Most likely, your relatives will be more positive once they see how well homeschooling works for your family. I’ve been homeschooling for 8 years now and just the other day my darling sister-in-law (who was always very supportive of our homeschooling) told me that I had proved her wrong. I had no idea what she was talking about. She went on to tell me that she was worried about our homeschooling because she thought the kids would not be socialized properly. She said that my kids are some of the best socialized kids she knows. They can talk to those older and younger than themselves and age group peers with no trouble.

Since your daughter is young, you have lots of time to get plugged into a support group, find resources in your area, and do lots of reading. Best of blessings as you embark on the wonderful journey of homeschooling!

Samantha
Samantha´s last blog ..Week in Review – The Molecules and The Microscope Week 2

Here in silicon valley, the response I get most is “Oh! Good for you!”. The next most likely is, “Oh, we did that for a few years, too!” (said in a happy way).

On the other hand, I only mention it if I’m confronted point blank. :D

Absolutely I am more patient, better organized and (mostly) more enthusiastic because I homeschool. Just being a committed parent would have taken me part of the way, of course, but the additional “friction” of having my children home with me nearly 24-7 has brought me so much further along the path to holiness. With a bazillion sometimes seemingly-insurmountable bumps as I go, naturally. :)

I really like the responses to the “I could never” comment. (I’ve even had the addition of, “I don’t envy you.”) I’ll have to file those away!

For me, I’ve noticed that first, many parents do “homeschool”: they send their kids to public schools and then spend evenings re-teaching and “helping” with homework and projects. The second is that there definitely is not a difference in talent or ability between me and non-homeschooling parents; the difference is that we’ve identified homeschooling as (currently) the best option for us, and I’m willing to sacrifice my time and even my very self to make it happen. That spirit of sacrifice is something often missing in our world today, and to me the lack of it is the single biggest reason more parents don’t homeschool. I know I do best at my homeschooling when I foster that sense of joyful service to my family, which ultimately is joyful service to God. It doesn’t necessarily make me any less exhausted, but it shows my temptations to stop homeschooling as the trivial and basicially selfish objections that they usually are. :)

Finally, our decision to homeschool was pretty much cemented when my oldest was diagnosed at age 7 with Asperger’s Syndrome, and the psychologist looked right at us and said, “It’s so great for him that you are able to homeschool. Kids like him get bullied every day in the school system.”