Our First Foray Into Formals

One thing that seems to concern people about homeschooling is: "What about prom?"

Many people seem to think a prom is the highlight of high school and that four years of "traditional" schooling is a small price to pay for the chance to attend a formal dance.

Well, guess what?

I don't remember my prom being all that great of an experience. My boyfriend and I had just broken up and I wound up going to the prom with a guy I didn't particuarly like. He was probably a nice enough guy, but he wasn't who I wanted to be at the prom with. I knew plenty of other folks in the same boat. High school romances are not known for being long-term, and many of us were frantically searching for dates at the last minute.

I remember two main things about my prom

1. We danced for too long before we had our pictures taken and I'm sweaty and my hair is a mess in our official prom photo; and

2. Fending off my rather handsy date later in the evening.

Seriously, I can not tell you one other thing about my prom. I don't remember who else was there, what anyone wore (except me, and that's possibly because I have a photo) or what the theme of the prom was (in the photo we are standing next to a wishing well and one of the seven dwarfs - I suppose that's a clue, but it doesn't bring up any other images for me).

Add to that, the fact that I attended a number of fraternity formals in college, and (too many to count) formal balls as a military wife.

So, I really don't understand the idea that a high school prom is some grand life event that my kids will forever mourn having missed.

However, if you feel a high school prom must be in your child's future, guess what?

Homeschoolers have formal dances too.

Ben attended his first formal this weekend. A homeschooling family from our church arranged the entire thing. As Ben does not own a suit, tie, or a pair of dress shoes (or dress socks for that matter) this became a major shopping event for us.

Luckily, Kerry has a fabulous tie with matching suspenders which I knew would be a big hit when the guys started shedding their jackets as the evening went on.

I was right.

I stayed long enough to snap a few pictures. Here is Ben with some of his best friends.

This is the sort of prom I wish I'd had.

Rather than just stranding a bunch of teens in a room with music playing, this prom included some fun games and some dance instruction. They learned to do a line dance, a reel, and a waltz. Names were drawn out of a hat to provide partners for dances. No one had to try to work up the nerve to ask a girl to dance, and no one was left out.

There wasn't a single wall flower at this dance!

I believe Ben's enjoying being unsocialized.