The decision for us to homeschool next school year has not been an easy one.
Homeschool is something I told myself I would NEVER do. I was so excited to send my kids off to school and have a break, and now I was going to relinquish that right??
That is the funny thing about absolutes….once you throw one out there, you usually find yourself doing the exact thing you said you wouldn’t do.
So here we are with all the forms filled out embarking on a new journey.
The Road to Homeschooling
My son had an amazing kindergarten experience at his school. I have zero complaints.
We started last school year biking to school and it was such a great start and finish to our day. Since it was only a 1 mile bike ride, it was a perfect distance for everyone.
But the school had a fire the third week of school and had to relocate. We were able to get to the new location via our trolley system (we only have one car), but it was quite a chore each day for the three of us.
Yes, there was a bus that could have gotten my son there without involving my daughter and I. But that time together in the morning on the way to school was precious time together.
We finished the school year doing our trolley route, but we quickly realized we wanted to change directions.
We decided to homeschool!!!
Here are a few of the driving forces behind our decision:
1. Pace
We noticed our pace was so rushed in the mornings.
We expected that a little bit, but underestimated how it would impact everyone in the family.
Kevin felt the morning stress and so did the kids.
At first we thought this was an inevitable part of life. Then we realized, much like paring down stuff, we could also pare down our pace.
Homeschool felt like the best option to reclaim the pace we once had.
2. Interrupting Flow
Many mornings the kids were deeply involved in an activity or book and I would have to yell across the apartment, “Stop reading/coloring/playing….it’s time for school!”
This felt so paradoxical to me.
They were learning in those moments and deeply engaged, and I was interrupting that flow to take them to school.
3. It’s not Forever
We are committing to exactly one year of homeschool.
My son’s school will reopen at the old location next year. This means we can return to our easy 1 mile bike commute if we choose.
If homeschool goes great and we want to continue, we can. If we are ready to return to public school, we can.
We have options!
4. I Want to Try It
The teacher in me has always wanted to try homeschool.
I doubted my capacity to do it in the past. Now I feel ready and have the mental and emotional capacity.
You never know until you try.
I used to think changing course was a sign of failure or a poor decision.
Now I realize the dynamic nature of life.
Today’s decision is independent of yesterday’s. Situations change.
Kindergarten at the public school was a great decision. First grade homeschool is a great decision.
Both decisions can coexist.
We are excited for the journey ahead!
-Brittany
Less Less More 
Big Congratulations! You will not regret this sacred time with your children. You are the one guiding your children with your value system not taking a chance on what someone else thinks they should learn. This grandmother applauds you and thrills for you with the joys and challenges that will come!!
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Judi,
Thank you for the encouragement regarding homeschool. It is an exciting new chapter for us and we look forward to all the expected and unexpected joys that come with it!! -Brittany
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I haven’t read your blog for long but am really enjoying it! I have left one blog comment in my life and it was about homeschooling! I always want to encourage anyone starting out. I homeschooled my three children since my oldest (now 25) was in second grade and my youngest has just graduated high school. I was SO worried when I started out about doing things right and whether my children would know what they were supposed to know. I am not a very disciplined person—no lesson plans, daily schedules. It can be very hard but it is so worth all the struggle! My daughter and son have both graduated college with top honors which is something I never would have imagined. The biggest blessing is that my 3 children are very close and enjoy being together. Socialization was never a problem. They all have friends and are perfectly normal! Haha! Sorry to go on so long but I just wanted to encourage you! Thanks for your blog!
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Andrea,
I cannot thank you enough for this encouragement! It is an exciting new adventure but definitely a little scary! Always nice to hear stories of how the process turned out for others. Thank you so much for sharing and for your kind words. -Brittany
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As a veteran home educator to six children, who now sends her two youngest (ages 9 &12) to school every morning, I want to commend you for following your heart and taking advantage of the blessing of home education. You will not regret it. My two oldest were home educated all the way. They graduated from University and have wonderful careers. Two middle children home educated until 8th grade. The youngest two went to school at 1st and 3rd grade. I have no regrets, and if I decide to home educated again I’m grateful for the freedom and rights we have to do so. I wish you all the best and I’m enjoying your blog posts!
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Christine,
Thank you for your comment and encouragement! Excited for our new adventure in homeschooling!!! Your stories give me confidence!! -Brittany
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We love the pace of homeschooling! It was a struggle at first 2 years… but we finally found our flow and I’m enjoying it a lot especially seeing how my kids are learning so much from me… not only from their books, but also in life.
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