What should we call non-homeschooled kids?

[dragons in the flower bed]

I've seen so many terms. I'd like to settle on one. I'm not asking for general adoption on the boards, just what you'd like to see used. Whatever's popular might be the term I adopt.

[K&Rs Mom]

In my house, we call them outschooled. K came up with that about a year ago, and I really think it works because it covers those who attend public schools, private schools, charter schools (yes, I know they're public too), etc.

The buildings which hold them are called outschools, as in, "let's go to the outschool playground" on Saturdays.

[Cheryl in NM]

We just say "ps-ers". I doesn't sound quite right now though. :lol:

[Tarheel Heather]

Or, maybe, puggles. Kinda like the muggles in Harry Potter.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Or, maybe, puggles. Kinda like the muggles in Harry Potter.

:lol::lol::lol:

Or "pruggles," for the private schoolers. And "boarggles" for the boarders.

[Tarheel Heather]

:lol::lol::lol:

Or "pruggles," for the private schoolers. And "boarggles" for the boarders.

There could be a long line 'o "uggles".:D

[RebeccaC]

My boys call them unlucky :001_smile:

[nestof3]

I usually say public/private or institutionally schooled.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

My kids used the term "real school" a couple of times for a public school. Hello my dear children? What is it that we do here? Umm, we are just as real!:lol:

[Remudamom]

Not to offend anyone, but we refer to them as prisoners of the state.

[abbeyej]

My kids used the term "real school" a couple of times for a public school. Hello my dear children? What is it that we do here? Umm, we are just as real!:lol:

Roflol... I voted "public or private schooled", but we *do* use the term "real school" quite a bit around here. I have since I was a (home schooled) child! Yeah, it's pretty tongue-in-cheek... ;) But I find it sort of amusing. ;)

I'll also say "conventional school" or "traditional school" -- recognizing that I'm using those terms in a rather myopic (historically speaking) way.

[Cheryl in NM]

Not to offend anyone, but we refer to them as prisoners of the state.

:iagree::lol:

[JFS in IL]

My boys call them unlucky :001_smile:

Perfect! :001_smile:

I vote for this one!

[Jill, OK]

...I use the term 'traditionally schooled'.

In conversation, my kids and I say 'regular school' kids, lol.

[JFS in IL]

In special ed land we parents of special kids call the "regular" kids "neurotypical".
So why not coin a similar term for kids who do not homeschool: Edutypicals.

[Plaid Dad]

I know some kids who call them "schoolies." ;) Mostly we say "school kids." I do use the terms "institutional schooling" and "government-run schools" in writing.

[Jill, OK]

Roflol... we *do* use the term "real school" quite a bit around here.

You got me. I've used it, too. ;)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Hmmm. We just call them "kids".

If it's relavant, we say "kids who go to school."

I don't see a need to differentiate between the kids. Kids are kids, no matter where they learn. Why the need for a label?

[K&Rs Mom]

I don't see a need to differentiate between the kids. Kids are kids, no matter where they learn. Why the need for a label?

I use it to explain to my dc when we will go on vacation - as soon as the outschoolers are back in their cells. ;)

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Hmmm. We just call them "kids".

If it's relavant, we say "kids who go to school."

I don't see a need to differentiate between the kids. Kids are kids, no matter where they learn. Why the need for a label?

Oh, no, not to label them, per se. Just to refer to them. Like, "In our scout group we have a good mix of home schooled kids and puggles and pruggles. Everybody gets along famously."

Like that. :D

[Chris in CA]

Public or private schooled, seems like it makes the most sense

[Liza Q]

In conversation, my kids and I say 'regular school' kids, lol.

Us too!

[dragons in the flower bed]

Or, maybe, puggles. Kinda like the muggles in Harry Potter.

I like this a lot, but it makes me think of dogs. Maybe spuggles? Schooled Publicly/Privately Uggles?

[dragons in the flower bed]

In special ed land we parents of special kids call the "regular" kids "neurotypical".
So why not coin a similar term for kids who do not homeschool: Edutypicals.

That makes a lot of sense, but I'd like to see homeschooling become more typical, and I think over the whole spectrum of history and geography it hasn't been that uncommon.

[Colleen]

Public or private schooled, seems like it makes the most sense

I'd likely just say "kids in school" or, if I want to sound more formal, "kids who attend public school" or some such. I certainly wouldn't use a derogatory reference, as some have done in this thread. Just don't see the point in that.

[mom2abcd]

Hmmm. We just call them "kids".

If it's relavant, we say "kids who go to school."

I don't see a need to differentiate between the kids. Kids are kids, no matter where they learn. Why the need for a label?

