Yesterday afternoon, we were checking out at Target and the cashier asked my son, "So, when do you go back to school?" He replied, "We are homeschooled. We never stop learning!" She looked at me and then at him and said, "Awwww. I'm sorry you don't get a break!" The more I thought about her comment, the more it bothered me. What do people that don't really know about homeschooling think about what we do all day? All year?
My kids have always been raised to be curious, to question, to explore, to learn through play. That means 24/7/365, not 8:45-2:45/M-F/180. This mindset that kids only learn during "school hours" is absurd. We don't live in a time where kids are out of school during the summer so they can work in the fields and help out around the farm, well most of us anyway. Kids can, and do, learn anywhere, even if you are not trying to "teach" them. They are observant and soak in knowledge from everywhere. Giving them the right tools is key.
Sure, most brick and mortar schools have gone back already. Some homeschoolers have started already--or never stopped. We will really dive into our curriculum for the year after Labor Day, but that doesn't mean we didn't learn yesterday or the day before. As a matter of fact, we had a fractions lesson right there in the middle of Target. The twinadoes were discussing the amount of clothes they have and how much space it took up in their closet. They broke it down into fractions and they were correct. They are 7. I didn't chain them to a desk to learn that. You know how we learned it? Playing a game called Pizza Fractions. A game they beg to play. Gasp, a learning game. See, my kids never do get a break!
So many myths and untruths are out there and when we started homeschooling I never realized just how much it would become a part of our daily life. It has been a learning experience for all of us. We have learned to accept people's comment with grace and kindness and try to educate them with information one bit at a time.
What is the most absurd thing that has been said to you about your choice to homeschool?
