Can you believe after 5 years people are still surprised to find out that we homeschool? It is particularly funny to see their reaction because I can almost hear the other side of what they allow themselves to say out loud. “But your kids seem so normal.” I always wish that I could ask them to draw a picture of a homeschooler. We used to do this with young Girl Scouts when before our first campout. We would have them draw a picture of a latrine. Since other than camping the work “latrine” is almost never used, the pictures that the kids came up with were priceless. They were then shocked to find out what it really meant. I figure the representation of “homeschooler” would be very similar. From my experience, we would either be drawn as ultra-conservative, rigid, and reserved
or as clog wearing, granola eating, creative hippies .
They would be very shocked if I showed them my average joe family or very outgoing Jehovah’s witness friends (who broke some of my own stereotypes) or my artist friend whose husband is a Ferrier or the Doctor and his housewife and their two boys.
What do you think people “see” when they hear the word “homeschooler”?
What do you think people “see” when they hear the word “homeschooler”?
2 comments:
If you think you get some strange looks now, you should have seen the looks 20 years ago! My parents got some really strange looks when they, fairly normal people, pulled me out of school.
I think a lot of people still expect something in one of the two stereotypes that you pointed out. I tend to learn toward the granola eating, clog wearing, (although Jesus loving) hippie type myself. Luckily though, I have met homeschoolers from all walks of life. Maybe in another 25 years, when it is time for my kids to teach their kids, some of those stereotypes will be broken.
But I wouldn't count on it.
Like the Scarlet Letter, I think people expect to be able to see a homeschooler coming. Perhaps we should all wear "H" to announce our coming?
I think the problem is that there are a few of us that are identifiable and that only deepens people's perceptions. There are many of us that no one realizes homeschool unless we tell them so our "normalcy" doesn't crack through their stereotypes.
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