Sunday, January 25, 2015

My Homeschooling Heart

Yes, we are homeschoolers.




I realized that I've not written about it too often, honestly because I felt I had nothing to offer on the subject. I'm ever so slowly learning that that's just not true. I can't, or more accurately won't, offer advice, or give you how to's, or show you how organized and together we are because that's just not it. Yet, I'm not self-deprecating enough to show you how tragic everyday is and how we rarely get anything done, because that's not our truth either- What I can offer is honesty. My truth on our decision and the reality that lies there in.

I chose to homeschool for many reasons. The main and most important to me, being that I wanted to protect them. I fully realize that everyone is not wholly onboard with that ideal, but for Kaleb and I- our goal was to let them be kids. To retain a semblance of innocence and wonder, for as long as possible. We had a heart that yearned for them to be outdoors, exploring nature and driving creativity- our home and lifestyle is perfectly set up for this avenue of schooling. 

Life is just good here on the farm for a kid. There is much room to frolic and play, and imagination is thick. There is much for us to do as a family whether that be hiking and fishing, chopping firewood or caring for animals. It was a massive help and influence that there is a very large and very supportive homeschooling community where we live, also we were lucky enough to watch my sister in law, already finding her way with her own kiddos, so I got to see first hand the joys and adventures that can be fostered there.

Like everything else in my life, this was not a direction I would have ever foreseen in my future. Before I had these beautiful wilds I was positive they would go to school and I'm quite sure I thought homeschoolers were slightly weird, but as soon as my first little one was in my arms, I knew. Homeschooling just made sense- for our family, for our way of life and it has been a decision that I have never regretted.

There are times when the absolute gravity of this decision hits me. When I realize that these beautiful spirit's education  lies entirely in my hands, and it's a very sobering reality. There are beautiful days that are fun and smooth and easy, and  there are  ugly days when I want to pull my hair out and scream. 

The most difficult part for me has been trying to find what works for us. There are A LOT of opinions and suggestions from wannabe helpful mothers, and it can prove to be quite overwhelming and sometimes greatly disheartening. I have had the most trouble trying to work within the confines of a curriculum. My brain simply finds no creativity there. If I have it I feel I MUST do exactly, everything they tell me. I find no room in my head or our schedules for artistic pursuits and shear joy. At this place in my kiddos education I feel that fostering a love for learning should be my first and utmost priority. So I have been wading my way thru many a plan and an assortment of ideas and learning styles, trying to find what fits. A big factor for me has been putting any and all pride aside, being freely willing to admit when it's not working, and throw it all out and start anew.

I have a picture in my head of what I want our time together to look like- filled with crafts, hands on activities, projects and fun. Unfortunately this requires an extensive amount of researching, planning, time, organization and know how. Right now, I once again find myself in a reworking phase, yet I truly believe the greatest thing I could do would be to just let myself off the hook. Trust that it's going to be ok, realize that I can't get this time back, so just enjoy it.  

I have absolutely no idea how long we will continue. I take it one day, one week, one year at a time. If we come upon a time when this no longer suits us, then we will move on to something else. Any thinking too far ahead into the future makes it far too scary, but day by day it is very doable. If perhaps you are even considering homeschooing I would say yes! I do, I love it. I love being with them, I love being able to watch them grasp new concepts, getting to be a part of their education is  beautifully inspiring. Yet, I would tell you that you must find your own way. Every mom does it differently and each families goals for the day is different. Go into it with no expectations, don't complicate it, and open yourself up to new ideas and intriguing tactics. It's an outlet that has the power to be something truly amazing, if you let it. A journey that can strengthen and seal bonds, one filled with hilarious tales, sweet memories and unforgettable moments.




If you have any suggestions or advice- please, lead on! On the other side, if you have any specific questions about our day or plans or are in need of some homeschooling encouragement, definitely contact me and I will give it my best go. 




