Some of life’s greatest successes come on the heels of failures or changes.
The tricky part is recognizing the need to change and then actually doing it.
This week my son went back to public school, officially ending our homeschool journey.
This was a big change for us.
How has it been being back in school? Amazing.
We had reached a pivot point–a spot where our original plan clearly wasn’t working, and we had to decide if we would continue that plan or pivot.
We chose to pivot.
Yes, I had idealistic hopes for homeschool. Many of them came true. But many things were harder than I expected, and it became clear in late fall that returning to school was best for all of us.
Our trio being together all day didn’t work like it used to. While I was thrilled my son regained his whimsy and creativity, he missed his friends and school structure.
I have enough humility to admit I couldn’t give him and her what they needed at the same time. And that is okay.
Many of the things I enjoyed about homeschool can still happen in the hours before and after school and on weekends.
I am so glad I did homeschool and equally glad to be done. It is possible to have these dual emotions.
One challenge with any pivot is putting the old plan to rest and jumping into the new plan with fresh enthusiasm.
So last week I reflected on all the fun and relaxing time we had together in homeschool, and this week I am packing lunches and getting bikes ready with the same joy.
It is different, yes. We are exhausted this first week.
But I am glad we changed direction quickly. Now we can pour enthusiasm into this new chapter.
-Brittany
Less Less More 
Brittany-
Love this. What a great perspective! Allowing ourself to pivot is so hard and can “feel” like a failure. That’s so wrong, because a pivot should be an opportunity to grab hold of something new that may not have been right before, but seems like the right way through, now, in this moment.
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Great post! Reading this reminded me of the similarities of my working-from-home experience. It was a time when I was self-employed; running a software development company. It was a great opportunity for my phase in life, but it had its consequences. Eventually, I had to pivot and return to a more nuclear office job – working from home didn’t fit with me. It’s interesting how we head down a path, and then find ourselves needing to pivot; change course; head onto a different path. My pivot involved more than a job site change; in fact, I think most “pivots” do. The good news is, I survived my pivot, and it ended up being better for me and my family.
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Way to go, Mom!! It can be a challenge to let go of a mom dream. I am proud of you for recognizing a pivot point. I will think of you as my eyes open to other possibilities on my new and strange! journey.This grandmother thanks you for sharing 😊
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