Winning Them Over One At a Time

originally posted 29 OCT 2014

I was organizing a homeschool bowling league at our local bowling alley. Talked to the nicest gal who was in charge of league bowling. She was retired but working at the bowling alley. During our conversation, she'd occasionally throw out a question about homeschooling. I'm used to that and easily answered all her questions. Near the end of our conversation, she told me that she taught and had numerous family who taught in the public schools. She was kind but let me know she didn't think much of homeschooling. I'm used to that too. Not a big deal for me.

So, each week, we'd have a fairly good group of homeschooled kids bowling. Over the weeks, you could see her chit-chatting with more of the kids and their parents. She'd give me compliments about the kids about how well behaved they were or how smart or how much fun they had with their friends. She got to hear all their stories and about all the things they were doing outside of the bowling alley.

Basically, she got to know a lot of homeschooled kids quickly. Up until that point, she didn't know many if any at all.

One week, we're sitting there chatting and she is going on about homeschooling and how impressed she is by it all. She told us she wishes she'd had the opportunity to do so and is telling her son all about it for his children.

That was a great compliment.

Too many people think of the 'homeschooling' example of Uncle Bill's next door neighbor's dogs vet's sister who homeschools and her child sits at home all day drooling and trying to figure out 2 + 3 despite the fact that little Bertha is in the eighth grade.

Want to know more about homeschooling? Get to know some homeschooling families. You'll find that many of us back up what the studies are showing about homeschoolers. We're smart. Studies show we're more likely to be involved in the community. We're more likely to be involved in the political process. With the one on on instruction, many homeschooled kids get higher scores on standardized tests even when Mom only has a high school diploma. Now some may read this to mean I think the kids in public schools are more likely to be the ones drooling but, that is not it at all. Every child is different and learns differently. You know your child best and know how your child will learn best. If that is public school, that is wonderful. If that is a small private school, that's great too. If it is homeschooling, rock on!