Warning: long post :roll: We went to have lunch with my dh today, and stopped by a little store on the outside of town on our way. We pretty much had the entire store to ourselves (yeah! they had a 75% off sale!) and we picked out a few items to purchase. As we got to the register, an older gentleman and a young 20-ish woman were checking us out, and we began to chat. The young woman made a remark about how well behaved the kids were and asked how old the kids were. They politely replied their ages (ds is 5yo and dd is 4yo) and began to speak to her. She looked a me puzzled and said, "Oh, haven't they started school, yet?" I explained that we homeschool and we were already done for the day and were on our way to have lunc with dh. She wasn't sure what to think about it and just went on politely with small talk. After lunch with dh, I showed him the shirts we had bought for him at the sale and he really like them, and asked if we could stop by and get a couple more while they were on sale? So, on the way home we stopped at the same store and as we walked in the same girl noticed us as we entered. As we came through the door she said, "You have the best behaved children! We were talking about that after you left this morning." Then she told me that our earlier talk started all the workers there to talk about homeschooling and the older gentleman who had helped us (which ended up being the owner) had a grandson who was being homeschooled. He praised homeschoolers and told all the employees about the benefits of it. He told them all that he wished all his employees were as courteous and my kids were and that they could all learn a lesson from my 4yo and 5yo! I really needed that, today! School just started and I'm just starting to face the looks and questions about homeschooling. This made me feel really good about my decision. Sorry so long, just had to share/celebrate!! :grin:
Mom and I were talking about the differences between the home schooled child and one that has been through the system and I can tell you that of the home schooled children around here, they are the most polite respectable people I have met- a long shot from their public school peers.
That is so wonderful and nice when you hear that. Today I took our dd's to the Texas State Aquarium and the girls were busy and talking away with seeing everything. One lady came up beside them and start talking to them and my girls starting talking about the turtles. It was so cute. The lady came to me and said what very nice, smart young ladies you have. Aren't they in school? I said no I homeschool them she said I thought so they were so polite, nice and smart. Just makes your day when you hear someone say something to you like that. Makes homeschool worth it, so when those days get long, hard and tough and I wonder why I am doing this. I am going to remember what the lady told me.
:lol:...had to add my proud moment for the day....9yo ds began telling patrons in the pizzaria (we had supper with my folks) the similarities between Tolkien and C. S. Lewis's works and went on and on about it. I got alot of "how old is he?" and wondering what school he went to. THEN he proceeds to tell them all how much he loves homeschooling! What a segway! It's like we're desensitizing America one conversation at a time .
Why, Becky, that's because OUR homeschool kids NEVER misbehave!!! What's wrong with Jeanie that you don't know that.....lol?
I don't post those incedents cuz they might involve a quote from me with a word or two I don't want any of you ladies to know is in my vocabulary....
It seams like my sweeties are geat when we are out but it seams like I loose patients wtih them at the house some times. I guess its because I am with them so much.
Well, Jeannie Marie's thing is to pluck her wedges. You read that right. If her pants or bathing suit creeps up she reaches arond and PLUCK... she pulls it out. She did it one day at the salon where we go and the lady who does our hair says 'I wish I could do that!' I have to remind her that's not something we're supposed to do in public. Be real.... how many of you wish you could sometimes reach around back and go PLUCK!
Not MY past, but I'll sure remember it, now that I've heard it! I've got long hair, and I would always get one strand down my back, (or worse!!!) down my front that would drive me crazy. Back when I was in the classroom, I had one young lady that I only had for a half-hour a day. She was wheelchair-bound and mainstreamed full time. The LAW says she needed to be in a special class for a minimum of a half-hour, so they would send her to me right off before most of the other kids came because she was so capable and the "regular" teacher didn't want her missing what was going on in HER classroom. So she mostly hung out with me and we gabbed while the other kids arrived. ALWAYS that hair was a problem. So I would just roll my eyes, tell her something like "THAT DARNED HAIR!!!" and reach down my back to try to get it. If it was down my front, I'd turn my back to her and get it. Then I'd hold it up and say, "There it is!!!" It was almost a daily routine. She always got such a kick out of it, I think more out of the fact that her teacher was "real" with "real" problems.
