When we began homeschooling I had this huge plan.  A plan to keep my kids in so many activities and social options.  I think I had this idea simply because of the stigma of "anti-social kids" who homeschool.

When I initially began homeschooling we only had 2 children and it was only kindergarten for our son while our daughter was a newborn.  We were always on the go, and doing so much school each and every day.  The days were filled with play dates, field trips, and activities.  While I look back on that time in our lives I feel blessed we got to experience it.


Then came the time we moved out of town.  While we are only out 10 minutes from the nearest town it still made us slow down a little.  It wasn't so simple to pop into a last minute field trip.  So we chose to slow down a bit.


Fast forward and we are homeschooling our oldest who is now in grade 4.  Our daughter begs each and every day to do school (she is only 3) and we also have a one year old.  Life and family is busy.   However, homeschooling is a little slower.  We aren't rushing each and every day and I am learning to use my time wisely. We also found a distance learning school and learning consultant who is the greatest addition to this wild world of home education.  She is such an incredible support and making sure we are on track while still reminding me to push the kids less and enjoy life learning more.  We were struggling with our baby as he was miserable.  Thankfully we found a solution if you want to read that blog about it.  We made a decision to take our daughter to a close friends daycare 2 mornings a week.  She has been absolutely loving this and it has given her a little break of her own, as us homeschool families are usually together constantly.

We wake slow and take the time to relax and make breakfast.  Followed by a morning full of school.  If we need to take breaks or play a game or go for a walk we do this.  We now do as many day time activities as possible so we aren't having the evening rush like most families or stuck in rush hour traffic.  We were finding that activities right around dinner time weren't working for our family.  With the littlest ones being rushed through the bath, bed, and book routine it was not feeling how we had hoped.

We still do a couple field trips a week, meet up with friends every single week, and do one activity for each child.  It's currently Taekwondo and dance.   So far that has given us more time to actually be.  We are rushing around less.  Even when I take a moment to have a cup of coffee and give them a box with paper, glue, and scissors and just tell them to create something, shockingly they actually do now.  They were always looking forward to the next activity.  I was always having to guide them into what to do next.  By slowing down they have learned how to be creative.  They have learned how to be bored!  Which is something so very important in this over stimulated world.  They have learned to play with each other, grabbing a game or a book without being told.



Photos by Yana Crane Photography