I am getting used to being out and about with the kids during school time. I no longer scurry along with my head down, trying to keep the kids as quiet as possible. Some days feel more radical than others, depending I'm sure on how I'm feeling but punctuated by the responses from adults around us on our journey.
Now the sun is shining, its glorious to be free to roam and experience the world in spring. There is still a teensy bit of me that is looking for external validation for our choice although thankfully it is becoming more distant by the day. The confirmation that what we are doing is right for us, for now, is in looking at their faces, feeling an inner calm (even mid-tantrum!) that we're all together and we're moving forwards, its as simple as that.
I'm finding that my enthusiasm for being out-and-about depends a little on the kids various different moods and mine too, also what we're actually doing. Most days I don't care what others think, but if I'm feeling grotty or the kids have been really bickering, or one of them has come out really begrudgingly and so is sulky and dragging their feet then i'm in that space where i'm pep-talking them the whole time we're out - which is really tiresome and stressful for all. it depends on the setting - sometimes I'm asking them to not act like clowns in public, because we're in a place where that feels really unacceptable. Shopping is the worst - and it's sometimes unavoidable. Vital clothes shopping trips on a school day gets some sniffy remarks some places....luckily no-one has been really rude to us in ages, so I'm more thick skinned nowadays... It really is mostly other people's problem, mainly that they don't 'get' homeschooling and are probably a bit jealous!
ReplyDeleteOh yes shopping.. heavens, I feel lucky that I haven't 'had' to do that so far, both adults are at home most of the time at present so it can be optional. And often after 3pm simply feels so much safer. Bizarre, now we're knee deep in this home ed lifestyle how silent it is everywhere beteen 9 and 3, my sister-in-law wrote a thesis about home ed referring to the Pied Piper, it can seem eerie hey?! And this has the effect of us, each family, seeming so out of place, so open to criticism. And yes the days when we're more conspicuous definitely is to do with how everyone is, whether we're able to be as a team or if there are stragglers. I guess as more people open to the idea of choice in education, the comfier it will be to be ourselves in our neighbourhoods, however we are each day :)
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