When I first began homeschooling I had no idea how quickly I would become passionate about it. Homeschooling has turned into a way of life. I am sure the same can be said for many of you. Homeschooling is a lifestyle choice. NOT just an education choice.
Learning Happens Anytime
With homeschooling, you don’t learn at set times every day. Learning literally becomes a way of life. You may have set times for book work, but in reality, your children are learning all day long, no matter where you are.
How many times have you gone on vacation and thought “oh, this could count as school!” Or while you were on the way to your destination thought of places you could stop along the way where the kids could learn? I know I have!
As homeschool parents, we see moments that maybe others don’t. We see learning opportunities that can happen anytime, not just in the classroom. Homeschooling essentially becomes part of our lives and learning while living happens.
Homeschooling Affects Your Day to Day Activities
As a homeschooling family, my kids are with me every day. Now, I will say this gets easier as the kids get older, but I really had NO idea how much homeschooling would affect my day to day activities. Think about it, a stay at home mom whose kids go to school means that she will at some point have child free time. That does not happen in homeschooling families!
This means that there are no errands ran childless, this includes doctor’s appointments MOST of the time! I have little to no “free” time, and laundry, dishes, and other household tasks are done with kids underfoot.
This also means that I have LESS time for errands, cleaning, volunteering, or really anything else. Why? Because we have to get school done. Homeschooling in itself is a full time job, add in other tasks that need to be completed and you are more than full time. If you work from home like I do, that adds even more to your schedule.
As a homeschool parent, homeschooling will affect our day to day activities. It requires time, patience, and again time! This means there will be less time for other things that may need to be done.
Homeschooling Becomes a Way of Life
For us, homeschooling has become a way of life. It is as natural as parenting really. Because we are around our children all the time, we are the ones they come to with questions. We are the ones who disciple them, train them, and nurture them. We are the ones who teach them about life, what is happening in the news, their ABC’s their 123’s and the birds and the bees ! Homeschooling happens while we live our lives, and it essentially becomes a way of life.
Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It requires time, patience, discipline, and the willingness to change. Homeschooling is a lifestyle choice and one I am glad we made!
Misty Bailey is a work at home homeschool mom. She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares her struggles with time management, becoming unglued and finding joy in the everyday moments on her blog Joy in the Journey.
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