Lessons Learned and Joys Discovered

Hello Everyone!

Did you know that the number of homeschooling families has doubled in recent years? Just like ours, many have embarked on this unexpected but rewarding journey. As December rolls in, I’m finally sitting down to share our own homeschooling adventure with you.

It has been a complete whirlwind! Last night I mentioned to my oldest that winter break was almost here and she suddenly looked worried and said, “wait, it’s going so fast!”. I feel every bit of that too! It is going so fast, but as they say, “time flies when you are having fun!” right? These first few months of homeschool kindergarten have been a huge learning curve (Curve, with a capital C!), but we are definitely enjoying the ride. I am learning so much, and I know there is so much more to figure out. One of the biggest lessons I am learning is to trust myself (a not so easy task!). The amount of resources is vast and really, just overwhelming. As I am figuring out what works for us I keep reminding myself that flexibility is the name of the game around here. Has it been perfect? Absolutely not! There have been tears (from all), there has been stress (oh, boy learning to deeeeep breath) and I am the first to send a few humorous IG reels to friends about survival at home with two under the age of 6, but I also wouldn’t trade any of it! And that’s the honest truth.

So, why homeschool again?

Last Spring, as pre-school was coming to an end, my husband and I decided to try our hand at homeschooling. The announcement that we were choosing to homeschool came as a big surprise to our family and friends. Honestly, it was a surprise to me too. After all, both my husband and I were traditionally educated and don’t have anyone in our circle who was homeschooled. On top of that, we are both classroom teachers! This made the decision seem impossible. Yet, this last one, was one of the reasons we came to the decision to homeschool, we see both sides of the traditional classroom now and for our family homeschool became the right one. Yes, at first, we felt disingenuous but we have learned and we understand that our decision to homeschool is not a dig at the brick and mortar school system. As teachers at public school, we know the value we provide. But this is what is so wonderful…choices. There are so many more choices than when we were growing up.

In a very short time, not only has our family life changed, the world has changed. The school system is not the same as when my husband and I started teaching and it is definitely not the same as when we were students. There are so many more options and we talk all the time about how unique each of our children are, the one size fits all approach wasn’t going to work for us. The more research we did, the more we became comfortable with our decision. Now, 4 months into it, we are VERY comfortable. We still some questioning looks and “why???” when we tell people, however, the old stigmas surrounding homeschool kids have changed and the questioning has turned more into, “that’s awesome!”.

Setting Up the Homeschool Environment

At first, I found it so important to establish a “classroom”, we even cleared out the garage and made a specific space. Looking back, I think this space was more for me. As a classroom teacher, I needed the formality of a classroom. But, I found myself struggling with the space and getting frustrated. The problem was I was trying to embrace the flexibility of homeschool while also forcing the formality of a traditional classroom. It wasn’t working for us. Yes, she would go in there with me at sit at the little desk and complete work. But, it felt so forced. I had to stop and recall why I wanted to homeschool in the first place. At the kindergarten level, I wanted more play and more exploration. So, our garage classroom has quickly become a playroom for both girls. Where we did “school” quickly didn’t matter as much. We were able to settle into our own routine. Though the formal classroom wasn’t working, we found routine is still so important. We start each day setting our learning intention, writing out our list of to-dos and posting it on the chalk board. We then set out to complete our activities…sometimes in the living room, sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in the car…

Our learning time now includes much more outdoor time. We bought a pass to our local nature center/ hiking trails and established our “outdoor classroom”. We visit our outdoor classroom at least once a week. We have been map reading, counting the animals we see, drawing numbers in the dirt, learning about the seasons and so much more. During our first visit, we got some unexpected rain. Oh boy, she was not happy! My girl does not like to get wet! (unexpectedly). Insert “let’s be flexible” lesson! We found a tree that provided some great cover and she relaxed a bit and then realized she could really draw in the dirt, because now it was mud!

We use the garage classroom for the “messy learning” (play doh, crafts, etc) and really, we learn so much in the car and out and about together! This week, we learned to skip count by tens on the way to pick up sister from preschool. Its’ funny, but there is a ton of direct learning on those drives together.

Hybrid School

Ever since we announced our decision to homeschool, we’ve discovered a fantastic hybrid school close to our home, a blend that’s just right for our family. Our kindergartener attends the brick-and-mortar school for two days each week, which allows me to maintain my part-time job while she enjoys valuable time with her peers. I often find myself wishing there were more schools like this one! We’re fortunate to have this option within reach.

The days she spends at school are bustling with activities – more than I could ever dream of providing at home. And yes, while our homeschool days are rewarding, they can be a lot of work. There are moments when I’m overwhelmed by the prep required for a brief lesson. But then there are those heartwarming days that make it all worthwhile. Just last week, as I mentioned it was a school night, she beamed and said, ‘I don’t have school tomorrow, it’s you and me time!’ That moment just melted my heart.

Support System

The charter program was the best decision for us as a new homeschooling family. There are an incredible amount of resources online for homeschooling families now, but it all became so overwhelming. One of the appeals of homeschool was the flexibility and the personalization of the learning environment/ curriculum. This naturally makes the advice that is shared widely varied. This is where our charter school came in. We enrolled in the iLead Exploration program. The program allows us to select our own curriculum and run our own program, what we were looking for by choosing homeschool, but also completes regular check in’s to make sure we are on track. We have a fantastic education facilitator who is able to answer all my questions and share resources.

I am learning that the key to a successful support system is building connections, actively participating in our community, and being open to both giving and receiving support. Every homeschooling journey is unique, and a strong support system can make it more enjoyable and fulfilling. We are so fortunate to have grandparents that are close and on board as well. Our daughters are both involved in several extra-curricular activities and the sense of community is building that is based on the needs of our family. We have not once felt like we were missing out on what the local public school was offering.

So Much to Celebrate

It’s so natural to doubt yourself, especially the first time doing something like this. Too often I found myself asking, ‘Is she keeping up? Is she learning everything she should be?’. The answer is yes! And the real trick is NOT to compare to others all the time. Yes, have metrics, have goals, but be on your own journey. A few weeks ago I was in one my my self doubt spirals when I was listening to some other moms talk about their various experiences at the local brick and mortar schools. One mom was talking about how her child was doing so much formal work and she was concerned that there wasn’t enough “fun” in the kinder class. She was assured by her child’s teacher that the work was to ensure the students are “advanced”. I asked what her child was learning, and as she described what her child was completing as homework, I smiled inside. My kiddo, while not at the same reading level as hers (her kiddo can do simple phonics reading….mine is still figuring out the alphabet), is able to complete a lot of the same tasks without the reading part….and I know we are having fun. Okay, so she can’t read yet….YET! But she can do so much and that’s where we are today! Homeschooling allows us to take the time we need to learn in the way that works for our girls.

It’s crucial to acknowledge that while homeschooling can be an incredibly rewarding choice for numerous families, it may not be the perfect fit for everyone. The decision to homeschool is deeply personal and hinges on a multitude of factors. We’re approaching this journey one year at a time, and I’m eager to share our progress along the way!

Cheers,

Lauren