The decision is yours, not some stranger’s
No matter why you made the decision to homeschool, there are bound to be people in your life who will question the decision. In some cases these parent preachers put forth so many contrary reasons why you shouldn’t be taking this step that you may begin to doubt yourself. The truth is that there is no parenting manual that gets handed out when you give birth to a child. We all stumble down the path as best we can, hoping to do well by our children.
If they aren’t family, they don’t matter
There is no need to bow down to the opinion of anyone who is not a part of your immediate family. If they are not affected on a daily basis by your plans to homeschool, then they really do not have any right to an opinion. No one is better qualified than someone else to be a parent and no one has the right to judge your life and your decisions. Everyone has the right to live their lives the way they want to as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.
Let it roll off your back, it’s not important
The criticism of parent preachers is simply to be endured. Think of how easily a duck lets water roll off its back, and imagine yourself mentally doing the same with all their well meaning advice. It is not important enough of an issue to get into a disagreement with anyone. It is your choice and you made it after considerable deliberation. What someone else, who is not even related to you, thinks is of no importance in the scheme of things.
Stay polite but be firm
If you lose your temper, it just adds fuel to fire. It is a whole lot better to stay polite and let them have their say. Then thank them for the advice and firmly lead your own way out. Just because you have a contrary opinion is no reason for you to share it with them and create animosity. Leave them with their thoughts and clear out of their way. Then proceed to do what ever it is that you have chosen to do.
