How to identify homeschool families

It used to be a lesser-practiced means of education, but homeschooling is growing in popularity. More and more families are choosing to teach their children at home, even though they "appear" to be normal. Here are ways you can spot them:

Go to children's hot spots (the library, the pool, the museum) during the least-busy times. The families there are probably homeschooling.

Notice a family vacationing in September? Yep. Homeschoolers.

That mom who is shopping with a whole troop of children at one in the afternoon? She teaches them at home.

The child who is articulate and polite with adults, and who seems happy and willing to play with other children regardless of their age? Homeschooling allowed them to escape the age-ism that is an accidental bi-product of institutional schools.

The family at the cattle auction at eleven a.m. on a Wednesday? They homeschool as well, not that you wouldn't have guessed it anyway when you saw the nine-year-old was taking notes.

They seem just like every other family you know, but they sure do keep a weird schedule! You will see them everywhere: stores, offices, parks, recreation centers, restaurants, banks, post offices...at meetings, on hikes, in volunteer positions, on committees. Before you know it, you realize they *are* completely normal. And maybe a lot like you.