I'm with Suzanne. Maybe I don't like labels. Or maybe many of the options suggested in the poll seem derogatory.

Many of us here have kids we educate at home and kids in traditional school systems as well, whether those are public or private. If "The Hive Mind" wants to come up with a label, I suggest it not have negative connotations. JMHO.

[LaMere Academy]

I refer to them as public schooled kids or government schooled kids

[dragons in the flower bed]

I'm with Suzanne. Maybe I don't like labels. Or maybe many of the options suggested in the poll seem derogatory.

I put more options in the poll than I could then think of choices for, so I put a few tongue in cheek ones in. I didn't think anyone would actually choose those. And I myself have a kid who will be in public school next year.

I don't want to label them just so I always know who is educated where, but because sometimes it's relevant to the conversation. As in, our young friend M is the only pruggle in our group and he feels like the odd one out, or, I've got three homeschoolers and two pruggles, or, I'm a pruggle and I turned out all right, or, that contest is for pruggles only. It's just that "publicly or private schooled children" is such a long and ungraceful term to type.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

But, that's what I'm saying. I would say, "In our Scout troup, we have a good mix of homeschoolers and kids who go to school."

I guess it just doesn't come up in my conversation. It took some thought to come up with "kids who go to school" because I usually don't have a need to differentiate. I'm still not sure, though, of the difference between the above scenario, and the old scenario which required language like, "In our Scout troup, we have a good mix of white children and colored chilidren." It wouldn't occur to me to say either sentence.

This is probably a bit harsh, but I really see any sort of differentiation as prejudice. What I mean is, when does it matter? We know that there are good and bad apples both in the homeschooling world and the institutional school world. Making comparisons or contrasts are always anecdotal. So, when are such statements, differentiating the children based on how they're being educated, necessary? And, what message are we teaching our children when we talk this way? It seems to me that any such statement could be taken as an insult. :o)

Feel free to ignore me. I'm not really looking for a debate. I'm just throwing out an alternative point of view.
Suzanne

[Mandamom]

to public/private school kids as Group Schooled.

[Colleen]

I put a few tongue in cheek ones in. I didn't think anyone would actually choose those.

I got that, but given that those last three choices have garnered 15% of the votes, I kinda wonder if people are choosing those in earnest or what...

[*anj*]

So why not coin a similar term for kids who do not homeschool: Edutypicals.

Oooooh, I like that one!;)

[Mom to Aly]

Or, maybe, puggles. Kinda like the muggles in Harry Potter.

:iagree: I LIVE PUGGLES!!!! Great idea!!

We usually call them non-homeschoolers, because we don't really know what they are, except that. But I think we are switching to Puggles, starting today :D

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I use "regular school" to describe the school. But, I don't think I've ever said "regular schooled kids" to describe the kids. I have probably said "kids who go to regular school", or "kids who go to school".

[Jumping In Puddles]

My husband and I refer to them as g-schoolers and the public school as the g-school. G meaning government.

We don't use it as a derogatory. It may come up in conversation such as "if we send the kids to the g-school they should be at grade level" or "no, our son can't go because Fire Safety Town is only for the g-schoolers."
:)

[DB in NJ]

Welp, I was gonna say muggles :lol:

I grew up in a row home in Philly. We had a TON of kids in the neighborhood. You went to either the Catholic school or the Public school. We were known as the Catholics and the Publics ;)

But now we have public school, homeschool, Christian school, Catholic school kids in our neighborhood. I think we'll just start referring to the rest of them as _uggles. :D

[ncmomo3]

Dh has become quite fond of referring to them 'gov't schools' and I somehow just seem to say 'regular school kids'.

[melissaL]

I voted wards of the state:lol:

just as a joke.

I don't call them anything

[Michelle T]

I'm with Suzanne. Maybe I don't like labels. Or maybe many of the options suggested in the poll seem derogatory.

Many of us here have kids we educate at home and kids in traditional school systems as well, whether those are public or private. If "The Hive Mind" wants to come up with a label, I suggest it not have negative connotations. JMHO.


I never thought of having a label or special term. I would just say kids who go to PS, I guess. We have lots of PS friends, probably more than HS friends. Never been a problem for us. I hope they aren't coming up with derogatory labels for my son based on where he schools.
Michelle T

[Caroline]

I have to say that these choices really sting. I have read many things on this board about public school that I didn't let bother me. But that someone felt the need to refer to my kids as not so bright...

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I never thought of having a label or special term. I would just say kids who go to PS, I guess. We have lots of PS friends, probably more than HS friends. Never been a problem for us. I hope they aren't coming up with derogatory labels for my son based on where he schools.
Michelle T

I guess I look at it this way -- we call homeschoolers "homeschoolers." I think dragonsitfb was looking for a shorthand, easy way to consistently refer to "students not being schooled at home" for her OWN use. And some of us were being a little lighthearted.

