Sometimes I think my husband and I thrive in messy chaos. When things are feeling a little too comfortable or ordinary, we feel compelled to rock the boat. Things have to get shaken up because the constant exposure to new experiences is what creativity thrives on. Collecting new perspectives and possibilities expand horizons.
Last year we started feeling that craving to change things. We talked about moving to another state. We even visited and loved the city, but the incredible amount of upheaval to family and business killed that venture quickly. We had to pause on it because our kids are incredibly sensitive. The thought of dumping them into a new school after it started was just not going work well for them. We agonized over how to line up the budget to move, the timing, and the sheer amount of work we had signed on to complete. It just wasn't meant to be.
Oh but, what about school? We had a terrible experience in the public school. We couldn't possibly put them in there. We can't afford private school tuition. We are stuck! Then it just clicked. Our only viable option left was to homeschool. I had done a ton of research on it the past couple of years. I knew the groups and some of the people. Ironically, we both just knew it was right. The stress fell away and we committed to doing it for a year to test if the balance of working and teaching is doable.
We started with a lazy schedule over the summer so they had camps as a backup when we were too busy. We never had to use the extra camps. It just fell into place much easier than I expected. The official school year started August 1st and it has been fantastic. The kids are motivated and get their work done. August was extremely busy for my husband and I, so the kids were left to their own devices. They would diligently work on their schoolwork while we worked in our home office. It took me a while to find their sweet spot on the workload, as well as where their instructional levels were. It's been relatively smooth sailing. We've fallen into this wonderful rhythm and everyone seems to be really happy.
The kids have a binder with a folder for each day (M-F) plus one for finished work. Every week I make a list of work to do for each day of the week. They have workbooks that I give them pages to do to cover the basics. They also have interest-based projects that they work on. Whenever I can, I bring their interests into assignments. For example, Missy B loves animals, so she picked giraffes to research and built a diorama. Dexter spent his allowance money on a walkman, so I had him create a Venn diagram of what's the same and different between an iPod and a walkman.
One of the most exciting aspects of homeschooling is that we can piece together classes and resources to allow them to dive deeply into things. Dexter is taking an online graphic design class. He is a fan of the Gotham typeface and knows what a slab serif is! There aren't many 9 year olds that would even care about those things. Brixton is taking a STEAM class and is learning about science and creativity in a super fun way. We raised caterpillars into butterflies and let them go in a butterfly garden we planted. They kept a journal of their observations and a calendar of the process of metamorphosis. I'm having just as much fun as they are and that's the way learning should be.
I don't know what the future holds; if our business can withstand the reduced hours we can work; if the kids will continue to be so intrinsically motivated; if they will ever want to go back to a normal school after having so much freedom; or if they will get too far ahead; or if they will become as isolated and lonely as I already feel. I don't know those things, but I know that right now, this is what is what we all need. We need a fantastic change in hopes that what comes next will be beautiful.
