Michigan is a pretty lax state as far as home school regulations. Yet, whenever I take DD out during "school hours", I feel like I am breaking the law:lol: Our typical school day is over at 2:30. Most schools around here, do not get out until 3:30. I feel apprehensive even going out to lunch, for fear someone is eyeballing me as the mother that should have her kid in school. Anyone else feel that way?
Not exactly. When I take the boys out during traditional school hours, I simply am with them. However, we only moved to our new home 6 months ago, and it's a very small town, and people don't know us (well) yet, so I do *not* let my boys play outside during traditional school hours unless I can sit right there on the porch. That way, if any questions come up about why there outside (they're finished schoolwork) or why they're not in school, I can answer promptly, without them being on the spot.
Sounds like you are allowing other people's potential thoughts of you, to keep you prisoner in your own house. Do your work, keep a journal. The end. Nothing else is anyone's business. So what if they report you? Show the work journal and the kid's work examples and your library receipts. My kids go all over with me. We take our summer vacation in May. The PS kids get hot dry July, feel sorry for them so my kids get to play the day away while the other's are in school. I don't really make much explanation to anyone.
I was at first, but the more confident I got that I was doing the right thing all around, the less I worried about what any one else thought. One time DS11 was walking from our house to my MILs house.. a mile walk in the country. It was during school hours.. a car passed him walking with his backpack on and asked him if he needed a ride. He said no, he was fine. We left our house before he got to MILs and picked him up on the way, he told us about the guy (who lives further up our mountain.. no one to worry about), we went up to MILs, dropped Garrett off and headed back out. (Ok, here you need to know, we live in the middle of no where... the cops may come up this way maybe once a month at most just to make their monthly drive through?) As we drove down the hill we passed not 1 but 2 cop cars... I'm pretty sure the guy reported a school kid walking up the mountain during school hours..lol. We got a good laugh out of our assumptions.
I used to feel this way -we are on our 4th year of hs. But now when I'm with my son, for ex. at Walmart, it's amazing how many other kids and parents (not just little ones) are there. Unless it's a school holiday also they're most likely homeschoolers so there a lot of us out there. It's the ps mentality...kids should not be seen or heard between the hours of 8:00 and 2:00....learn the laws in your state and you will realize that you are not doing anything wrong...on the contrary...you're are doing something really great for your kids. Jane
I don't pay any attention to school hours...sometimes people will ask, but we have for the amount of people, a lot of homeschoolers and a large alternative sort of population so people pretty much live and let live. Although Jazz walks to band around 1pm and the first week or so the elementary school called me and asked because someone had called them. (jazz went there until 5th) and this was 6th grade. Someone had seen him walking and wondered why he wasn't in school. He is small, so they assumed he was a 3rd grader. The secretary figured it was him. (really small town) I get comments about him "sword fighting" his way to school or dancing. lol. We also really push the boys to play outside...but we don't live by close neighbors, or the road so that really isn't an issue.
This is only our 1st year of homeschooling, so maybe I will get more comfortable as time goes on. Homeschooling is not that popular in our area, so we pretty much get questioned everytime we leave the house during school hours. At Applebee's, we got the, "is there a half day today?" Sometimes I just don't feel like explaining. I totally agree that I am doing the right thing though, and would be willing to bet my daughter is getting a better education than she would in a ps.
I was nervous the first couple of months I homeschooled and then once I started going out with other homeschoolers for field trips I gained confidence in answering questions. Now I love being out with the kids during school hours. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the community and have even been able to meet other people thinking about pulling their kids out of school. As a matter of fact a man actually stopped his car and approached me the other day as I was loading up my kids around 11:30 on Monday. He stopped at the foot of the driveway and asked if we homeschooled by any chance. When I said yes he said they live down the street and had noticed our hours were unusual and thought maybe we did. They want to this next year and wondered if they could maybe meet with us to get some help to get started. Hubby and I are meeting them for dinner this weekend.
We lived in Michigan for 4 years homeschooling, and the kids were out with me ALL THE TIME. Their dad either worked funny hours or worked from home, so we went on his schedule a lot. Just go and have fun. Most people, if they say anything, usually say, "Oh, you must be homeschooled!" I didn't run into any negativism or issues at all.