My kids are either in boarding school or (in a month -- yikes!) public school, so I'm being lighthearted from the other side of fence with my laughing about "pruggles," "puggles," and "boarggles."

I like the term "traditionally schooled," but like Abbey, it does have an inherently myopic view.

[Spy Car]

I have to say that these choices really sting. I have read many things on this board about public school that I didn't let bother me. But that someone felt the need to refer to my kids as not so bright...

I refer to children who attend school as "school-children".

And I agree with Caroline that children ought not be disparaged based on where they receive their educations. I'm sure enough people here have been stung by comments about "home-schoolers" that there's an awareness that such comments are "hateful".

And what is hateful to us....?

Bill

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

But, that's what I'm saying. I would say, "In our Scout troup, we have a good mix of homeschoolers and kids who go to school."

I guess it just doesn't come up in my conversation. It took some thought to come up with "kids who go to school" because I usually don't have a need to differentiate. I'm still not sure, though, of the difference between the above scenario, and the old scenario which required language like, "In our Scout troup, we have a good mix of white children and colored chilidren." It wouldn't occur to me to say either sentence.

This is probably a bit harsh, but I really see any sort of differentiation as prejudice. What I mean is, when does it matter? We know that there are good and bad apples both in the homeschooling world and the institutional school world. Making comparisons or contrasts are always anecdotal. So, when are such statements, differentiating the children based on how they're being educated, necessary? And, what message are we teaching our children when we talk this way? It seems to me that any such statement could be taken as an insult. :o)

Feel free to ignore me. I'm not really looking for a debate. I'm just throwing out an alternative point of view.
Suzanne

LOL, no I know what you mean, but you know how sometimes on the board someone asks, "Should I find a boy scout troop that only has homeschoolers?" And sometimes you need to write, "Well, we have a good mix of homeschoolers and [this is what dragons in the flowerbed is trying to find, the word to fit here that she can adopt as her "word"], and they get along great!"

You just use it in conversation. It may be that she will adopt the words "kids who go to school" or something that simple. She is, I think, looking for simple. But just as an easy reference, because she hasn't put enough thought into a term and now maybe sees a need for a stand-by for her vocabulary. She isn't trying to find one for the board, or anything, just for herself. She's wondering what other people say when *they* refer to not-homeschooled- kids. What is our "default" term, in other words.

Does that make any sense at all?

I think I was being silly just because parts of the poll made me (as a no longer homeschooling parent) laugh.

[JWSJ]

My boys call them unlucky :001_smile:

That's what my son calls them too.

He has been told by his baseball team that he is very lucky to be homeschooled.

Guess they don't like regular school.

[LaMere Academy]

I never thought of having a label or special term. I would just say kids who go to PS, I guess. We have lots of PS friends, probably more than HS friends. Never been a problem for us. I hope they aren't coming up with derogatory labels for my son based on where he schools.
Michelle T
I don't see it as really labeling. Just a way to describe how they are educated. Like my kids have friends who are homeschooled and friends who are public schooled. Like some people are tall and some are short. Just a way of describing them when the need arises. Such as "well the public schooled kids are out of school today."

[klmama]

Of the choices in your poll, I prefer the one about public and private school students, but when I want to distinguish them from homeschoolers, I say "traditionally schooled."

[dragons in the flower bed]

I have to say that these choices really sting. I have read many things on this board about public school that I didn't let bother me. But that someone felt the need to refer to my kids as not so bright...

Well, I refer to our child who will be in public school, and our child who was in public school (and is now in college), as not so bright, AND I refer to our homeschooled kids as not so bright, and our kid who is too young for any kind of schooling . . . So it's equal opportunity with the insults around here.

That was a joke!

Frankly, I find it silly that anyone would be insulted by a need to differentiate between the homeschooled and the otherwise schooled. Should we give up the word homeschooled, too, so no one can discriminate against us?

It does come up in context an awful lot in my real life, as does race, socioeconomic class and s*xual orientation. If I gave up all of the words that define those things, how would I talk my way to workable solutions regarding the value differences that exist between myself (raised well off) and my partner (raised in generational poverty)? How would I know who to ask out? Can you really expect me to recognize someone I'm meeting at an airport if you are forbidden from describing his skin tone? It seems like you're making out words that describe differences as inherently evil, or at least only useful for bad purposes. But there are many different reasons to differentiate between the children of one educational system and the children of another, and they do not all involve negative discrimination or judgement.

