If you haven't heard by now, we dove into the world of homeschooling this year. The year has flown and I've been asked at least a 1/2 dozen times how it's REALLY going by those I'm closer too. It's a fair question.
So, let's get real. I've certainly posted a lot of pictures of our new adventure and, yes, they generally show the "positive's".
There's a saying out there that that a families third year of homeschooling is the "sweet spot" - the year you've finally found you're groove. I can totally see why. This first year has been a year of navigation - learning what works, what's a disaster, how much is too much, how little is too little, etc, etc.
Despite the rough moments, I can honestly say we have no regrets and this is the school path our family will be on - at least for now.
So, here's my feedback, on our experience, thus far...
Freedom of homework & endless projects. Oh. My. Word. This is AWESOME. Our life was CONSUMED with these things - times four! The arguing, the tears, the fights - they are GONE. Now, don't get me wrong - each kid has had their moment with any given subject at any given moment. Oh, I could tell you stories, especially in those early days of finding our day-to-day groove. Even now, each wild thing has days that they're more "on" or "off"...and of course they're never all "off" on the same day, so I might get four straight days of a different wild thing having a wildly unsuccessful day! Oh, those are interesting weeks! Yet, we're learning to recognize the root of the issue and switch things up.
Less stress. I didn't realize how stressed ALL of us had become until we were actually a few months into homeschooling. This has been especially true for me. It's interesting - we did trade one set of stress for another set of stress, but the stress we have now is on our time and that makes a world of difference.
It's been a learning process and as I've gotten more comfortable with homeschooling, I've learned to let go of a LOT. The best example I can think of is math - it is NOT my thing. This area SCARED ME TO DEATH, but I didn't want it to be the sole reason why I didn't at least give homeschooling a try. There was a period of trial error and we explored four math curriculum's, but we finally found one that works for us. When a wild thing gets stumped, they make a note and Rob reviews and teaches at night. There are nights that Rob can't help right away - maybe even two-three nights in a row, so it's sidelined and addressed when proper time can be given. Of course, this required me "letting go" of daily expectations - the fear that they might get behind. Yet the opposite happened. Savannah will finish BOTH 3rd and 4th grade math this year and Greg and Jeremy have remained right on track.
Family time. The freedom of homework has led to significantly more family time - playing games, to watching a fun TV show together, to having me read countless chapter books aloud, we're spending quality time together and it's showing in each of our relationships.
Travel. While there were numerous reasons why we opted to give home school a try, traveling was definitely at the top of the list. From day trips to vacations that are roughtly 7-10 days, we've had the opportunity to see and do more that we ever set out to do! Yes, "learning" has been a part of nearly all these trips, but it has been FUN LEARNING! I've also discovered that if I start off the week with a field trip or outdoor activity, they're significantly more focused on days that are spent at home, in a more structured learning environment.
Illness. It was a horrendous year of illness in our country and while we weren't immune, it touched us mildly and gently - especially my girl. Savannah was averaging a month or more of absence yearly, prior to being home schooled, yet she hasn't had one of her 105 fever spells in almost a year. And, to be completely transparent, she is the one wild thing who'd say she's split 50/50 about home school vs. traditional school. She enjoys home school and has found a groove, but she's a social gal and can truly thrive in any academic setting. Despite this reality, she's had her best year of health and she's rested - she's the 1st one to bed at night and typically the last one to rise, rarely coming downstairs before 9 AM. I am pulling the "mom card" at this point and doubt she'll return to traditional school until after her next heart surgery, considering how positive it has been for her health.
Time and Patience. We have so much more time and patience to teach the "life" stuff we were rushing through. Rob and I would often just end up doing things our self, since there always seemed to be a time crunch.
Now, for the areas we're still fine tuning...
Laundry. I've got all the tools to do laundry, now it's just finding chunks of time to actually do it. I had a well-oiled laundry routine prior to homeschooling, but that ship sailed the moment I had my wild things around the house 24/7. Some weeks are better than others...and sometimes laundry is the lesson for an entire day...GO HOME EC!
Me Time. I love my wild things. Now I'm with them all the time...this is great and this is exhausting. This area of my life is under construction. I need me time. I need date time with Rob. I need time with my girlfriends. Feel free to call or text me...I love a few hours here and there to reconnect, catch up AND not talk about homeschooling (or even special needs)! Trust me when I say I want to hear about YOUR life! Yet, since I am homeschooling, staying connected with those who mean the world to me takes deliberate effort.
Extracurricular's. My goodness, our community has a LOT of homeschooling families! It's fantastic to have so much support and endless activities, but we could literally be out and about daily doing some type of home school activity. Rob and I and our wild things are learning to balance activities, academic goals, what they really enjoy doing - both individually and as a group, etc. It's no easy feat - especially with a family our size!
Judgement. Overall, family, friends and acquaintances have been supportive of our endeavor. Neither Rob or I are out for the approval of anyone, but lets be real, everyone likes to be supported in their decisions. This is a tricky area. I've heard that when I post too many pics of our home school life, I'm really trying to convince myself that it's really working (& it is really working, but not why I post pics...just excited to share, like any proud mama), others think I'm judging them for not homeschooling, while others love to see our adventures. Just can't win. Home school isn't for everyone. Heck, it may only be for our family for a period of time. I NEVER EVER thought we'd be a home school family, yet here we are, enjoying it completely, for this seaosn.
I didn't write this piece to say home school is the best way, but rather to share what it looks like for us and what we've learned so far. Every family is unique and has it's individual needs. I've met so many families and the reasons why they home school varies vastly. I know one mom who's currently homeschooling for very specific reasons, but they will return to traditional school this fall, as that's what's best for THEM.
As we begin to wrap our first year, I am amazed at all that God has done for our family. We took a leap of faith - and it was scary!
So, my response to anyone to anyone who asks, "How's homeschool REALLY going??"...
It's going REALLY well. I have NO idea what the next year will bring, let alone the next 5+. As I reflect back on the past couple of years and my children's education, it's nothing like I originally envisioned - it's better and that's because we've put God in COMPLETE control of it all.