Soooo....it has been a while! =) It seemed like we hit November and then everything blurred and before I knew it we were solidly into 2016! November-January tends to feel like our busiest season with both of the kiddos and myself having birthdays on top of the normal Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. We traveled to visit family for Christmas which was a wonderfully long and relaxing break and then jumped back into school when we returned. We are on our second year of homeschooling (woohoo!!!) and in the past month-ish I have had several conversations with different people about this topic which have really made me reflect on our ongoing journey.
In my opinion there is no "one size fits all" education. I know families with kids in public school, private school, homeschool or some combination of those options. And guess what? They are all doing just fine! =) I am a firm supporter of "do whatever works for your family". What is perfect for one family won't necessarily work for another. Some kids blossom in a more social setting while others thrive with one on one instruction. Parenting in general seems to be polarized with a "my way" vs. "your way" philosophy drawing lines on opposite sides of the field and educational choices are sometimes no different. How about we take a moment to acknowledge that just like every person is unique every family combination is as well. Then we can all just cheer each other on in the pursuit of things that really matter instead of getting caught up in trivial differences!
That being said I want to chat about homeschooling since that is where we are right now. =) It is such a good fit for our family and we are loving it! The flexible schedule, incredibly small class sizes (lol), and time together as a family are definitely in the plus column but I think one of our favorite things about homeschooling is that you have the ability to personalize it to your child(ren). It goes beyond their basic interests and into their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, individual personalities, etc. Say they are breezing through a subject and are completely bored - feel free to give them something more challenging. If they are struggling in an area - no problem! Simply hang out there for a little while longer till they are confident with it. I. Love. This. Does that mean that our school experience is all sunshine and butterflies and our kids jump out of bed each day with a smile begging to start their work? Not at all!!! We have our frustrating days (sometimes weeks!). There are times when things aren't working and we have to reevaluate to find a better fit. Bottom line though is that this journey it is completely worth it and has proven to be a great fit for our family!
Honestly I could probably talk all day about the things we love about homeschooling but then this would get a little long...
So here is my official plug for homeschooling! ;) If you are happy with your current school options then carry on and enjoy it! But if you are interested in homeschooling at all, if you think it would be beneficial for your family/child, if you..........................(fill in the blank with your personal reason here). DO. IT. Or at least seriously look into it! =) Don't talk yourself out of it, don't disqualify yourself in your mind before you even start, don't let yourself get overwhelmed! Can it feel like a really big deal to be responsible for your child's education? Absolutely! But you aren't alone. There are so many great resources, groups, curriculum options, etc. out there right now. Take a breath and go one step, one decision at a time.
Keep Dreaming!
