The American Heritage Dictionary describes presumptuous as “going beyond the limits of courtesy or appropriateness”. An example of a presumptuous act would be for me to attempt to teach a reading adult to read.
Homeschooling is a lot like being pregnant. It seems like everyone has an opinion about homeschooling your children and wants to share it with you. Whether they agree or disagree, many people are so presumptuous as to believe their input is not only valuable but also valued in their homeschool experience. They want to examine your program. They want to quiz your children. Your once isolated world suddenly becomes the “village” you never asked for.
Here are some things that presumptuous people do and say:
“There is an excellent private school down the street” one cashier once told me. “To cover the costs you can work at the school,” she added. When I replied ‘I am not interested in working with other people’s children, just mine” she got visibly agitated.
“The neighbor’s child is busy with his school work,” says another neighbor. “I really admire their dedication to education,” she says, (hint, hint), while eyeing my children who are outside playing. “To compete in the real world, children have to spend more time learning”, she ads. I am convinced this woman thinks my children only do their lessons when they feel like it. What she fails to understand is that my kids can do their schoolwork, and extra study time all before the neighbor’s child has lunch.
A person (who shall remain nameless) likes to give impromptu lessons. He might walk up to one of my children’s musical instruments and start playing and instructing. He may start spitting Spanish words at them. He might start talking about the law. My children stare at him blankly. It is not as if his information is not valuable, but it is usually neither the time nor the place, and the “lesson” is always out of context. How to you teach a child Spanish when you have no inkling of their prior knowledge? How do you try to add a random song to a child’s repertoire? How do you even put your mouth on a child’s instrument? As a public school teacher, he really should know better.
Sometimes I just want to say, “Mind your own business”!
(This essay is an exercise in vocabulary. I encourage you to pick a new word each day and have your children to write an essay. Choose the number of required words according to grade level, age, or ability. ) For more words of the day see: syncretism, autodidact, extreme and mediocrity and more.