Experienced The "Back To School" Madness...For The First Time

Today my wife suggested we go shorts shopping. I've needed to go shorts shopping for a few years now (you know how guys are...). And because of the Back to School sales, we thought we'd find some deals.

We found deals, all right.

We also saw the craziness that is "Back to School Shopping."

While I looked for shorts in my size, while I waited for a dressing room to open up, while we stood in line to check out, I realized something--this may be the first time I've gone Back to School shopping since I attended public school.

You may be thinking that this isn't that unusual. I mean, a lot of guys don't take their kids shopping for school clothes. Admittedly, I saw fewer dads shopping with their kids than moms, but consider this:

We have four kids, the oldest is 22, the youngest just became a teenager. That's a lot of time with kids  in school. But, we homeschool so when everyone else is searching high and low for super deals on clothes, backpacks, pencils, and Trapper Keepers (my age is showing...), my kids are already in school, sitting in our front room in their sweats (in the winter...) and shorts and t-shirts (in the summer...). We just don't do "Back to School."

My wife and I went to only one store today. I got two pairs of shorts (killer deals, by the way...) and we picked up some leggings for my daughter. We were done, but all those haggard parents and bored kids were most likely not. They probably had miles to go before they slept, or stopped.

Over the years people have asked us questions about homeschooling. We've answered them many times concerning why we do it. After today, I can add "Avoid the Back to School Madness" to my list of things reasons why.