[Alphabetika]

My dd's call them victims. (tongue in cheek, sorta)

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

We just call them school kids or kids who go to school.

I wonder what they called everyone when the shift was the other way?

Before the public school system what were the kids at home called and once schools began what were the kids at school called?

Any historians of education in our midst?

[Holly IN]

My oldest says they are wards of state. I say public schooled mainly to people but think wards of state.

Holly

[Peela]

We just call them "schooled" or "schoolkids", in everyday conversation.

[Soph the vet]

How about federally indoctrinated?

[kailuamom]

Or, maybe, puggles. Kinda like the muggles in Harry Potter.


:001_smile: Love it! lol I will have to tell that one to my kids.

[Lolly]

Not to offend anyone, but we refer to them as prisoners of the state.

I like this one best. The high schools here have chain link fencing topped with barbed-wire! My kids thought it WAS a prison when they were little.

[elegantlion]

As a phrase we use "traditional classroom". As students we say those kids who must wear shoes and sit still all day. We do neither in our classroom. :tongue_smilie:

[LaMere Academy]

I like this one best. The high schools here have chain link fencing topped with barbed-wire! My kids thought it WAS a prison when they were little.

fences like that here too. It is scary.

[ravengal]

As a mom of two dd's who went to ps last year, I find the entire premise of this thread offensive. When my kids were homeschooled, I encouraged them to be respectful of people who made different choices than we did.

Honestly, this arrogance toward "others" on the part of homeschoolers seems to be much worse than what we've seen in the public school community. Sigh........

[6packofun]

...

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

As a mom of two dd's who went to ps last year, I find the entire premise of this thread offensive. When my kids were homeschooled, I encouraged them to be respectful of people who made different choices than we did.

Honestly, this arrogance toward "others" on the part of homeschoolers seems to be much worse than what we've seen in the public school community. Sigh........

Wait, what?

My kids go to traditional schools. Dragons wanted to know how other people refer to non-homeschooled students. Some of us told her what our term was, some of us got silly as we are wont to do on this board.

How is the premise of the thread offensive? And how can having a term to use for non-homeschoolers that is a little less unwieldy than "non-homeschooler" be disrespectful? The OP has a kid who attends a public school. (I'm assuming she likes this kid.) I truly don't understand how you are arriving at this conclusion.

[Spy Car]

Wait, what?

My kids go to traditional schools. Dragons wanted to know how other people refer to non-homeschooled students. Some of us told her what our term was, some of us got silly as we are wont to do on this board.

How is the premise of the thread offensive? And how can having a term to use for non-homeschoolers that is a little less unwieldy than "non-homeschooler" be disrespectful? The OP has a kid who attends a public school. (I'm assuming she likes this kid.) I truly don't understand how you are arriving at this conclusion.


Pam, I'd hate to cross "flaming swords of moderation" with you, and I've no doubt that your intention and that of the OP is for this to be just a bit of "light-hearted humor". I understand this.

That said, I doubt anyone home-schooling their children would take kindly to finding their children described in terms similar to those included in the poll (or some of the comments added by subsequent posters). Many of the attributions have been quite insulting IMO.

I try to be a "good-humored" fellow, and not one who's "overly-sensitive", but I see how some of the comments here could be hurtful to others. So the thread, and many of the comments made don't pass this man's "Golden Rule" test.

And my "gut-feeling" that this kind of talk is amiss is reinforced when board members express that their feelings have been hurt.

I'm pretty new to the forums, and so perhaps I've not "earned the right" to say it, but I think "we" could do better.

Bill (who feels "school-children" serves quite nicely)

[Tracey in TX]

We call them "friends" that go to ps/private school. They'll all be together whether it's outside playing, sports fields, college, or the work force. Why be divisive? Hope my children appreciate their current education, but value friendships outside their current educational realm.

[Jen3boys]

We tend to just refer to the specific school the kids go to, because we usually know (or can guess) where they go. So we'd say, "The kids that go to Maple Street Elementary.." etc. We've got all kinds of schools in our area--public, private, Christian private, charter, magnet, homeschool, montessori, and more.

[Trivium Academy]

We just say, "they GO to school". My dd7 is so cute, she will proudly tell anyone, "I'm homeschooled, my mom teaches me." I love when it comes from her because there is less fuss, they usually ask her if she likes it and she responds, "I love it, we learn about a lot of different things and I get to spend a lot of time with my mom." Isn't that a wonderful answer? I'm always glad when she is approached with the question instead of me, lately I've been getting the, "what's wrong with our excellent school system?" Lol.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Pam, I'd hate to cross "flaming swords of moderation" with you, and I've no doubt that your intention and that of the OP is for this to be just a bit of "light-hearted humor". I understand this.

