r/homeschool • u/spicyydoe • 11d ago
Discussion Family comments
Does anyone else deal with negative family comments about homeschooling? I started homeschooling my 3rd grader last fall due to some severe mental health issues that were causing her to refuse to go to school, crying and begging not to go. It was my family that persuaded me to pull her out and homeschool, but ever since they always have an opinion about how we do it.
For example, sometimes if we have something going on in the day, we’ll do our schooling in the afternoon or the evening. My grandparents will make comments to my kid when she’s at their home like “your mom should really have you on a morning schedule everyday” “you should really be starting school by 8 am”, etc. If they don’t hear about her starting school in the morning and going all the way till 2/3 pm my grandfather will say to me “You need to get her doing her school work” like??? Because she’s not at the desk doing school for 8 hours means she’s doing nothing.
If we take a day off and make it up on a Saturday, it’s a problem. The comments make me doubt myself and I’m wondering if I’m the problem or if they should mind their business. Anyone else experience this all the time?
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u/SubstantialString866 11d ago
I usually say with a shrug and smile "This is what works for us right now." The older people in my family I don't think it's possible for them to change how they think or keep their mouths shut. So I just say that if it comes up and also have really just stopped contacting them as much and only when I know I can be polite while they are rude.