Have you ever noticed that the ones who contribute the most negativity and controversy to the Homeschooling issue are those who've NEVER tried it? They're from the same lot who tell you how to raise your kids even though they've got none of their own. Friends, relatives, and complete strangers, who yell across the street: "Why the hell isn't she in school?" (I'm quoting here. She probably learned that language in public school.)

Anyway, included in this week's column are the most emotional/common arguments this lot came up with, and the common sense I used to counter their objections.

WARNING: These come-backs are not for the weak-hearted. Let's face it, home-schooling parents, because we TAKE back the responsibility of educating our children, we do tend to step on some toes (on both feet it seems like.)

TIP: Save the counter-arguments for who seriously want to know your position. Don't bother with the idiots who think their way is the only way. I never bother with this kind. I just let them rant and rave while giving them my backside.

1. The Social Issue

You can come at this one from 2 angles: How will your children get the time they need with kids their own age? and How will they learn to get along with other people?

Right off, it's been my experience that young children LOVE to spend time with their parents. They love that attention. You'd be surprised at how many do have a problem with that. But the kids don't complain when we golf, vacation, camp, worship, bum, shop, play football, (volleyball, baseball, board games, or whatever) work, go to the theater (flea market, fishing, library, or wherever), tour Texas, do music fests, picnic, eat, and much more together.

And since we are together so much of the time, aren't we learning each others' tastes, likes and dislikes; thereby, learning to get along with each other? This first step of the social ladder is not insignificant. Sometimes getting along with family is the hardest of all.

Step two includes the responsibility of having friends over for the day or over night. Then, we all pitch in to make sure the guest has a good time.

(Yes, all this is obvious and practically the same ritual for those in public school. But are we surprised at the restrictions idiocy places on people?)

Step three, and the most important, of the social plan.

We will NOT leave it up to some snot-nosed second grader, who pulls legs off grasshoppers (whose got problems of his own) or the teen whose only concern is the mirror and getting those designer, high-tops for prom night to teach our kids how to get along with other people!

Our children will observe US, my husband and I, in every day exchanges, tense confrontations, and dangerous situations. Because of our accumulated years of experience, we know how to handle these a lot better than the 6th grader skipping class to pop a few drags off a cigarette.

2. Now, have you heard this one? You are not certified.

I admit this one boggles my mind, not because I'm stumped, but because of its lack of substance. Let's reason this out logically.

Certified! What is certified? and Certified to do what?

NOTE: I'm NOT attacking teachers here. I have great respect for those who teach without bias or favoritism. I'm vehemently attacking policy.

Teachers becomes certified after a rigorous program of education. Because of years of book learning, this then, theoretically qualifies and gives them permission to enter the classroom to teach your child.

The State gives teachers a mandatory curriculum, complete with lesson plans, day-to-day schedules, and the answer books. They are also given a certain amount of time to accomplish all that's in the lesson.

If some kids are slower, don't understand, are ill and miss a lesson, or WANT to learn, the teachers are restricted from trying other options.

On the other hand, I don't need to be certified to follow a lesson plan, I'm intelligent enough to read the same books from which my kids learn. AND I can lay my hands some good answer books.

I can quickly run through what's easy for my students, and take more time for the hard stuff. AND, none of my students fail. Can a teacher with 30 children in one class carry this guarantee?

3. What about college?

To this I ask: How would a homemaker, out of school for 10 years, go about attending the college of her choice? She does her research. She buys books with the college tests and procedures in them, writes to various colleges to find out what their requirements are, takes tests to prove she's intelligent enough to be educated. With the help of parents, a home-schooler can do the same.

4. The next group of arguments come from the parents themselves.

It's too much trouble. I can't control my kid. I don't have the time. I don't have the patience. I work all day. I'm afraid of the law.

True, homeschooling is not for everyone. It's a mind set really. We all can comprehend the tremendous sacrifice involved. Sometimes it means living a simpler life, (a one-income household), putting certain interests on hold (if you can't incorporate them in your homeschooling program), improvising (making your own drawing tablets and games and stuff instead of buying them), tight scheduling (to get all the other work done), and of course, the amount of time needed to educate your children.

But to me, it took more patience to stay up until midnight to help my boy with the 12 pages of history he had for the day's assignment, than assisting him when he just couldn't understand dividing fractions. It took more patience dropping my 2 sons off at a dreary classroom, than setting up class every day in a sun-filled, dining room.

Whatever sacrifice my husband and I made was worth EVERY second, EVERY penny. All four of our offspring are well-adjusted, young adults, which means they're great fun. I know, it sounds like a page pulled from a fairy tale when I tell you we've got perfect kids. But, hey, it happens.