Leaving the House

Taking children out in public is often times an interesting event.

Taking home schooled children out in public during "regular school hours" can make you a spectacle that sometimes garnishes unwanted comments.

These comments vary depending on many factors and sometimes the tone is all you have to go by to determine if the comment is: friendly, curious, from a fellow homeschooler, or from someone who thinks it’s their place to judge how and where you educate your children.

First, you have to understand that home schooled children (at least most that I have met, and especially those who have spent no, or very little, time in public school) tend to stand out in public. They are comfortable answering adults and even engaging them in conversation because they have not grown up in the social constructs created by the public school system that tells them, "Adults are in charge and kids only socialize with other kids.” 

They also don't necessarily notice the whole line and turn taking thing since they're excited learners who aren't often restrained by an extremely large group (this topic will probably be covered at a later date). Not that their parents aren't teaching them to be fair and to have a sharing generous heart, it's just that they have limited experience with things like waiting in a line for 20 other people to pee before they can.

Now, on to my story!!!

One day last month I ventured to a warehouse store with my five children while on the way home from some educational “something” we had done that day. It was still early afternoon and I noticed many families in the parking lot.  I was glad to see them as then I figured we wouldn't get asked any of the, "What are you doing out of school today?" type questions. These types of questions (a type of the unwanted comments I mentioned earlier) can plague a home school family who's out and about during the hours of 7am-3pm. There are also interesting comments made when your children are out "late", after 8pm, on a "school night", but those can be saved for another time. When we got into the store, there were tons of sample carts out and I remember thinking that the managers must have known school was out that day as it is not common to have the sample carts out on a Monday unless it’s a holiday.

My children LOVE the sample carts; you'd think they were giving away free candy or something!! Oh wait sometimes they are!

I was in a bit of a hurry that day, so I had to limit them to only carts that were in our path, lucky for them I needed frozen veggies and there were lots of carts near the freezers to choose from. We had stopped at one of the carts; the boys (B-1 and B-2) were doling out the samples to their younger siblings (g-1 g-2 and b-3) and asking if I wanted any. The sample lady looks around the store and, seeing that I have at least 3-maybe 4 "school aged" children with me, asks in a very conversational tone, "Is today some sort of holiday?” 

I open my mouth to say, 
"We home school so I'm not sure why, 
but it does look like the schools are out." 

Before I could get it all out, B-2 nonchalantly shoots out, “AUSTRALIAN LABOR DAY! It's Australian Labor Day, saw it on my calendar this morning."I can only imagine the look on my face, but the look on the sample lady's face was priceless!!! I almost burst out in laughter as I very seriously perhaps even melodramatically responded (because I may have a tendency toward sarcasm) "I'm sure that's it! That is why our Midwest American town has schools closed…on a Monday… in March.” At this point, the poor woman is just looking at us in stunned silence as we walk away discussing Australia, the point and concept of Labor Day and eating our over-processed microwaved frozen food sample. I did later find out that it was INDEED a state/regional holiday (which to me was almost as irrelevant as Australian Labor Day) that had things closed that day.

This whole situation, as amusing as it was, gave me a fantastic idea: we (all awesome homeschoolers) should take note of international holidays, or even the quirky American ones, so as to always be ready with an answer, when the “why are your children with you in the middle of the day?” questions and comments arise. President and icon's birthdays would also be great!

As a bonus, you’ll also be educating your children…and your community!



as always STAY AWESOME

LOVE -EM

PS Thomas Jefferson’s 273^rd
Birthday is April 13^th.