28 comments :

  1. This is such an interesting post! I wasn't home schooled and I cannot imagine how overwhelming it must be to be english, math, science teacher all in one. I think its beautiful how close your family is and I'm sure homeschooling contributes to that. Good luck!

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  2. We homeschool for so many of the same reasons you mentioned, and wouldn't change it for the world. Watching my little man learn, grow and change day in and day out, being alongside him as he discovers his world and his place in it, and the freedom it allows us to explore so many different things make it the right choice for our family.

    I have no advice :) We, like you, are finding our way, seeing what works, and what doesn't. We are drawn to Waldorf, for both the creative, artistic way things are taught, and for the delayed start in academics. We will follow that path for now, but are always open to change.

    Good luck!

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    1. I'm intrigued- I keep seeing and hearing about different styles- Montessori and what not, but like I said I get confused and then overwhelmed. I think I need to power thru though and really explore what's out there!

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  3. Great post Chelsea! We also never dreamed we would be " homeschoolers". Just living the adventure , taking it one day at a time.

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  4. Wonderful post... I always love reading honest posts about the passions, but also hard work of those who homeschool. We've gone over it in our minds as the day of kindergarten is approaching and have decided that although it would be lovely, it is not the right fit for us. But I've often declared myself a part-time homeschooler. We share many of the same passions and aspirations, but we honestly don't feel we would benefit from the amazing opportunities of connecting with other families like you. The network of homeschooling families is almost non-existent in our area and resources are pretty scarce. But we do as much as we can at home.

    I think what you guys do is amazing, love getting inspiration and ideas from all of you.

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    1. There is no problem with that- I think that's the wisest thing you can do- is to really think about what you want and what would work for your family and children and move from that place!

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  5. I think this is really amazing, and I love your wanting to let your kids stay kids for as long as possible. Children these days grow up way too fast! It's wonderful that you have such a strong homeschool community :)

    lovejoanna.com

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  6. You're so brave! I wanted to homeschool, for many of the same reasons you mention. It's not actually allowed here and not compatible, unfortunately, with my work (and we need my income!).....I commend you, admire your choice and your strength to delve in and be bold with your choice.

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  7. I run a children's culinary center and always get very mixed opinions on public, private, and home schools - I say whatever works for you and your child is the right thing to do! You can power through the hard work of doing so!

    xoxo

    Kaley

    My Closet Life Blog

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    1. Agreed- my closest friends all do something different but I love how there's no judgement between us, we just support each other and do what works!

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  8. No regrets here! Lots of lovely memories of reading a lot together. At times it was difficult-but that was mainly because of my hang ups. And they survived in college even with our lack of in depth Science. Haha. (And I survived homeschooling never wearing a denim skirt)

    Two bloggers I love when it comes to homeschooling, Kate @ http://www.aneverydaystory.com/australian-homeschooling-blog/ She has a lovely Instagram feed too. And Penelope Trunk. She is unfiltered and real and a bit crass at times but she calls things as she sees them and makes you feel great about your decision.

    Someone once told me, "They will have gaps". That was freeing. Raise decent human beings who care about other people and our world will be a better place.

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  9. I loved reading this! I've always wondered why one chooses to homeschool (no judgement of course just curious) and you have described your reasoning perfectly! How fun it must be to have your family together all day, and I love that you are feeding their innocence and free spirits!

    xo

    Michaela

    http://michaelajeanblog.com

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/MichaelaJeanArt

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    1. Ha! Totally understandable!! Kaleb and I just have a running joke about it- anytime the kids do something weird, we're like "yep, they're honeschooled"

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  10. This is beautiful & I agree with so many of your reasons. My oldest starts kindergarten in the fall. I'm dreading it for a few reasons but the biggest is that our state changed to all-day kindergarten last year & there's no 1/2 day option. I've always wanted my kids to play & imagine for as long as possible & as a former teacher I truly see the value of education, but think imagination & creative play is stifled, thought of as secondary. I want to raise creative thinkers. Not have a stressed-out five year old doing homework. Sorry for the long comment, your post just brought out these feelings/fears. :)

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  11. It was so nice to read your thoughts and feelings on homeschooling. My siblings and I were homeschooled for our younger years, and I am so thankful that I was! We are trying to decide if we will go this route with our family also, and right now it seems that we will. It is such a big (even intimidating) thing to take on, but in my opinion well worth it when it is right for your family!

