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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 18 2007 at 9:09pm | IP Logged
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Mary, what a great (and humorous!) analysis of our situations!
My dh went to the Confirmation retreat meeting with ds this evening. He ran into the INSULTED group (again). The "What high school does your son go to...Ohhhh," group. He says he also gets this on the commuter train from professional women...almost a chip on the shoulder kind of thing. One woman actually told him (on the train) that she couldn't afford to stay home to educate their kids, after she'd told him all about their boat, big home, and so on. 
I don't get the chip on the shoulder thing; instead I get the "You should be canonized" comment. Equally silly. I guess it's a conversational dynamic. Here, folks are afraid to tell me I have three heads and five noses because I homeschool (I guess I could remove a head and whack them with it?) so they attack my dh instead. 
It's a vocation. We choose to follow God's call to homeschool. We give up some things to do that. Well...a lot of things. Cost: high. Rewards: eternal.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Leonie
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| Posted: March 18 2007 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
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I also tend to use examples of grown homeschoolers who are doing fine - now, I have my own older ones  but I used to say " I know many other homeschooling families with great older kids and they have been such an example for me. I know homeschooling through high school works - these kids are doing xyz."
Of course, sometimes these weren't people I knew IRL but the original questioner didn't have to know that. And its hard to argue with real life examples...
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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TracyQ
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| Posted: May 15 2007 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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Wow, GREAT thread! I have so much to say, but don't have the time right now. I'm enjoying reading all of the responses though, and will come back later. GREAT thread! I love Mary's list... Hysterical!!! 
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Tifflynene
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| Posted: July 26 2007 at 7:29pm | IP Logged
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Thank you all for posting these comments...I am thanking God that we are not alone. I could use your prayers!
Our oldest son will be in 8th grade this year. We homeschool all of our children but he is the only one that did go to public school up until 5th grade. We are facing those same comments that Alice is getting. (Especially from our parents..which is very tough)!Even our son is facing these comments from other non-homeschooling friends. (Many from our own parish) We are the only homeschooling family in our local parish, by the way! (Farly small town of about 17,000)
We are also having a difficult time with the decision because he is a good swimmer and the coach at our local highschool would love to have him swim for the team and has told us so. There is only 1 highschool and they do not allow homeschoolers to take a couple of classes and still be on a sports team. Our son really wants to attend which is making it hard for us. Not that sports are that important but he truly loves it and he's very good. He is also a good student and does well in a school setting. My husband and I both want him to homeschool through highschool (especially for the continued Catholic education) but my husband is more solid than I am.
On a side note, the only Catholic highschool is 45 minutes away and let's just say that it is not representing the Catholic faith very well at all. So our only option is to homeschool or allow him to attend the local highschool.
I would appreciate your prayers and any advice. I keep taking it to prayer and offer it up frequently during my Adoration time but not feeling any resolution...
Blessings to you all,
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~Tiffany~
Central Valley, California
Wife to dh Rod
Mother to 5 living blessings!
ds (age 13); ds (age 8); dd (age 4); ds (age 3); and baby on the way
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PDyer
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| Posted: July 26 2007 at 8:54pm | IP Logged
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Tifflynene wrote:
| Thank you all for posting these comments...I am thanking God that we are not alone. I could use your prayers! |
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Tiffany, I revisited this thread recently looking for support because of the backhanded comments we are getting already about homeschooling our swimmer boy.  . Our son is only eleven, so I can only imagine what you're going through with an eighth grader!
I will be praying for you.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Tifflynene
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| Posted: July 26 2007 at 9:09pm | IP Logged
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Thank you Patty and I will pray for your support as well. When I do my morning rosary walks, I always pray for all of you homeschooling families! 
At this point I am just praying that God's will be done. We have also asked our son to pray about it and take it to the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus will either change our hearts or his!
Thank you again for prayers.
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~Tiffany~
Central Valley, California
Wife to dh Rod
Mother to 5 living blessings!
ds (age 13); ds (age 8); dd (age 4); ds (age 3); and baby on the way
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 4:53pm | IP Logged
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I know some boys in my own local area who don't mind continuing hs but want desperately to play football (we live in a very small town as well). Pray, especially since your dh is firm in his desire to homeschool. I have seen God work miracles providing for children who need a team to play on or something similar while continuing to homeschool (not just in my family but in other families as well). There are *tons* of threads right now on the teenage forum regarding teaching 9th grade, if that might be helpful.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Tifflynene
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| Posted: July 29 2007 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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Books-
Thanks for the support. I'll check out the other teenage topics.
I notice we have children born similar years but you have 1 more!
Thanks again.
__________________
~Tiffany~
Central Valley, California
Wife to dh Rod
Mother to 5 living blessings!
ds (age 13); ds (age 8); dd (age 4); ds (age 3); and baby on the way
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Lara Sauer
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| Posted: July 29 2007 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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My oldest (I also have 6 others!) will be starting 9th grade in the fall. As I recall, when he was just getting ready for 7th grade, people began asking us if we were going to continue to homeschool him through high school. My answer then was, "Of course!! He is finally starting to become really useful to me now!" Or "Of course! Teaching phonics is not really where it's at!"
However, I must say I am looking forward to using the newest answer that I thought up recently about socialization: when people ask me if I am worried about the socialization of my children, I am going to look at them with the nicest smile that I can put on my face and say very straight forwardly, "Yes, as a matter of fact I am...I am worried that they are going to be socialized by YOUR children!"
I find that humor is almost always the best way to handle anyone's concerns AND it helps me to remember that joy and laughter and innocence are some of my main reasons for homeschooling!
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LLMom
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| Posted: July 30 2007 at 7:23am | IP Logged
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Alice,
The good thing is that you probably only have to go through this once! Once you "prove" that they turn out well-adjusted and educated, you won't have to do it with each child. We had all of the questioning with 1st dc and now that she is almost graduated, family and friends are seeing how mature and responsible she is and how different she is from your average teen. So now that we have another hs age, we aren't getting that anymore. I am finding too, with the exception of online, that many homeschoolers drop out by hs too. Maybe for the activities available at the local hs.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Here we go again