That said, I doubt anyone home-schooling their children would take kindly to finding their children described in terms similar to those included in the poll (or some of the comments added by subsequent posters). Many of the attributions have been quite insulting IMO.

I try to be a "good-humored" fellow, and not one who's "overly-sensitive", but I see how some of the comments here could be hurtful to others. So the thread, and many of the comments made don't pass this man's "Golden Rule" test.

And my "gut-feeling" that this kind of talk is amiss is reinforced when board members express that their feelings have been hurt.

I'm pretty new to the forums, and so perhaps I've not "earned the right" to say it, but I think "we" could do better.

Bill (who feels "school-children" serves quite nicely)

(The joke is that I actually don't have a sword, and I'm soooo not moderate!)

I was actually just referring to the *premise* of the thread. But you are right about the fact that if some people feel hurt, I should not minimize that.

Pam

[Mamasteff]

Government schooled, private schooled, homeschooled - or I prefer "Independently schooled."

This does come up a lot - when we are out and about with family members who think and say negative things about homeschoolers being "weirdoes" or "unsocialized" (yes Spy Car, many of us find our children described in similar insulting terms to those lighthearted choices on the poll). I like to point out to my anti-homeschool sister and parents all the homeschooled friends we see out there at (church, the library, walking down the street, at the farmer's market, at soccer practice, etc.).

Interestingly, most of my students in the online public charter school and their parents refer to themselves as "homeschooled." Legally they are not homeschooled, they are public school students... but it is easier for most outsiders to understand the shorthand than to try to explain the whole kit and caboodle.

(and it continues to amuse me that of all places, THIS site continues to tell me that the word "homeschooled" is not recognized in its dictionaries!) We have a few miles to go still.

[Sugarfoot]

I heard a speaker at a convention say that her family used the term, "gone-schoolers," so that's what we call them now, too, as in "they are gone from home for school."

As a funny aside, my DD once yelled out of the van window to a bunch of kids at recess, "Hello, school-mates! I like your cage!" The playground was fenced, she was really young, and she just "said what she saw," with no understanding whatsoever of why we don't want to imply that schoolchildren are in a cage. Subtlety and semantics will not be this child's strengths.:)

[ravengal]

Pam "SFSOM" in TN:

I disagree with the premise of the thread because I don't think we need to concern ourselves with labeling other people's children, especially in "humorously" derisive terms.

[Spy Car]

(The joke is that I actually don't have a sword, and I'm soooo not moderate!)

I was actually just referring to the *premise* of the thread. But you are right about the fact that if some people feel hurt, I should not minimize that.

Pam


I'm soooo disappointed you don't actually have a flaming sword :D

And did I mention that I really like your good spirit?!!! :001_smile:

Bill

[Robin in Tx]

I, too, winced when I read the options...

And I just wanna know who voted "the competition"? Were they serious?

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Pam "SFSOM" in TN:

I disagree with the premise of the thread because I don't think we need to concern ourselves with labeling other people's children, especially in "humorously" derisive terms.

This is why I keep posting -- the OP isn't looking for a label, even though she (to the consternation of some) included what she thought were options so ridiculously over-the-top that no one would take them seriously on the poll. Some did choose them as options, and I guess some people think or thought those were seriously meant.

She's looking for a word to use when referring, kindly and with all due honor, to people who don't school their kids at home. Like people might want a shorthand term for, I dunno, stay-at-home parents. Housewives/husbands? Full-time parents? Domestic engineers? We had a chat awhile back about how to spell "homeschooler." Those who used the term "home schooler" or hypenated it to "home-schooler" were not being derisive. They were just telling how they spelled it.

My kids, btw, were or are boarding school students or, at times, public school students. So my own contributions were intended as humorous but, unless I've got a secret self-hate thing going that I don't know about, in no way derisive. I love and honor my kids, whichever schooling situation they find themselves utilizing.

I'm so sorry that you felt that this thread or some of its more irreverent participants (meaning *me*) made you feel uncomfortable. And I promise this is my last post unless someone asks me something. And I imagine that's pretty unlikely! :001_smile:

[Robin in Tx]

Pam, I understood the op's premise because I read her actual post... it explains it all. I did wince at the last few options, but I didn't think any of the more playful responses were intentionally derogatory. Not at all. No consternation here... just a little "ouching" at a few of the suggestions :).

The only question I still have, which you probably can't answer :), is who on earth selected "the competition" and were they serious? LOL

[Rosie_0801]

SCAers refer to everyone else (and their own real lives) as "mundanes." I tend to think of non-homeschoolers that way too.
Rosie