Thanks everyone. Kriston, you have some VERY good points that relate directly to my frame of mind right now. We are very new to homeschooling, and it still seems like a radical choice. It's hard when you feel judged, especially when you know you'd probably never make this decision in a million years if you had a better option! I'm not saying that b/c I have negative feelings towards homeschooling, but it's VERY difficult for me to do this. I had to quit my job, so now we have one income. Also, I lack patience on a grand scale, and dealing with my son's inattention in an academic setting is not easy. I find it a struggle to keep him challenged and interested, and I feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure I am doing my job well. No wonder they couldn't do it in a classroom of 27 children; it's a struggle for me to do it one-on-one! I don't regret the decision one minute. It's what we needed to do, and it's certainly the best option for us right now. Regardless of our issues, we are seeing great success.
So, it's probably some of my own insecurity that causes me to take those comments so personally. I'll try to keep all of your points of view in mind and take them to heart. I personally would love to hear a response like, "Really? When do you start homeschooling? What led you to that decision? Are you enjoying it? Is it going well? Good for you!" The thing is, when people say, "I could never do that." it sounds more like "I WOULD never do that!"
Again, maybe it's my own insecurity. I'm certainly not a person who set out to homeschool, and I'm as surprised as anyone else to be in this situation! I'd also love to have the freedom to discuss giftedness if someone does actually ask why we chose to homeschool. That's another awkward topic. People seem to take it like you are bragging about your child. At least that's how I feel. It's hard to explain that giftedness means a lot more than being "smart." I usually just say we have some unique challenges that we are addressing, and I usually add that we are continuing to search for a school setting that works for our son. And, I add that we are not likely to change our current homeschool situation until we find something that works equally as well or better.
no5no5-thanks for siding with me! ; ) LOL
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts. As always, it helps so much!