I use to feel this way but now I no longer even think about it. I just go on with life and answer with a polite "We homeschool" I think it takes people a while to arrive at this spot but Ialso think that everyone eventuallygets there.
I don't think anything of it. I don't let my kids out in the front yard much during school hours, but I would let them play out back. It does get easier the more years you have in. I am more concientious about leaving them alone during school hours for an extended length of time.
DS goes out with me all the time (mostly to the college). Everyone at the college knows him now by name and is all for homeschooling. In fact the college secretary is a first cousin to our county homeschool leader! I recently found out that our FA advisor homeschools her twins boys. One day last week we were there for a SGA meeting and the maintance man asked my son if he was homeschooled. My ds said," Yes I am." The maintance man then proceeded to ask him if he was using Abeka? My ds laughed and said, "Yes, yes I am!".... The maintance man had homeschooled his kids too! BUT.... Our neighbor ( a man in his sixties) has recently discovered that my ds is now being homeschooled. He is retired and is always tinkering in his garage or outside, so everytime my son sets a foot out the door he makes a comment like one of these: 1. Shouldn't you be studying? 2. Is school out already today? 3. Is your homework done? 4. Shouldn't you be in school? Or he says hello and looks at his watch and then back at my son! All these comments have been in the last 2 weeks. I have tried to ignore them to keep the peace in the neighborhood but I am really tired of being watched by him. I was thinking about telling him that school was out for the year ( it really isn't) just so he would stop with the comments. Do you all think this is a good idea or should I go a different route?
I would welcome the questions if anyone ever came up and asked why my kids weren't in school. I'm proud of the fact that my kids can go out and live real life while most kids are locked up in school! Personally I would say I homeschool, and with one on one teaching it doesn't take as long to finish lessons, which leaves more time for exercise, which most kids don't get enough of
this is a common fear,I think, when you first start out. I know I prepared myself for a battle that never came when we first started! people around here are really great about it and I have only had one objection (total stranger, meant nothing to me) when we were at a restauraunt during school hours. it does get easier. It's a lifestyle,get comfortable!
I actually prefer to be out during school hours. I like being able to do my errands while it isn't as crowded On days we have to go out we do errands first and school when we get home. Every now and then I have people ask if we home school, or if school is out for the day or something like that. A quick answer of "we homeschool" is all I have ever needed. People we see regularly like at the bakery (for free cookies) know we homeschool and sometimes will ask about what we are studying or when we are taking another trip.
I use too, but with time it does get easier. You have nothing to hide. You are doing everything and doing it right. Most likely no one will say or do anything if your child is under control, its when they are running around putting on a show and making all kinds of noise that brings the attention to everyone. We use to get hit with is school out? I now say I don't know and leave it from there. Or they ask do you homeschool I say yes and love it.
When new neighbors move in, I always let them know we homeschool and as a result, they might see my kids around outside during school times. I always figure that would cause less misunderstandings. I know I've questioned a neighbor's child one morning when he was outside during school hours, without Mom in sight! "Johnny, do you have a doctor's appointment today...?" Turned out Mom didn't send him or his sisters to camp with his class, and the school tells Mom that any kid who doesn't go to camp MUST stay home! Which REALLY irritates me; they should have the child sit in one of the classrooms that DIDN'T go, or in the office, but that's neither here or there! So this mom went on to work and left the boy and his sister home alone all day.
I had to tell the neighbors we hs...so they didnt call the police. EVERY time we go out-if the older boys are with us, people ask. But it is their forst quetion-"Oh, do you hs?" We went to the library the other day and the librarian was NOT SURE....I saw her check her school calendar. It was surreptitious-and then she was really sweet..."You must hs...LOOK at all these books!" Weird, but funny.
I dont' think we have ever been questioned while we were out during school hours. Now, other times we get the "how's school going" thing to my oldest, or some other comments.. but we are all very proud to say that we homeschool (sadly the oldest isn't anymore.. but who knows what the future holds ) We too have met so many who think it's great, many ask about our laws or how to go about it. We have yet to have someone say something bad about it (except my FIL once while he was nice and toasted :roll
