Yesterday, Harry and I were in the supermarket doing the weekly shop. When we got to the checkout, Harry said, “Is this going to be a lot?” I said, “Probably.” He said, “How much do you think? I think £72.” I said (ever hopeful) I didn’t think it would be that much.

The cashier was chatty and after she’d asked Harry about his glasses and the toys he had with him, she asked if he was looking forward to the summer holidays. Harry glanced at me and just said, “Yes.” When we first started home educating, Harry never knew what to say when people asked him about school and he always let me answer for him, but recently he’s been saying, simply, “I’m homeschooled” and leaving the inevitable follow-up questions to me.

The cashier then asked, “What year are you in at school?” and again Harry looked at me, so I said, “He doesn’t go to school. He’s home educated.” The cashier seemed very interested and asked lots of questions (and said she didn’t know that was allowed). She asked Harry if he likes it and he said, “It’s like the summer holidays all the time.”

By then, she’d finished putting everything through and she said, “£72.04.” Harry and I burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe it. I told her that he’d guessed it would total exactly that. She said, “Were you adding it up on the way round?” Harry said, “No, I just guessed.” She said, “Wow. Your mum must teach you really well!” I laughed and said, “I don’t really teach him at all. He just guessed. But I can’t believe he got it so close!” She said, “So homeschool must be better than real school, eh?”

As we walked back to the car I told Harry that the next time the woman hears anything about home education (if she does, since she hadn’t so far), she’ll think about the boy she met who’d added up the cost of everything in the trolley. Even though he hadn’t.