Homeschool World Forum

I'm wondering how you all deal with your relatives (especially your parents) who disagree with your decision to homeschool. Since I'm a single mom my parents are very involved in my daughter and I's life. However my dd would be allowed to go to K at the public school this year and my parents are both pressuring me to send her. This is especially true of my mom since my dad isn't as vocal as her. Compulsory age is 8 here and I'm already keeping accurate records according to state law. I plan to wait untill she's 8 and keep homeschooling "underground," so to speak, until then. I just don't know how to deal with my parents because I need their help but I've made up my mind and their disagreeing with me is just driving me nuts. Any help here would be great. Thanks!

Hi there! I can sympathize. I'm planning to start homeschooling in September and I'm dreading telling our relatives. I am a certified teacher and I come from a family of teachers and I know that I won't be supported in my decision. My suggestion (and this is what I'm going to try) is to give your parents one of the better homeschooling books so that they can read it and hopefully understand your point of view. Presenting them with some of the stats on homeschoolers and their success in life, univeristy, etc.. might help as well. Hope these ideas help. Good luck!

Alison

What book do you plan on giving them? I'm just wondering what you'd recommend. Thanks!

My entire family was either supportive or indifferent about our decision to homeschool....except for my mother. She was very vocal and very against our decision.

I love my mother but I finally had to sit her down and let her know that this was our decision, not hers and that we did not welcome her negative input. I explained that if she still had concerns a year from now, she could bring those to my attention....ONCE; but that her negative input was affecting the kids and their confidence in their parent's decisions.

She shut up for about 3 months before she finally had to say something. Surprisingly, she retracted all statements and now is a big supporter of our homeschooling. She lives 2000 miles from us and still can see how much better what we are doing is than the local schools.

I wish you the best in dealing with your parents and hope that you don't have to get mean like I did; but sometimes nay-sayers need to know just how serious you are.