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  12. Thanks for sharing this post! We are still in limbo, but I really really want to homeschool. Finley will be 3 in May so just kind of trying to figure out when would be the right time to start things. It makes me nervous since we just moved and I'm not aware of a strong homeschool community out here...I need to do some more research. Finley is very social and loves to be around other kids so I would hate to not foster that part of his personality. BUT, basically for every other reason, we WANT to homeschool and see it fitting into our life. It must be so tough with 4 kids! Kudos, mama.

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  13. there are so many reasons i am considering homeschooling august, but i hadn't really thought about some of the driving forces you mentioned (i.e: to let them be kids; to retain a semblance of innocence and wonder; to be outdoors, exploring nature and driving creativity). i really love them nonetheless and they just further support the directions i'm leaning towards. ;)

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  14. Hello Chelsea, I followed your IG here, what a lovely space you have! I can identify with so much of what you said, and the heart behind it. I too get excited and in turn overwhelmed. When we began our journey of home education 5 years ago, our oldest was just 5 and I bought the curriculum and stuck to its schedule for maybe..... 3 weeks, he cried I cried, and then we moved on. it looks nothing like those early days, as we have add a few more boys, and very different personalities and learning styles. I feel like that is one of the biggest honors, to be able to love and appreciate then for who they are, I never fit very well into any box, and the majority of our boys wouldn't either. I strongly dislike labels, but I love finding what works for us as a family, and that changes fairly often! We are not total unschoolers, yet we don't decreate a classroom setting either. We have a strong outdoor pull, as you probably see from my IG account, a good chunk of our days are spent in the forest green or by the sea. We do have what I call "table time" a time set aside for applied studies, reading writing math, we are very relaxed, but agree these are the areas, that are door openers, and jumping off places for advanced learning, and must be practiced. Out boys ages are 10, 8, 6, and 3. thank you for sharing your heart, Ill be following along here too!

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    1. Thank you! I am with you, I love how they can each learn in their own manner. My daughter is oldest, and she will do about anything you ask, but my son has an attention span of about five minutes and what I used with her would never fly for him. What is "unschooling" I see the term around it not sure what it's talking about. Anyway, so glad you stopped by!

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  15. If I could I would totally home school my kiddos (you know, many years from now) Elementary school kids these days are so rude and they dress so provocative with super tight jeans and short shirts... it's disgusting. these are kids! I don't understand how their parents are okay with them dressing like that SO DARN YOUNG!

    Jessica
    the.pyreflies.org

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  16. Again, not being a parent gives me little comprehension of this issue. But I remember thinking I want to teach, but don't want to be a teacher.... maybe I'll home school. Too soon to say of course. I had a friend who was home schooled and I think that he liked it. He had 7 siblings and because of homeschooling they were very close. But it was also very hard for them when they came to public high school. Their parents gave them the option. I think it is really sweet to focus on letting your kids be kids. I don't think very many kids get that opportunity these days. Even being a child myself, I learned so many horrible things on the school bus.... you just never know what's around the corner out there. Growing up reading american girl books I definitely fantasized about a life in a log cabin and being self sufficient. I still do sometimes. I think finding that balance someday will be an interesting challenge. :) XO -Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  17. Very interesting! In Europe Homeschooling is not very common, but of course I heard that In Australia and the US quite a lot families decide to homeschool at least for some time.
    The responsibility must be incredible. Just thinking that maybe your kids future career options depend from you - I don't know if I could do it. I understand your desire for the kids to be kids though. I was a wild kid too and I was lucky to go to a really special school where (besides all the usual subjects) we also had a huge garden , a kitchen and they taught all of us to sew, work with wood and so on. I made it to University and never had problems academically, but the school was just wonderful because we were able to explore other skills as well.

