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO TEACH THEM?
3.  HOW WILL THEY GET IN TO COLLEGE?
4.  WHAT ABOUT PROM?
5.  DON'T YOU THINK THAT SHELTERING YOUR KIDS WILL MAKE IT HARD FOR THEM IN THE REAL WORLD?

Of course my initial thoughts are to respond something like this. "Oh, you are so right!  Why have I never thought of these things?  Thank goodness we chanced upon meeting you on our one outing to Walmart this month.  Although, I do wish we had not forgot to wash our matching blue jean jumpers and Keds so we could look the part for you.  Let me run out to my 15 passenger van, where I left my other 10 kids doing school and grab some recycled paper and a feather pen so I can get your name and number.  I wouldn't want to forget anything you have to say."  But, I realize that would not be a good example to my kids nor would it show the love of Jesus.  So I politely smile and hope for grace filled answers.

1.  Homeschoolers have many opportunities to socialize and make friends.  We go to church.  We happen to have a large family with a lot of cousins to play with.  Our kids can participate in sports, dance, and music lessons just like any other child.  They have plenty of opportunities to socialize with people of all ages. 

2.  If you can read, you can learn.  If you can learn, you can teach.  If you come to a subject that is difficult for you to teach, you can get a tutor or turn to the Internet where there are several free resources for home educators.  Do you think Abe Lincoln's mother was qualified to teach?  What about the parents of C.S. Lewis, Theodore Roosevelt, or Thomas Edison?

3.  Because most people are not educated on homeschooling, they don't know that most homeschoolers who test for college entrance, on average, test higher on their SAT and ACT than students from public school.

4.  I know missing Prom is so sad!  NOT!  I do not care to send my precious daughters off half naked in a prom dress with a boy so they can go to a hotel (where most proms are) to rub against each other dancing in a dark room to filthy music.  Your kids will not be scarred for life if they have to miss this!

5.  I don't even know how to answer this.  If teaching my children to make wise decisions about who they are friends with, what they watch on television, or listen to on the radio means I am sheltering my kids, then I guess I am.  If not letting my children spend the night with people I do not know very well is sheltering my kids, I am guilty.  The thing about this is that ALL Christian parents, regardless of educational preference, should be doing this.   Shelter your children and guard their hearts.  And what do people mean by the 'real world' anyway?  Do homeschoolers live on Mars until they are old enough to get out on their own?