MIL asked my ds at dinner yesterday, "So, do you miss going to school?" and my ds said without skipping a beat: "No." She wasn't being put off that easily, so she said, "Are you learning a lot?" and ds said, "Yes." I was so proud of him!! Pass the bean dip.
I hate it when adults try to plant seeds of doubt about homeschooling in kids' minds. It show their ignorance. Glad your son handled it well!
:mrgreen: Nice. So glad hubby's parents and mine are supportive. I was really worried about my uneducated, country bumpkin parents (not saying that to sound mean, it's just they way they are, great people and I love them dearly but they are not well educated and are very country) but my mom was actually EXCITED about homeschooling. My dad asked if it was legal and shook his head, but seems to have come around. I was also a bit worried about my MIL, who is a public school teacher, but she is supportive as well and was very interested to talk about what plans I have for next year. I think for her, she's just excited that we care about his education as she works in a not so great district and has talked often about the lack of parental support her kids have...
MIL asked ds some more questions yesterday before she went back home: What grade are you in? "7th" Do you have any homework today? "No. I don't have homework, it's just 'work.'" Yes, but do you have something to do tonight to turn in tomorrow? "No. I've finished my work for the day. (It was 4 p.m.) But we might read some History tonight at bedtime." MIL is trying to figure this whole homeschooling thing out! (She's told others that she's "Worried about the situation the boys are in.") Grrrrrrr!!!!
Personally, I think you or your husband need to put a stop, immediately, to these questions. While your son has a great outlook on homeschooling, Your MIL is going to turn out his flame.
IKWYM. If she lived here I'd have to say something, but she lives in a different state and we only see her about three or four times a year. She's never questioned my ds so much, maybe she just didn't know what to talk about with him? Those questions about sum up the entirety of her interactions with him over the entire Mother's Day weekend. She didn't say much else to him other than those few questions. She's gone back home now.
Ya know, you are probably right. Here's an idea. Before your next visit, maybe your boys could study something she is interested in. Like, if she's a Civil War buff, they could learn about some of the battles. If she likes gardening, they could study some of the pests. And/or plant their own garden - they could even call her and ask her for advice. And so on. This would do two things: give them common ground to talk about, and help her see how much they learn while HSing. The first being the most important IMO. I know when I went to see my grandparents and great grandparents as a kid, I always got the "how's school, how're your grades, what are you learning" questions. If she doesn't spend a lot of time around kids, then she probably didn't know what to say.
