Living in a rural area is different.
For me, anyway.

Everybody knows everybody's news-
good and bad.

Your "stuff" is just out there for all to see....
and discuss, of course.

So, we're "the homeschoolers".
The ones with the scarlet "H" on our foreheads.

Thankfully, my kids have a wonderful reputation in the area.

(Local store owner said to me:
"Your kids are all so nice, and smart, and well-mannered. You sure they're yours?
Because we goof often, I gave the mature response and stuck out my tongue.)

Once in awhile, another family will try homeschooling for a bit.
Not often but it happens.
Never lasts for long...

So that gives everyone a chance to discuss homeschooling with me when I'm out and about.
Because they know of a family that homeschools, they are quite knowledgeable about it.

So yesterday while I was at the post office, a reference to a homeschool family came up that wasn't positive.
The implication being that we were the exceptions...

And it hit me.

When kids have parents that don't care, will any educational method will work?

So I asked that.

And a great discussion ensued.

I say "great" because we both were thinking.
A lot.
And the truth is that the kids that are in public schools who have parents that don't care, don't do well in public school.
And the kids whose parents are claiming homeschooling because the parents are "too lazy" to put them in school don't do well.

And it's not about the educational choice.

And everyone knows my nearest neighbors. They're the ones that are always screaming and cussing at their kids. Both parents have been arrested a few times. And their kids are in public school. And the littlest one flunked kindergarten and first grade. So he's in second grade and "should" be in fourth. Has the schooling they've chosen failed those kids?

Or have the parents?

I'm just sayin'....