Homeschooler's On Board....

Let me ask you this question: As a homeschooling parent, when you are out and about, in the eye of the public, do you feel extra pressure for your children to act a certain way because you do homeschool?

My mom had an appointment to get her hair cut today. Most of the time when she has appointments, I find it best to stay in the car and wait for her. It alleviates any potential for me to be pushed to the edge and on over, falling to the depths of insanity. It does get crazy in the car while we are waiting but at least it's only involving me and them...not other people. I often find myself snickering at the people who walk by shaking their heads in either disbelief or shock, noticing that my car is swaying this way and that. I can't help but think they are very fortunate that my very alive and exuberant children are in the car with me rather than out there with them.

Today, I decided to schedule an appointment for my two boys, thus taking care of their hair cutting needs while my mother was getting her's done. I was pretty proud of myself. At least, until we got there. Aaron decided from the minute we got their that he was making himself at home. Off came the boots and the socks. To the bucket of toys, he went, finding just the right one. Where does a three year old settle in with a good toy, you may ask? Right in the middle of the walkway, spread out on his belly totally unaware of anyone else around him. It was just him and the toy. As people we stepping around him and over him, I said in a firm voice with my teeth clenched but with a smile on my face so that it didn't make it obvious that I was irritated with his behavior, GET UP, Son! Of course, he looks up at me giving me a grin from ear to ear, staying right where he was at. Apparently, because I wasn't threatening in my 'yelling' voice, I must not be serious.

While all this is happening, guess what topic of conversation came up? Homeschooling, but of course! I'm not ashamed of it, in fact, I'm always ready to discuss it. However, since there are so many bad cases that most people hear about via the media, I feel like we need to represent it in a good way.

Instead, I have a three year old lying in the middle of the floor, not a care in the world and a five year old opening and shutting the door because he likes to hear the little bell that goes off every time you do this. And then, they are given suckers which makes them all the more exuberant. As I'm trying to get Kara in her car seat, I am fully aware that the other two are running back and forth (with suckers in their mouths) along the sidewalk not listening to their mother who had told them to get into the car and to not run with sucker's in their mouths.

After I got every one settled in their appropriate seats in lock down, a sense of relief flooded my soul that that was over...at least until the next time. I don't know what I would do, if every one started applauding when it was time for us to leave. Perhaps, never show my face again in public or perhaps get me an alias.

As the car was swaying back and forth between lanes, I thought to myself, what a crazy mother I am, trying to grab the sucker out of one kids mouth because he is laughingly trying to pretend he's choking and the other is trying to feed his to baby Kara. What must those people in the other cars think.....Thank Goodness, I don't have a bumper sticker on the back of my car stating that we indeed do have, unsocialized homeschoolers on board!