A new school year has begun – I look forward to it every year. What I don’t look forward to is the start of “why aren’t they at school?” season for us homeschoolers. I have many, many answers for this question, but never really get to answer in the detail I want. If I had the time to truly sit down and explain our educational choices to every cashier, librarian, and stranger that asks that question it would go something like this:
My kids aren’t in school because they are learning everyday, right here with me. Homeschooling, especially at my kids’ young ages, is not difficult. It’s spending time together and taking the time to include them in daily tasks. It’s answering every “why?” question they throw at me as best I can and researching the ones I don’t know together. It’s slow mornings with time for snuggles and reading. It’s exploring different interests and getting the wiggles out when we need to. It’s taking advantage of better weather every chance we get. It’s learning colors, numbers, geography, and reading through games. It’s taking snack breaks when we feel like it. It’s going to the children’s museum on a random Tuesday and having all the exhibits to ourselves. We don’t homeschool out of fear or avoidance – I’m sure they’d survive and learn in public school just fine – we do it because of all we gain from keeping them home. It’s space to learn at their pace. It’s freedom to move the schedule when needed. It’s quality time together every chance we get. It’s learning everyday through life.
To further complicate explaining things, we don’t currently use curriculum. My kids would be 1st grade, Kinder, and Pre-K if they were enrolled. My eldest regularly reads chapter books, my middle is getting closer and closer to reading everyday, and my youngest is still just having fun. All three can count and the elder two can add and subtract. It works for us in this season of life, but I can recognize that most homeschoolers use curriculum by this point. That’s great – I fully believe in the right to choose how you run your family – life learning is just what currently works for us.
I often get asked if I really feel like they’re learning this way, and yes, I do. Here’s an example of learning through daily life: a few weeks ago, I talked my hubby into expanding the garden’s strawberry beds. While planning the addition, my kids and I discussed the sunburnt leaves, the directional rising and setting of the sun, and how the heat is highest in the afternoon. After brainstorming several options, my six-year old decided to shade map the garden, which led to finding a small patch of afternoon shade on the east side. The location was planned, the space measured, and lumber bought – all three kids were included in every step. My husband pulled the old boards off to place the extension, and a spur of the moment lesson on decomposition and soil layers was had – the straw and compost we’d used as bed filler had almost fully decomposed and we even found a worm from the worm bins – a lesson/activity we did when previously setting up the garden. Would it have been faster to do it without them? Of course. Would it have been less frustrating building it alone? Undoubtably. But in future years, am I going to regret taking the time to include them? Never, and that’s why they’re not in school.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: I went to a mix of private and public schools and loved them – no shade on either of those options! Serious shade on judging other people’s parenting choices. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. It might be about the dying art of inviting people to hangout or the importance of sensory rest as a mom. It could be a dumpling recipe if the weather ever cools down. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
