Nothing in common with other home ed parents

[Loonyloopylupin]

My 8 YO DS is home educated and is absolutely thriving both academically and socially (he has both home educated friends and schooled friends). Very happy with that.

However I have one major issue in that I have literally nothing in common with almost any other home educating parents I've met. I don't know if this is partly due to the area I live in but, of the parents I know, several are anti vaxx and into alternative medicine, and even those who aren't anti vaxxers are into things like "sound healing" and things that (to me) are utterly cringe making like "healing circles". At the last home ed meet up I went to where parents attended they all sang songs together and it was honestly like my worst nightmare (lighthearted obviously). I hate anything like that. I don't even like yoga classes that are too hippy (like the prenatal yoga class I recently attended that told me to breathe the golden light in - vomit).

Anyway, I'm not particularly asking for advice as my son is happy and thriving which is the main thing, and I have plenty of friends myself, but do any other home educators feel this way?

[Loonyloopylupin]

He's 8. The other kids are universally very sweet, it's the parents who are the issue.

And he has friends who go to school as well.

[Loonyloopylupin]

As long as I feel, and he feels, that it's working for him.

He has ASD and school didn't work for him for a multitude of reasons.

[Loonyloopylupin]

Yes a couple but I suspect they all think I'm a bit alternative for home educating.

Which is ironic really as I'm very much not 😅

[Loonyloopylupin]

They do loads of sport actually. Plenty of time outside. My DS does tennis and rugby.

[Loonyloopylupin]

Maybe some will but you can already see that some are going to go another way.

We do a lot of Science (my DS is really into it), and a couple of his friends really love joining us for experiments etc as they don't get to do that sort of thing with their own parents.

[BestZebbie]

We've found that there are several different 'tribes' of Home Edders and each group tends to naturally get taken over by one or the other.
You seem to be describing one common form of 'lifestyle' Home Edders there, you might find other groups (perhaps a forest school with largely SEN families, or a set of Home Ed science lessons at the zoo/museum) are totally different culturally.

[Loonyloopylupin]

@BestZebbie

We've found that there are several different 'tribes' of Home Edders and each group tends to naturally get taken over by one or the other.
You seem to be describing one common form of 'lifestyle' Home Edders there, you might find other groups (perhaps a forest school with largely SEN families, or a set of Home Ed science lessons at the zoo/museum) are totally different culturally.

I'm really struggling to find any if I'm honest. Our area (Bristol) is generally quite alternative so I think that type are heavily over represented.

I think a lot of SEN parents in the community are more like me, but their kids tend not to be as social as DS, so they aren't always consistently at groups, understandably.

[DysmalRadius]

There definitely is a contingent of home ed parents that are like this but most of the families I've met are pretty 'normal' as it were. What area are you in? Are you actively seeking out other groups etc to broaden your circle a bit? Or organising something yourself to meet a more diverse group - maybe something a bit more STEM based that would encourage more scientific types?

[LovelaceBiggWither]

I kept encountering fundamentalist Christian families. That was difficult some days.

[Loonyloopylupin]

@DysmalRadius

There definitely is a contingent of home ed parents that are like this but most of the families I've met are pretty 'normal' as it were. What area are you in? Are you actively seeking out other groups etc to broaden your circle a bit? Or organising something yourself to meet a more diverse group - maybe something a bit more STEM based that would encourage more scientific types?

Bristol. I want to post something on my local group along these lines but my son's friend's parents are on there so I can't really.

I am in the process of setting up a Science club so maybe that will attract different types of people.

[Icedlatteplease]

There will be normal ones.... they just avoid the home Ed groups

[Sittingtoolong]

My DDs are adults but we home ed too. We found the same as you did, OP. I think a lot of them were very alternative, and anti- school. I wasn't anti school at all. It just wasn't working for our family. Interestingly one of my children has recently been diagnosed with autism, and the rest of us do certainly have traits, but not sought diagnoses as we're not impacted the way she is.
It sounds like you and DS are doing really well. Like you, we had other friends who were more on our wavelength so it wasn't ever a problem being around more 'woo' people some of the time. It was also pre social media so there weren't the conspiracy theories on the same way. We could have done with some of the online support that is now available though, so swings and roundabout.
Just to add to the chorus of 'you're not alone'!

[Sittingtoolong]

I cross posted with @Icedlatteplease but I agree

[Loonyloopylupin]

@Icedlatteplease

There will be normal ones.... they just avoid the home Ed groups

I don't know how to find them!!

[DontBeAPrickDarren]

Aaah Bristol. That explains everything 😁

[Loonyloopylupin]

@DontBeAPrickDarren

Aaah Bristol. That explains everything 😁

Doesn't it just!

I love it here but it is very lentil weavy.