We have this crazy thing going on, where suddenly we went from a nation that primarily public schools… to “homeschooling”. It’s such a strange idea. We’ve been homeschooling for years, so I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned here is this: This is not what homeschooling looks like. Not really.
This is “isolation schooling” and it’s very different. It’s also emergency/crisis schooling, meaning there no preparation at all for what’s happening around the US and the world.
I have a lot of homeschooling posts in drafts as I begin to try to develop the “current” posts as I continue to re-upload old posts. That said, I felt that it would make sense to talk a bit about the realities most families are facing.
While it is important to understand that this is not what typical real homeschooling looks like, it is also a way to peek into the possibilities that are available, especially if homeschooling is something you’ve considered.
You see, so much of our ability to homeschool is in attitude. It’s not because I’m more prepared or more qualified or more patient (haha) or … well, “more” anything. It’s simply because it’s what was needed for our family. It’s knowing and accepting that this is where we are and what we need to do. Suddenly the rest of the nation finds themselves in exactly this position. And every single day, many of us have to remember that we can do this because it’s the necessary thing to do.
I’m what could be termed an “accidental” homeschooler. There are plenty of stories out there about homeschool moms who planned to homeschool from day 1, who talk about the beauty of watching each new phase in their child’s development educationally. That was not me, and sometimes it’s easy to feel less than because of that.
Here’s a secret though: The “why” is not important my friends. The “how” is.
Frankly it does not matter why you homeschool or when you began homeschooling. What does matter is that you figure out the how of homeschooling to make it work for your family. And despite what some of the most well-intentioned people out there are saying, there is absolutely no one-size-fits-all way of homeschooling that will be the answer to your everything.
Today I’m not here to offer tips and explanations on all things homeschool, I simply want to encourage you that when you find things challenging or overwhelming, you’re not alone. That transitioning to homeschool is not normally abrupt or done without the ability to plan and learn in advance. To let you know that what works and what doesn’t in a typical homeschool situation varies greatly from home to home. To say that this is not school and it’s ok to feel frustrated.
I’ll end with this. Some of the most painfully frustrating and trying situations in my life have been ones that my kids look back on with great memories. This shocked me the first few times I heard it. But it’s worth it to take a moment and pull our heads out from underneath the blanket we have currently chosen as our latest hiding spot and realize that the lens we see life through is VASTLY different than the way our kids perceive the same exact scenario.
I hope you can be encouraged in that. That you can see outside the moment to the bigger picture and just embrace the moment even though it’s sometimes so hard. That you will forgive yourself if you feel like you’re failing and just let it all go and move forward.