We as a family are pretty different where we live being saved, baptists, no tv, no christmas, home school etc. We are used to it and anyway, I found over the years that other children don’t mind, it’s the parents that usually think it’s a bit different.

I tell my son that there are pros and cons to all different kinds of education but hey, he loves home schooling in his pyjamas so he thinks he has the best of them all:0)

In general, we all appreciate people who ask polite, interested questions, rather than commenting about us amongst themselves! I love it when parents deal with their curious kids as Songbird wrote above. It is nice to see parents who are trying to teach their kids.

On the homeschooling question, I find that the biggest challenge has been the second one you addressed. My older kids tend to feel “better off” and priviledged to be homeschooled. Sometimes that can cross the line into being prideful, so I have to remind them that we are doing what we are called to do, and that others have different callings and ideas, and that we must not judge or look down on others. I am not sorry, though, that they feel blessed to be homeschooled! The same thing goes for being Christians (since we are very much in the minority there, too).

We have openly discussed differences with our kids from a young age. I suppose it has been easy for us, since we are usually in the minority in several different ways, and we also have a speical needs child in our family. Our kids have learned so much through their every day experiences!

*cringe*

Though it seems the entire process of childhood is going from the general to the specific… and then we get to college and are told to think in general terms again and paint with a broad brush under the guise of “statistics.” :]

When they speak of school, I just remind them that our life style offer’s us flexibility and opportunity and we’ll just focus on that.

In regards to the staring at ‘odd’ people question. I resolved from day one not to shush my children, but still do sometimes.

Typically the conversation goes like this, “Why is that person walking with crutches?”
I’m not sure sweetie. “Maybe …” Possibly but you can always politely ask them why but you need to understand if they say they don’t want to tell you! (I always say the last part in a ’stage whisper’ so that the individual can hear and hopefully recognize that I am not talking behind their backs and they have an option *when* my child asks them to not say. And I say *when* because I know it will be *when* and not *if!*

If the conversation continues, then I remind them, its not polite to talk about people like that and we can talk more later on. Usually there is not a later on as once we’ve rounded the bend something else is pressing on their minds.

I’ve tried explaining to her that we live in an area where the cost of living is extremely high and that most families are not as fortunate as we are to be able to afford the basics on a single salary. She just doesn’t get it, though.