Interesting...

Why do I always feel like I have to defend the choices that our family has made in what we believe is the best interest of our children?  Why do I really care what other people think?  Any why do I think of the best comebacks hours or days later?

The other day I was talking to someone and they brought up the decision that we have made to homeschool Elizabeth.  The comment that was made was that this person didn't think that Elizabeth was really doing much studying.

My response?  Yes, she is.  She's doing great and is working on this and this and this and is on track in these areas and blah blah blah...and I'm not worried about it.  She's doing fine and up to date with her class in school.

The response to that?  Well, I'm worried about it.

Now that my feathers have smoothed, and I have thought a little more about it, this is what I wish that I had said:

With all due respect, if you are worried about her education, you can feel free to volunteer to contribute to her learning at any time.  I have expressed my interest in your contributions to her education more than once, and the invitation remains open.  I understand your concern for her, and I appreciate your thoughts.  However, your doubting her learning merely because she is not in a school setting indicates that you feel that she was learning more important things at a quicker pace than she is at home.  Based on what I know from multiple visits to her previous school and chats with her teachers, the principal and peers, and comparing that with the activities that she is participating in and the studies she is involved in now, I do not believe that this supposition is true. But your opinion is important to me.  Thank you for sharing.

Or, the conversation could go like this:

Other person:  I don't think that Elizabeth is doing much studying.

Me:  Hm.  You don't?  Well, that's interesting.  I do, but then I'm the one who sees her everyday, so I guess I have more first-hand information.

Either way, I just have to remember that the choices that we make for our family are just that:  choices that WE prayerfully made for OUR family. 

And that's the bottom line.