Yep that's what I always heard Are you going to the movies? I see your piced your seat!!!! Any way Becky, if thats the worst thing your dd does I wouldn't let it bother me. Like the other nice ladies said we all have done it a few times in our life and will more then like do it again.
Well I have had it both ways-- I always get alot of compliments on ds 3 yo behavior. Once I was in line in a store and he started talking with the lady behind us. He was 2 at the time. He is a typical first born with a very high vocabulary and very clear speech. She was just shocked at how well spoken he was. She said "how old is he??" I told her he was "2" (this was about 2 months before he was 3) and she didnt believe me she said "Is he is school yet?" I laughed and said "NO not really he is only 2, you dont have to be in school till your are age 7 in Indiana, but we are homeschooling anyway." She smiled and said "oh thats why he is so smart!" LOL Now his bad moment. Shortly after Samara was born I was walking out of walmart with her in my arms and bag and trying to hold onto my 2 year old. Of course we get to the middle of the parking lot row and ds decided he doesnt want to hold mommy's hand and fights to get away from me. There were tons of cars coming, so I held on tight and kept walking telling him "No, come with mommy" He drops his feet out from underneath him to hang there. So my choices were drop my newborn on the cement, or drag him to the side of the row crying ,b/c I wasnt letting him go-- he would have gotten hit by a car!. I drug him and this lady starts screaming at me how would I like to be drug by my arm! OH THE NERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so hot-- I am sure I with all the post partum hormones that were in me I would have ripped her eyeballs out if she would have come near me! It was obvious I had my hands full--no stopping to help no nothing just yelling at me for my choice to drag my 2 yo out of traffic. Needless to say 2 yo got a good spanking with he got home. I think its kinda funny now!
Jill- Maybe the lady should have helped you rather than criticize you. Sounds like it was a difficult situation made worse by a big mouth lady!
I can agree with that . . . I seem to attract older ladies who think they have some God-given right to criticize me! I was in a hosp emergency room with my dd who was 11mo at the time and cracked her face open on a friend's table. She wouldn't stop bleeding, and I was in a hosp miles from home with strange drs (not our hosp or dr), my friend watching my ds at her house, dh at work, and my cell phone in my car back at the friend's house! I had about $1 on me and a baby that couldn't stop crying and bleeding. A mom (late 40's?) and her grown son and daughter were also waiting for someone and saw I had my hands full. They asked if I had anyone with me and I said no, They gave me a cell phone to call my friend and dh, and then went to the soda machine and got me a diet coke (praise the Lord on High - I never needed it more in my life). As I was hanging up the cell phone and thanking Jesus for these too-nice people, some 60-70yr old lady comes by and starts hollering at me about using the cell phone in the hosp. I was handing it back to the nice mom, and the nice mom totally laid into the old lady, saying "Do you work here? You don't? Then mind your own business! This poor girl is here all by herself with her bleeding baby and she doesn't need you to harrass her!" I felt so fortunate to have this mom "mother" me. Sometimes even grown-ups need that . . . FYI - This was not an isolated incident - I've had old ladies harass me at the park and at Wal mart!
Years ago when my boys were small there was a lady with a little baby and a fussy toddler and she apparently needed some assistance, I held the baby carrier as she tended to her screaming toddler. I certainly wouldnt have laid in to her, she was in need of kindness and assistance. She totally appreciated the help as she was at her wits end and having post partum depression. I've never had post-partim depression (sp?) so I don't know what it is like. After my boys were born I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo thrilled to be able to get out of bed and move around that I was always whistling dixie. Even when I was trying to build back the muscle tone I lost being bedridden. I havent had that experience where anybody has ever said anything to me about anything, but I can certainly understand your frustration. If that happens again, give the "back off or I will bite your nose off" look. I've been told that I have that look. Gwenny, How old are you?
