I got mistaken for a homeschooler today

[Caroline]

We were at the pool. My little people were working on their Kumon workbooks during adult swim, and my older two were reading. DS9 was reading the kids version of a Michael Pollen book, and my rising sophomore was reading his AP World History summer reading. I was swimming laps. A woman asked me if we homeschooled, when I got out of the pool. I said no, that the older three went to public school and the youngest had two more years of preschool. (I cannot believe that #3 is starting kindergarten this year. I swear she was born yesterday!)

Another mom then asked me about the Kumon learning center. I didn't even know such a thing existed. I just thought the workbooks looked like fun when I was in Learning Express the other day.

[Rosie_0801]

Well you were all engaged in very suspicious behaviour!

:tongue_smilie:
Rosie

[MBM]

This year I witnessed an elderly man give a mom the third degree at Panera because he suspected she was homeschooling. It turns out the mother had taken her son to an appointment and had stopped to grab a quick bite. The man then went on to explain how his daughter teaches and...blah, blah, blah...homeschooling is bad.

I feel sorry for homeschoolers who have to experience tirades like that.

We have two Kumon centers in our suburb of about 30,000. One is about a block away from us, and I've had to give directions to drivers at least a dozen times. It's popular here!

[mich311e]

Well you were all engaged in very suspicious behaviour!

:tongue_smilie:
Rosie


:iagree: hehe

[Caroline]

Well you were all engaged in very suspicious behaviour!

:tongue_smilie:
Rosie

We were, weren't we? I am the only mom who has wet hair at the pool, too, so we are a little strange.

[Shari]

Workbooks at the pool!?! Mean Mom! Mean Mom! :lol::lol:

[Katrina J]

We were, weren't we? I am the only mom who has wet hair at the pool, too, so we are a little strange.

Yes, I think I was more impressed with the bit about you swimming while the kids all sat out patiently than what they were actually doing.

[TracyR]

Yes, there are Kumon Learning Centers. The closest one to me is 100 miles away in Pittsburgh. LOL.
We have Sylvan and one other one calle Reading Lessons or something like that.

I probably would of came up and asked too. Just because its the only way for us to meet other homeschoolers in our area. We don't have a co-op or any other 'homeschooling' thing to meet others.
Maybe they homeschooled as well?

[i.love.lucy]

We were, weren't we? I am the only mom who has wet hair at the pool, too, so we are a little strange.
:smilielol5:Me too!!!!! That totally made me crack up because I have so many friends I go to the pool with who either don't get in (hello, it's 104!) or they just soak a minute or doggie paddle around. Guess I'm a weirdo...I LOVE to swim!

And my kids read at the pool too. But I am one of them weirdo homeschoolers...:tongue_smilie:

I do also love to get out, all chilled down, and bake in the sun a while.:blush: It's way more relaxing to me than a massage.

[~Summer~]

Well you were all engaged in very suspicious behaviour!

:tongue_smilie:
Rosie

LOL

[Teachin'Mine]

We were, weren't we? I am the only mom who has wet hair at the pool, too, so we are a little strange.

You mean you SWIM at the pool?!!! :lol:

[yellowperch]

This is a spin off but I wanted to jump in and say I get my hair wet, too. But I have never had my kids wait for ME while I've gone for a swim. A lovely thought, that one.

Our university pool was closed for a while (flood damage)but is now open. I took my kids (one sat it out because he's in a good book and the diving boards are closed) in for a swim. It was the first real swim for the baby (7 months). I had my independent swimming (and so very bold and scary) almost 4 yo, my 6 yo and my 8 yo. in the pool. All was fine and we were having a grand time with the baby, until two 8-10 yo girls who were poor swimmers got in. They were all over the baby, the other kids and generally trying to have fun but in a pesky sort of way. Their moms were reading books by the pool.

Playing with the baby while tracking mr. cowabunger-almost \-4, and trying to fend off these (probably very nice) girls was a bit nerve-wracking. (It was the first time with my youngest. I know it will get easier in time.)Four children in a pool is enough, I wanted to tell those other moms.

I do aspire to being one of those sideline moms someday. Maybe sometime around 2028.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I'm another weirdo who actually swims at the pool. Most of the other mommies just stand at the edge and chat with each other while not really paying attention to their children. Thank goodness for all the life guards at our pool! Our community pool is like a water park with slides and a lazy river and a whirlpool. It's s much fun, I don't know why more adults can't enjoy it!

