Ever since I started calling myself a homeschooler, I’ve been getting weird reactions from other parents. Not negative, just wierd. Sometimes I hear, “oh, that’s great” in a VERY nervous voice, like I am suddenly going to sprout a second head and start ranting about how the dinosaurs went extinct because they all lost their tickets for Noah’s ark. Sometimes I hear, “I could never do that.”

That one gets to me every time.

Why not? You taught your kid to walk and talk, didn’t you? You taught him the difference between a doggie and a lion, how to throw a ball, and to not fart at the table (we’re still working on that one). So why can’t you teach them reading, writing, and trig? Look, what I say in response to these folks is true–we all have to choose what works best for us. But don’t think that just because you haven’t ever taught, you can’t ever teach.

For me, it was easy. I consider myself pretty smart. I used to work part time in the financial aid office in my graduate school, and I dealt with many education students. They were, on the whole (I know there are exceptions), some of the dumbest folks I have ever had to deal with. They couldn’t fill out a form asking for their identifying information without calling me to ask for help:

Student: It says name
Me: Put in your name
Student: But I don’t know your name
Me: Do you know your own name?
Student, annoyed: Yes of course I know my own name.
Me: Write it down there
Student: Write my own name there?
Me: Yes.
Student: Where do I put it?
Me: On the line next to where it says name.
Student: In the line?
Me: ON the line. On top of the line.
Student: On the top?
Me: Let me transfer you to someone who can help you better.

So when I got insecure about teaching my daughter, I remembered that and I decided that the day I couldn’t teach as well as people that stupid would be a very sad day indeed.

I know I have my weak areas. I stink at math. That’s why I will buy a teacher’s manual or something else that tells me what to say, how to teach, and what the answers are. When my daughter gets older, if we are still HSing, I’ll get her a tutor if she needs one, because I sure won’t be teaching trig. Probably not even algebra. With some hand holding from the manuals I think I am up to multiplication and long division. While a tutor is an extra expense, its one that many parents of public and private school children have as well.

Yes, they CAN home school. They just think they can’t.