Let your kid act up in public and you can be sure that some supposedly well-meaning (irritating) citizen will comment on how you can't control your child. Maybe it's because people just need their daily dose of schadenfreude. Maybe it's that they've seen so many monstrously-behaved kids.Homeschool kids (and parents) seem to come under heavier criticism (at least back when when I was homeschooling). Homeschoolers tend to take their children with them more often. And let's face it, by homeschooling we're saying we're better fit to teach our kids than anyone else. We've set ourselves up on pedestals to some extent. Should people expect that our kids will be better behaved? I think they do. I think we do owe it to society to keep our kids in line.
Having said that, I'll be the first to admit that corralling a naughty kid, homeschooled or otherwise ain't easy. Short of gagging and hog-tying, a parent can't force an unruly child into submission. The ground work has to be done within the family. Children have to learn self-control. The best way is to do this is to teach kids how emotions work and how to manage them. Here are tools and feeling-facts for kids (and parents who love them). Teaching kids to understand and express emotions safely
