Hi there. Oh boy do I feel your pain! My in-laws (particularly mother in law) have a very serious problem with homeschooling. It can be very trying to face that kind of negativity day after day. What it really comes down to is that you have to decide what is right for your child, and then pursue that no matter what anyone else has to say about it.
There are a variety of approaches you can take when you are confronted with the negative comments. You can take the informed approach, where you discuss all the great homeschooling stats. (These can be researched online) You can discuss the upsides to homeschooling : One on one attention as opposed to 30 kids in a classroom with one teacher, flexibility to go at the pace that is right for them to succeed, etc.
If you are feeling up to it, ask her to share her specific concerns about homeschooling with you. If socialization is her issue I recommend looking up an article online called "No Thankyou, we don't believe in socialization", written by a homeschooling mom named Lisa Russell. It is online in several places I believe. That article is priceless for answering the silly social questions! Is she concerned that you will not be able to provide her with an adequate education? Explain that anything she needs to learn, can also be learned by you and your husband if you do not already know about it. Learning together is one of things that can be very special about homeschooling. Does she worry about field trips, proms, and sports? Almost every community offers those things for kids outside of a school environment.. and if not then a group of homeschool moms can get together and make it happen! If she is worried about college, and a career then tell her that homeschoolers go on to college without issue in almost every case. They get jobs just as any other young adult would. The workforce has changed, because of the growing number of homeschooling families. Not accepting homeschool graduates would be pretty silly for employers, because it removes a huge pool of potential new workers.
Last but not least, there is the "This is what we have decided is best for our child and our family. I respect that you do not care for it, but I need for you to respect our decision. We do not have to discuss it any further if you dont want to." This is also known as the the "Butt OUT" approach LOL. I am an advocate of being polite and respectful as long as it is practical and effective.. but at some point you may have to get a little more assertive. I wish you the best of luck in your decision on how to educate your child in the years to come!
Kristi
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There are a variety of approaches you can take when you are confronted with the negative comments. You can take the informed approach, where you discuss all the great homeschooling stats. (These can be researched online) You can discuss the upsides to homeschooling : One on one attention as opposed to 30 kids in a classroom with one teacher, flexibility to go at the pace that is right for them to succeed, etc.
If you are feeling up to it, ask her to share her specific concerns about homeschooling with you. If socialization is her issue I recommend looking up an article online called "No Thankyou, we don't believe in socialization", written by a homeschooling mom named Lisa Russell. It is online in several places I believe. That article is priceless for answering the silly social questions! Is she concerned that you will not be able to provide her with an adequate education? Explain that anything she needs to learn, can also be learned by you and your husband if you do not already know about it. Learning together is one of things that can be very special about homeschooling. Does she worry about field trips, proms, and sports? Almost every community offers those things for kids outside of a school environment.. and if not then a group of homeschool moms can get together and make it happen! If she is worried about college, and a career then tell her that homeschoolers go on to college without issue in almost every case. They get jobs just as any other young adult would. The workforce has changed, because of the growing number of homeschooling families. Not accepting homeschool graduates would be pretty silly for employers, because it removes a huge pool of potential new workers.
Last but not least, there is the "This is what we have decided is best for our child and our family. I respect that you do not care for it, but I need for you to respect our decision. We do not have to discuss it any further if you dont want to." This is also known as the the "Butt OUT" approach LOL. I am an advocate of being polite and respectful as long as it is practical and effective.. but at some point you may have to get a little more assertive. I wish you the best of luck in your decision on how to educate your child in the years to come!
Kristi
