Homeschooling Ignorance

 Just when I thought I have heard it all with homeschooling. I have finally got the most bizarre and rudest comment I have ever encountered during my years of homeschooling.

First of all to set up the scene of the waiting room at Bug's therapy at  the hospital. On one side of the waiting room is a group of chairs with a television and magazines. I call it the adult side. The other side is set up for children. It has its own TV, play house, child size table and chairs, toys, and coloring books. Chairs for adults are also on the children's side. I always sit on the children's side. Usually, I do school work at the kids table.We are the first appointment of the day and don't usually have any other kids around. I turn off the TV when we work on schoolwork.

 At therapy this week when Bug was in her therapy session Little Man and me are working on a telling time workbook. Nothing hard and I let him keep the TV cartoons on while we are sitting in the adult chairs in the children's area. A man comes in that was in his mid 50's, loud voice, I found out a little raunchy, and he asserted himself into everyone's conversation whether you wanted him to or not.

Anyways he sits himself next to Little Man. The conversation goes something like this:

Man - "looks like you have summer school to do."
Man - "I didn't know that you can take summer school home with you."
Man - "Either that or your mom is a slave driver and gives you no play time."
Little Man -"No sir, I am not doing summer school."
Man - "I knew it! Your mom is just no fun and a slave driver" "How old are you?" and "What school do you go to?"

This man was talking so fast and I was hoping he would go away. I kept having my son go to the next question-hint hint man go away!

Little Man - Proudly states, "I go to Ha Melech Yeladim homeschool sir." I loved his manners-it made mom proud.

Here is the question that made my mouth drop! Remember my son is sitting right next to him.

Man to mom - "Mom he must be slow or dumb if you homeschool him." " I guess you can teach dumb kids better at home."

This man is totally clueless as how rude and inconsiderate it was for my son to hear all this. My poor son is staring wide eyed at me. I would of probably told him off if my son wasn't sitting next to me. I was getting angry!

Mom - "Sir, my son is not dumb or slow." "In fact my son is above average for his grade and peers." ( I couldn't resist -not something I usually do) For your information- "People don't homeschool for that reason" "Obviously you do not know anything about homeschooling" I politely told him some facts about homeschooling.

He still didn't get the hint as we are trying to finish our workbook. He kept talking to Little Man and to me!

Then a little girl came in with a wheelchair and sat on the adult side. The man walks over to the other side and sits next to the mom and tells the little girl. "I sure do feel sorry for you being in a wheelchair." Bless that moms heart as she handled him with dignity considering his stupidity.

Another mom he told her that her daughter was rude and rebellious. Which was unfair because he doesn't know that this girl has disabilities that effect her behavior. She choose to ignore him completely which added to his mouth going even more. Some comment about mom and child alike.

Pretty much everyone who walked in got a dose of him. Then the worst part is this man he is scheduled at the same time for the next few weeks! I guess he was an hour early for his appointment and they moved his appointment to first appointment for the following weeks. Maybe he will be ushered into his appointment next week before his mouth gets going. If not I may state my concerns to the staff that I know so well after years of seeing the same faces and they love me any ways.