The S word Top 10 List

A couple of weeks ago I had a dental appointment. Nothing special, just a cleaning. I had a new hygienist and she was very sweet and very chatty. We some how started on the subject of homeschooling and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that she is considering education options for her son and homeschooling is at the top of the list. I say pleasantly surprised because, well, to be honest, sometimes I don't get very favorable responses to my homeschooling my kids and she had sharp instruments in my mouth. I speak from experience, as I once had a very tense eyebrow waxing experience when the salon person put hot wax on my face and told me how ridiculous it is to homeschool. Yikes.
So, the homeschool discussion in the hygienists chair (doing most of my talking during spitting breaks) made me think of all of the odd/interesting places I have discussed homeschooling in either a friendly or somewhat not friendly atmosphere.

1. A new Henry's Market opened up in the neighborhood and they had a grand opening celebration. The kids and I were out and about doing some errands on the way home from speech therapy, so I thought we'd stop in to see the goods. While there, a clown came up to us and started making balloon animals for the kids. (Just for the record, I hate clowns.) The kids were talking to her about clowny things and one of them asked how one becomes a clown, etc. They were having a nice conversation. Finally, she asked me if they had the day off from school. I laughed and said we were on a field trip. We started talking a bit about homeschooling and what is required etc. Then it came. The S word. Every homeschooler knows what that means. "So, what do you do for socialization????" Yes, I was asked about socialization by a clown. For some reason I find that so funny.

2. On an airplane on the way home from Washington, M-6 at the time had to use the restroom. There was a long line and she had to go rightnow. The first class flight attendant waved us up front and I waited in the galley while she went in, then she waited for me. I guess while I was indisposed, she was really chatting up the flight attendant. When I came out, the FA told me she was learning all about our family. That's an unsettling thing to hear. She then started to ask about homeschooling (because M had filled her in) and you guessed it~ the S word. "So, what do you do about socialization?" Well, she's a mile up in the sky holding a conversation with you..... After we went back to our seats (and incidentally none of us were sitting together. I had a kid in the row in front of me, behind me, across from me and diagonal from me) the very nice young Canadian dad asked me, "Do you really have 4 kids??" I laughed and said, "Yes, and to further amaze you I homeschool them all!" He spent the rest of the descent asking me tons of questions and when we deplaned (that word cracks me up) he told me he was definitely going to talk to his wife about homeschooling their 3 year old twins and infant. I feel like a homeschooling missionary sometimes!


3. A couple of years ago I had some gall bladder problems so I went in for an ultrasound. The super nice ultrasound tech was thankfully very positive about homeschooling because, again, I was at the mercy of someone that could potentially inflict pain upon my person. She was pushing a blunt instrument into my sensitive abdomen, after all.

So, this is my start of my list. I have to say, my favorite is the clown. You just had to be there.