In the worst conversation I ever had about homeschooling, an acquaintance and I talked when our family's decision to homeschool was *very* new, when I still felt raw from the interaction with the school and was still terrified that I was making a huge mistake. I feel sure that the conversation would go very differently if I spoke with someone like that now because I am confident that we made a good choice and I would no longer be defensive.
I too had the worst conversation early on. I too was insecure about our decision and felt the need to explain myself. It was last summer before we even started hs. The surprising thing was that the other person herself hinted hs 10 months earlier when I wasn't ready to even entertain such an idea. She even saw DS6 in action so to speak. It turned into really nasty discussion and I think it wasn't only about me being insecure. KWIM?
Now I don't really feel the need to explain. I just say we hs and I say it with a big smile. Period. If asked for more I explain what we do emphasizing all the social contacts DS has. Then I add that it gives us lots of flexibility and works great for us. Done.
DS6 was in private Montessori last year. At that time I got some negative comments about him not being in public school. People often don't like if you make a decision which is different from theirs. They sometimes take it as a message that they must have made the wrong decision themselves.
