Why Don't I Fit In With Homeschoolers?

We've just come back from our first swimming lesson.
It was with a local homeschooling group.
I do not do well with homeschooling groups.
Actually, I question my sanity when I am with homeschooling groups.
I question a whole lot of things when I am with homeschooling groups.

I am ranting - yes I know. I am about to make huge generalisations here - yes, I know that too.

I think I am a friendly person. I don't have any trouble saying hello to a stranger, and striking up a conversation. But when I am with homeschooling people I suddenly feel like a fish out of water. If my child has a temper tantrum (and my baby did today because she wanted to walk into the pool and I wouldn't let her), I suddenly have a million eyes looking at me, and because I've been around homeschooling people for a very long time, I know exactly what they are thinking.

I had to take one of my children to the toilet, and when we came back our seat was taken. Ok. No big deal. We'll just move down here a bit where there's a space. Good. We only took up half of the little bench. Along comes homeschooling mother number 1 with her to-the-ankles-skirt, and her hair tied up in a very tight bun on her head. She said, "Could you move down to the other end of the bench. This is where we are sitting." Ok. Wasn't aware there were names on the seats. Wasn't aware that we were still in primary school, either! I had no idea the seats were owned by you! Then she sits down and starts talking to homeschooling mother #2 all about her anaesthetic that she recently had, and every single little detail about it, and how she slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw, and what she thought and....... give me a break.
And what about the poor swimming teacher, who was late in starting because she was waiting for the other 6 children enrolled in the homeschooling swim class to turn up. They never did. The class of 3 went ahead without them.
And what did I think of the two young homeschooling boys who were in the lobby throwing their wet swimming bags at each other and running around unsupervised? Well, I know what the receptionist thought - and it probably wasn't nice.

These are not the sort of people I want to be socialising with. My children either.

I'm a snob. I think. I'm certainly a snob when I'm with homeschoolers of a certain type. All the nice homeschoolers that I know, and are friendly with, do not like homeschooling groups. What does that mean? What does that say about me, and them?

It is sad, but I actually prefer my non-christian, go-to-school, never-in-their-wildest-dreams-would-they-ever-have-considered-homeschooling friends.

I am disillusioned with New Zealand homeschooling. I am disillusioned with New Zealand homeschooling families. I let my kids watch cartoons. I let my daughter wear shorts and jeans. I even let her do ballet and play netball. And oh my goodness me - she has a bathing suit on! My son watches MacGyver! He even plays tennis! And my other son plays Soccer! Sometimes we don't go to church on Sunday. Sometimes we even eat sugar. And most of the time we just have plain jam sandwiches for lunch and not muffins or soup.

We are seriously thinking of putting our children into our little local country school. The kids I know who go there are nice. They are normal. They are polite. They have nice friends. Their mothers are friendly. That's what I want for me and my children.
My daughter might wear a bathing suit and like Barbie, and my baby might have the odd temper tantrum, and my sons might like guns and cartoons and sports, but I know for sure that they are polite. They love God, they know the difference between right and wrong (they know it - doesn't mean they'll always choose it). They respect adults. They obey their teachers. They are friendly and smart and interesting. 6 years of homeschooling might have helped them to become like this, but I am not convinced that it is the best thing for them for the next 6 years.
We'll see.
But school is looking more and more attractive.