Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Still Here, Still Homeschooling



It seems hard to believe that it's been three years since our family's decision to homeschool. I started off with First Sprout in first grade that first year, and now I am looking at "officially" educating all three sprouts in the fall.

One of the most common questions I am asked: "How long do you plan on homeschooling?"

The short answer: "I don't know."

The long answer is that we homeschool on a year-to-year basis, checking in regularly to see if it is the best option for our children and our family. So far, we haven't found any reason to change gears. We might send the kids to public school for middle school or maybe high school. We might send them back all at one time, or we might let them go one at a time on their own terms. We aren't really sure.

What we do know is that, right now, homeschooling works for us. All three sprouts are radiant and engaged.

They focus.

They persist.

They ask questions.

They solve problems.

They motivate themselves.

We have been wildly successful at achieving these goals for ourselves, and we love having so much time as a family. Learning is a lifestyle for us. Sure there are gaps and setbacks. We certainly don't move at the pace of most public schools. Heck, we don't even change out of our pajamas most days. And yet, First Sprout already had her first art show at the public library. Second Sprout has constructed cities from cardboard boxes and recycled materials. Third Sprout has an entire catalog of songs memorized that she shares with us throughout the day.

I love that magnifying glasses are considered "mandatory beach toys" in our home.

I love that going to a bookstore evokes squeals of excitement.

I love to see the joy that the sprouts express in learning.

For at least another year, we are still here, and we are still homeschooling.

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