We’ve been homeschooling for years and I get the occasional inquiry about our educational philosophy and social calendar. There is still the belief that homeschoolers are just hiding at home away from the world. This couldn’t be further from the truth with our homeschool experience. I’m continually amazed we get to do this homeschool life together as a family. It’s been such a wonderful opportunity. Our life is anything but boring!
While I was visiting the Carolinas, homeschooling with Dad was an adventure! Jeremy and the boys went to Top Golf, which I totally count as a field trip. The boys helped Jeremy at work with a community service project. They also played many board and card games, worked on their piano lessons, and made cinnamon rolls with Nana and Papa. All these activities have educational value! I love that they get to learn in community and out in the world. It’s a rich and rewarding way to do school. Jeremy also had them pull out their school books and work at the table. We didn’t want to get too behind in our curriculum. I was so thankful Jeremy put on his Homeschool Dad hat on while I was out-of-town. It’s fun to mix-up the routine!
Homeschooling right now looks like meeting up with friends at the library for Lego Club. It’s a visit to the Lewis County Historical Museum with friends for a Washington State history field trip. It’s learning a new way to play the piano with Nana. It’s weekly art lessons with other homeschoolers (the fridge now displays beautiful hand-drawn hummingbirds and silly faces). It’s making a tide pool display in science. It’s reading On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder out loud while snuggled up on the couch with blankets. These are the days I will look back on and remember fondly (I hope my boys will too). Homeschooling has been such a gift.
We still have plenty of time around the house. We don’t live at a fast pace. We have mornings at the table doing book work and afternoons to either rest or adventure. We regularly spend time with friends, family, and our church. I had no idea when we decided to take the plunge to homeschool in 2021 that it would be this good. I’m just so grateful! These are lovely days. I’m glad I get to walk them alongside my family, together!
P.S. This post was an ode to homeschooling and all that I’m loving about it right now. I realize that this is a personal decision that works well for our family. I am in no way saying it is the right and only way to educate and raise children. Just sharing my real-life, lived-in experience and the joy that it brings.
Amy Scott's Thoughts 