Although I have been homeschooling for 2 1/2 years, I still have to defend/explain our choice to family and friends. It has been particularly challenging now that my daughter is "starting high school". Family members constantly bombard me with concerns about her socialization and her missing opportunities to participate in afterschool sports and clubs. Even though I tell them that she can get those opportunities outside the public high school, they just don't seem to be satisfied.
Today I had to defend what I have been teaching my daughter. While baking with grandma, my daughter had difficulty answering a question that involved mental math. Grandma told me that my daughter should be in a class with other kids so that she can learn how to solve real-world math problems. I told grandma that daughter was not unique in her weakness of solving math problems mentally and that grandma can continue to guide my daughter through solving real-world math problems. (Grandma is trying to do whatever she can to try to convince me that daughter needs to be with others her age.)
I am seeking strategies that I can use in my defense so that I can continue to spend time with relatives and not just avoid them.