    I wish you the best for this, and am in awe of your courage!

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  18. I am so for homeschooling. I have done public school, private school, and home school. I thrived the most in home school where I could work at my own pace. My husband was home schooled k-12 and he did well in the home school environment too. It was a little harder for him socially because he lived in rural Illinois (on a farm) and the local church only had a couple of kids his age. And there were definitely no home school co-ops or groups or anything. In fact his mom got a lot of negative feedback about their choice to home school. Home schooling back then (especially in the north) just wasn't as accepted as it is now. Anyway, he was pretty shy and uncertain when he first came to college but he got paired with a suitemate who was probably the most extroverted person on campus. So Christopher learned to loosen up and talk more. By the time I met him (his sophomore year when I was an incoming freshmen) he was super popular and well liked. So even with the lack of socialization, he still did just fine coming to college. And since you guys have such a great home school group, your kiddos will do great. :) Okay, I'm done now. Just always excites me to see someone saying nice things about home schooling. :)

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  19. I love your take on it! In the beginning, homeschoolers and their moms seemed to be a certain way and I just did not fit into that mould! ;) As time went on I continued to believe that I was not a homeschooling mom.....at all! I respected those who were, but it wasn't for me. I was happy with the school situations we'd had and was happy for them to do that. We've been in England now for almost 2 years and things have changed.
    This Fall I will become a homeschool mom. I feel like I will be a bit of a cheating homeschool mom since they will be doing online schooling. And I'm sure some will be judgemental that I would choose that type of program for my kids, but that's what I love about homeschooling now. There are SO many choices and ways of learning to suit different families.
    It's going to be quite an adjustment, but one I KNOW is right for us. So, homeschool moms unite!! However we choose to do it!! :)

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  20. I feel like we learn everywhere, all the time from many sources, so it's not really "homeschooling" but "world learning"

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  21. I feel like European schools focus on more than just academics and that's why students do better than US. Also, parents take care of discipline so teachers don'taste time like here.I'm a substitute teacher in NY and don't think I want to teach anymore!

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  22. I've researched a lot about learning/schools as I finished studying to be a teacher. It was too late! I agree that the way you do it, "relaxed homeschooling" or unschooling, is the best because we learn for real life from real life. It's more useful to write a letter to someone for a real reason than do a book report. Both teach essay/paragraph writing. It's also impossible for the teacher to know each student's learning style and speed of mastery. I realized how we are born with a need to explore and learn so no one tells the baby to do it. Somehow people think kids will want to sit around if they're not forced to be in classrooms setting. Also, no one tells a baby when to talk/walk so why make kids read/multiply at a certain age? I believe that as long as you do your best(4 kids is no easy job) and teach them to love learning, to read and to create beauty, you succeed. Employers actually look for character over academic abilities (there are studies on this). Character is developed better at home as we can see in the history of our nation. There is also the issue of what kids are doing/teaching each other as well as losing time with kids if you put them in a school, (even private schools have issues.) You've made a great choice!

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  23. Unschooling is letting the child guide learning. I think mostly it's possible. Some people choose to make the child do specific things like grammar books. It has a bad reputation because some parents let kids set all the rules but more parents who understand the need for discipline and some Christians are doing it so it's just child-led learning. They pick subjects and learn from real life through cooking, building, exploring, traveling. It's learning from everything around us and community! It's also called "relaxed homeschooling". Some people had their kids begging them to buy workbooks but otherwise unschooling uses textbook/workbook only if the child asks. I read many instances where by high school unschoolers catch up with their peers and even surpass them because they were able to learn not by being told what to do/think.

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