So weary (and wary)

For me, the longer we homeschool the less the comments bother me.  🙂   We’ve been at this from the beginning and my oldest is halfway through her 8th grade year.  In the beginning I had two supporters.  My sister, who also planned to homeschool, and my mother.  (My husband doesn’t count, however he’s always been enthusiastic about homeschooling and if I didn’t want to do it he would stay home to homeschool the kids.  No joke.)  In the beginning I had some who had questions.  And then I had some who were adamant that I was crazy and we would ruin our children’s educations.  Two of the worst were my father and one of my grandmothers.

Fast forward a few years and a few children.  More people at church begin to question and think I’m a bit off my rocker because I keep having babies and still homeschool.  Father has come to the “well, you’re doing okay for elementary school but I’m sure you’ll put them in real school by 6th grade” point and grandmother, who spent the first few years telling my oldest what a wonderful place school was and what she would miss out on, has started to see that we’re not ruining the kids.

Fast forward to now.  Eight children, one with serious medical needs.  Some people have asked if we would put kids in school when Mason was born because he would have so many needs.  Some ask if we’ll put kids in high school because it’s closer now and too much work for me to teach.  My father?  He is resigned to homeschooling I think.  He sees we do a good job, just thinks it is a lot of work that I wouldn’t have to do if I would just put them in school.  My grandmother?  Is glad we’re homeschooling.  Thinks the kids are interesting, smart, and still kind and loving.

I know that this next year we’ll get even more comments from those outside the family circle because Makayla will be my first high school age child.  People have asked if we would let them go if they wanted to (and the peer group at church for Makayla has some kids who encourage her to ask to go, and others who tell her how blessed she is to homeschool, so this is not just from adults directed at me as her parent now).  We’ve always replied that we would pray about it together because we started on this journey through prayer and we’re still here because of prayer.  (Oh, and Makayla is not interested in going to public school at all.  😉  She’s happy to have so much freedom to choose her curriculum, read, craft, and spend her time in ways she finds meaningful.  )

Good luck! People will always have opinions and questions but you do get used to ignoring it.