A Little Rant

I must say that as popular and "normal" as homeschooling is becoming I am still amazed at the reactions I often get from others that I run across while out and about. I will readily admit that every now and then I do get a positive "ATTA Girl, keep up the good work!" reaction. More times than not though I usually get one of two reactions when people find out that I homeschool the girls.
The first is the classic "you are such a (weirdo) saint" and "how and why would you possibly try to duplicate ALL that a child would be taught in the FABULOUS school down the street?". This is usually followed by a well meaning albeit unsolicited explanation of just how fabulous the school down the street actually is and why their kid is in said school AND just how much their little darling LOVES said school AND how much they would HATE being a (social reject) homeschooler. For some reason people seem to take the fact that we homeschool as an affront or judgment on my part about their decision to send their kiddos to school each day. Hmmm... I have begun to wonder if this is because deep down they might feel a bit guilty that they are not doing the best thing for their child?
The next reaction is the one that REALLY gets me right where I live! That is the one where I hear the other mom say: "oh you are such a (weirdo) saint!!! I could NEVER spend that much time with my children!!!" This is usually followed up by one of several other comments including but not limited to: "we'd kill each other", "I cannot get her to mind me even in the little time we do spend together, she is SOOO strong willed" or the ever popular " we fight like cats and dogs just trying to get the two hours of homework done each night". Mind you this is often said about elementary school aged children. To this reaction I just shake my head and try ( a little bit) to look sympathetic but realistically I am wondering what their home life must be like with all that disagreeing going on. My other immediate thought is that if you cannot get your 7 year old to mind and respect your authority while he is small, then how in the world do you think it will be when he is a teenager?!!! Mental images of their child in the back of a squad car begin to creep into my mind. Then I truly DO start to feel a little sorry for this mom in front of me, mostly because I think of all the grief and heartache she will have over her rebellious child someday. OK, I already know what some of you are a thinking right now. I AM NOT trying to say that homeschooling children do not rebel, believe me I'm not THAT naive. I AM simply saying that I wonder about the logic of a parent who says that they cannot have a respectable relationship with their 7 year old.
As far as homework goes, I wonder if most folks realize that in the time it has taken them to get homework done at night (during what should be family time) they could have just about completed a day of homeschooling? The beauty of it is that you as the teacher do not have to spend half that time deciphering what it is her school teacher is wanting your child to do. Seriously my girls spend a concentrated 2-3 hours per day on school work and then we're finished! Then we get to go spend time with other homeschooled kids and moms (socializing) chatting and laughing about what crazy things we have recently heard come out of the mouths of other parents who just don't get us (weirdo) saints.
**** The italicized, parenthesis words, ALL CAPS and overuse of explanation points were all added by me for EMPHASIS and in some cases to note extreme sarcasm!!!!!!!