I have to laugh at many of the stereotypes of us homeschoolers.  I love the one that we all have long hair (I do, lol), and the denim jumper is classic (I don't own one).  How about the one about our poor, *unsocialized* children?  Makes you shake your head, huh?  Like we never allow our kids out of the house long enough to see other kids.  Why, just a month ago, I let Deuce watch a couple of kids playing ball out back.  Oh, don't worry, I didn't let him *interact* with them, but I did want him to see other kids *socialize*, hoping he'd learn something.  (And for those that didn't realize it, that was COMPLETELY toungue-in-cheek).

Seriously, though, most pople have some sort of opinion of *all* or *most* homeschoolers, not always based on actually meeting and chatting with real homechoolers.  I read an interesting one earlier today, about us "white upper-middle-class moms not wanting our children to socialize with kids of diverse backgrounds".  I've heard that one a hundred times, and once I stop laughing about the 'upper' middle class part (you should've seen me scrambling to the bank to get $5 in my account so that I didn't bounce a check today...  I wish I was *upper* middle class), I just find it sad that people can actually believe that homeschoolers lack diversity. 

I live in a village that is mostly white and mostly middle/upper middle class.  If my children went to the local school, they wouldn't find the major diversity that non-homeschoolers think we should send our kids to school for.  Instead, my kids and I volunteer our time to help out people that aren't as fortunate as we are.  They interact with and realize that people are people, no matter their circumstances. 

Do you know what really happens to *poor* children in school?  Didn't you go to school?  When I was growing up, the poor kids got made fun of for not having the right shoes, the right brand of jeans and not having a pager (am I showing my age?  lol).  I don't want my children spending so much time with same age kids that they start thinking that it is normal to choose your friends based on what they wear (or, how much money they have) rather than *who* they are.

What about the one that 'homeschool moms are controlled by their husbands'?  Stop laughing.  People seriously think that about us.  Now, raise your hands and tell me, how many of you were *told* by your husband that you *will* homeschool no matter what?  Heck, my husband was not for it in the beginning at all, but he told me to do what I want.  Now, he realizes that it is the best way for our family.  People make the mistake in *assuming* that because we are at *home* (or, shopping, or at the library, or at the post office, or...  anything that doesn't involve us going to work every day) all day, we have no say in how our life goes.   My husband works 60 hours a week, I handle all the money, I drive the nicer of the two vehicles, I do what I want all day every day, and I am controlled how???  If this is being *controlled*, then I am quite happy to be, LOL.  Isn't it funny that the same liberal sect that is for a *woman's right to choose* gets so angry and put off when we *choose* to be home with our children?

I have two other *favorite* myths that I seem to hear a lot, and they condradict each other, LOL.  Last week I was told by one mom, "Oh, I could never homeschool Nick.  He's too social to keep home."  That cracked me up, because just the night before I was told by another mom that she 'has to enroll her 5 year old in school, because she is too shy.  She figures that school will *cure* shyness.  LOL, ummmm...  I don't know about you, but we had plenty of shy kids in my school an they weren't *cured* by public school.  Heck, school might've made the whole thing worse, they way that they were treated by other kids.   

I guess that as long as people choose to take our choice to homeschool personally (as though we are saying that they are bad parents for not homeschooling), there will continue to be *wonderful* myths made up about us.  Look at it this way-  at least the myths give us something to laugh at with each other, LOL.