What your children really need.

If I've learned anything in 5 years of homeschooling, it's this:

When we decided to homeschool, all I could envision was "school at home." I'd stand in front of a chalkboard and teach lesson after lesson to my son at his desk. I felt overwhelmed at the prospect of it, especially with toddlers and a baby at my feet, but this model of school was all I knew.

So we tried it. And we lasted about 10 minutes. (Ha!)

We are not unschoolers—we spend 2 to 3 hours each day working through lessons— but the remaining hours of the day are spent just doing life side by side. I've learned that all of life is learning, and it all "counts" - even if it can't be quantified by a worksheet or a standardized test. 

Here's what I mean:

• Our 9-year-old makes ciabatta from scratch. He's doing math and science.
• Our 7-year-old writes a letter to a friend and puts it in the mail (handwriting, grammar, spelling). 
• Our two little guys play Leif Erikson and Eric the Red in the bathtub (history, oral narration). 

So friend, I hope that if you're brand new to homeschooling and feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of being a new teacher... you'll remember that it's a warm, responsive, consistent parent your kids need most. You'll learn alongside them as they go. You'll ask questions and seek out answers together, and you'll experience the truth that all of life is learning. Isn't that freeing?