What to Say When...

This is the first in a series of posts dealing with that sticky issue of how to handle family members and others who question your choice to homeschool.  We'll start with a common problem...what to say when someone asks when your children will go to a "real" school.

First, take a deep breath!  Chances are the person you're dealing with doesn't realize that homeschool is real school.  Then, use one of these approaches:

1.  Answer with some information about your day-to-day schedule.
     Ex. "Our homeschool is very much like traditional school, except we get more accomplished in less time."
2.  Answer with some information about your plan for your children.
     Ex. "I don't plan to send the children to a traditional school until they are ready for college."
3.  Answer by explaining the subjects you cover with your children.
     Ex. "We cover all the same subjects covered in traditional classrooms."

These are just a few suggestions.  If you've run into this problem and want to share how you handled it, feel free to comment.