A Different School of Thought

"Back to school" holds a different meaning for over a million kids in the U.S.

Embarking on our ninth year of homeschooling, I still recall how weird it felt at first. A portrait in courage, I spent the first few weeks in isolation, fearing a visit from the truancy police. Pictured them surrounding the house, bullhorn in hand, yelling, "Drop your pencils and c'mon out!"

Eventually my paranoia faded, and we ventured outside. When I brought my son to a store, curious people would ask, "No school today?"

"Oh yes," I was quick to reply. "He's learning about comparison shopping." This illustrates one of the hazards of the job: turning every outing into an educational lesson.

Another peculiarity of homeschoolers is acquiring too many books. Teaching offers the most legitimate excuse for stockpiling them. But they seize control of every room, despite our best efforts to corral them.

We homeschoolers often feel a need to prove our kids are well adjusted -- not just to strangers, but to vocal friends convinced that we're scarring our children for life.

The first question they ask is, What about socialization? -- as though we lock our kids in a padded cell. The group I belong to includes 60 families who take part in sports, field trips, and other extracurriculars. Our Day Planners see more ink than a blueprint.

Outspoken acquaintances also insinuate that we're not smart enough to educate our children. "How can you teach them something you don't know?" they demand.

Fair enough query. I asked myself the same question.

But our job as parents is to teach our kids HOW to learn and provide the best possible resources in the form of books, videos, tutors, etc. Thus, Kelly pursued his passion for computers on his own. His greatest challenge now is speaking in lay terms so *I* can understand.

And he's not alone. Plenty of famous people taught themselves, including Andrew Carnegie, Peter Jennings, and NASCAR racer Darrell Waltrip. Oh, and a relative unknown named Thomas Edison.

Many entertainers, like Garth Brooks, chose homeschooling, too. Why? Because it allows more free time to pursue their dream.

The three brothers who make up the musical group Hanson agree. Zac admits there are trade offs, however. He listed some of the things they missed out on, like "getting beat up by bullies." Still, he wouldn't change a thing.

And neither would we.