That is awesome that your kiddos were all reading and working by the pool. Sounds like a perfect day! (Except for the person not minding own business!)

[MBM]

Our pool is very busy, and even though numerous teen-aged lifeguards watch the swimmers, I've preferred watching my kids from the sidelines. The more eyes on them, the better.

A friend of mine doesn't swim because she went through a nasty bout of melanoma. She prefers to stay covered and on the side, too.

Another friend has skin reactions to the chemicals if she goes in.

Another friend has a huge scar on her lower right leg from the time it was burned when she was five. She doesn't like the questions, comments and pointing from others. She has to keep it covered because her skin can not protect itself and wears long jeans to the pool! LOL.

I don't mean to quibble, but people do have legitimate reasons for not going in the pool. I enjoy sitting on the sidelines, listening to the good music and watching everyone else have fun. :)

[jubulibee]

I go in because I can hide my body more easily IN the pool than OUT of the pool!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Our pool is very busy, and even though numerous teen-aged lifeguards watch the swimmers, I've preferred watching my kids from the sidelines. The more eyes on them, the better.

A friend of mine doesn't swim because she went through a nasty bout of melanoma. She prefers to stay covered and on the side, too.

Another friend has skin reactions to the chemicals if she goes in.

Another friend has a huge scar on her lower right leg from the time it was burned when she was five. She doesn't like the questions, comments and pointing from others. She has to keep it covered because her skin can not protect itself and wears long jeans to the pool! LOL.

I don't mean to quibble, but people do have legitimate reasons for not going in the pool. I enjoy sitting on the sidelines, listening to the good music and watching everyone else have fun. :)



These do sound like legitimate reasons, but in my snooty neighborhood, the moms stand around in their designer bathing suits and designer sunglasses with their spray tans and jewelry and talk amongst themselves in their pre-established cliques. It's all about being seen and not really anything to do with the act of swimming. Such a waste of good splashing time IMHO! :lol:

[MBM]

These do sound like legitimate reasons, but in my snooty neighborhood, the moms stand around in their designer bathing suits and designer sunglasses with their spray tans and jewelry and talk amongst themselves in their pre-established cliques. It's all about being seen and not really anything to do with the act of swimming. Such a waste of good splashing time IMHO! :lol:

Sounds like the Desperate Housewives! LOL!

[jade]

I am thoroughly enjoying the conversation about moms who swim at the pool. Sometimes I feel odd because I am the only mom who swims. We have fun splashing around in the water, occasionally working on strokes -- plus it's great exercise.

The legitimate reasons that some moms don't swim are good for me to remember. On a few rare occasions, I don't get in the water either. So I should not complain too much.

What bugs me is seeing lots of women who could probably benefit from the exercise that happens with just a little movement in the pool. If you have the opportunity for exercise, why do so many women not just do it? I sometimes think it sets a bad example to kids if mom don't get wet a little -- plus it's amazingly fun and cooling!

And I've noticed that dads usually don't sit on the sidelines reading -- they at least get in for awhile, splash around with the kids, and then take a break to read.

Oh well, thanks for sharing and listening.

[WordGirl]

Until 6 months ago, I was a homeschooler, and my behaviors aren't much different now that I'm a PS parent. I still consider what I'm doing now a form of homeschooling, though I wouldn't call it that per se.

On the mom-swimming issue—I went on the waterslide this weekend!

[Caroline]

Until 6 months ago, I was a homeschooler, and my behaviors aren't much different now that I'm a PS parent. I still consider what I'm doing now a form of homeschooling, though I wouldn't call it that per se.

On the mom-swimming issue—I went on the waterslide this weekend!

It has been years since I went on waterslide. I might have to find one at the beach next month. My 70 yo dad just told me that he and his friends went down the waterslide on their cruise ship last fall. It was a dare, and the person who originated the dare didn't show.

[clane]

I was a homeschool mom until I enrolled all of us in school last fall. Luckily our homeschool friends still consider us "honorary homeschoolers" and plan activities so we can attend in the afternoons.

I swim at the pool too. Guess I'm *really* a freak ;)