I find it really hard to understand people who can't hear what you are telling them. There's this woman in our local supermarket who has, to date, said 'no school today' on three separate occasions and been completely unable to conceive that NP doesn't go. How many times do I have to field the same question and get bullshit in return? It's like she's reading a script and can't deviate. The interaction generally goes like this:
"No school today?"
"No, she doesn't go"
"Is she poorly?"
"No, she doesn't go to school"
"Are you poorly?"
"Are you off work today"
"....Mmm"
One time I *thought* she had understood, because she said:
"Oh, what's wrong with her then?"
But perhaps this was along the "off school ill" track rather than the "you must have a problem child" track like I assumed.
I find it so difficult when people do this to me. I like to be honest, I also like to meet social nicety-requirements. I don't think I can do both of these with this person. My brain diverts to 'unknown response' when people refuse to acknowledge what they hear, and want to carry on with the narrative they have in their minds. It's so uncomfortable having to correct someone, but equally uncomfortable to deny our reality. I am at the point of dreading the moment we reach the checkout and she is the only one available.
We shop at 8.30am, getting in at the least busy time which benefits us both emotionally. I am not willing to shop at other times for the benefit of stopping other people from feeling uncomfortable about our Home Educating weirdness.
So what's my conclusion to this situation? I'm not going to stop taking my daughter to the supermarket with me; there are so many *educational opportunities* there.
Like seeing the difficulties people have in interpreting information from their own eyes and ears.
Reason 231 for Home Educating: learning that people are different to you.
