When we first landed, suddenly and unexpectedly, in the homeschool world, I had countless fears and concerns.
And, if we are being completely honest here, one of the biggest concerns was time. As in: Will we drive each other completely berserk spending that much time together?
My son has always been a funny, brilliant, energetic, and completely exhausting little human. And so I wondered if we’d drive each other bonkers.
As that big yellow bus pulled away without him that first year, I wondered if I had made the right decision.
Your Kid Might Surprise You: Reflections on that Big Yellow Bus
As it turns out, I had no need to worry. Homeschooling has been the best decision for our little family.
My son’s smile and love of learning returned in a matter of days. Homeschooling fits him in a way that public school did not.
And now, years later, I tell people that one of the best things about homeschooling is time. As in: You get to spend this time with your children.
I worried so much that first year. Often I worried about time. Would there be enough time to cover everything? Would we be spending too much time together? How would I find time for myself? Would the days feel endless? Would he miss his time in public school?
And yet I never stopped to consider the positive impact that time would have on our family.
The relationship I have formed with my children, and the relationships my children have formed with each other, are amazing byproducts of homeschooling.
That big yellow bus used to make me question our decision to homeschool
I am someone who always loved back to school season with its freshly sharpened pencils, crisp paper, and squeaky new sneaks.
That first September as a new homeschooler made me feel wistful. When that big yellow bus pulled away without my child, I questioned our decision.
Nowadays, I see those big yellow buses and I feel thankful… for homeschooling.
Childhood goes by in a blink and I am so grateful that we have these early years together.
I enjoy spending time with my children (most days).
No, it’s not perfect. We have bad days and cruddy seasons, and February is usually a blur. (And one time I even threatened to send him back.)
But I wouldn’t change it for the world, and I cherish this time together.
So when I see those back-to-school commercials with parents dancing in the aisles of Target…
When I see the back-to-school memes…
And watch those YouTube videos celebrating the arrival of the big yellow bus…
When I see friends share ‘Twas the Night Before School Started statuses…
And when I listen to friends count down the days until that first day of school…
I just think to myself: Your kid might surprise you.
Homeschooling is not for everyone
I certainly do not wish to alienate those in public school. After all, I am a product of public schools, I worked in public schools, and I believe public schools are hugely important.
I know that homeschooling is not for everyone.
All I am saying is, your kid might surprise you.
Everyone assumes that homeschooling is hard. You think you can’t do it. You fear it would mean too much time together.
But…
When all of those external schedules and must-dos are peeled away, and you choose your own path together, some amazing things happen.
I used to worry that we’d drive each other bonkers while homeschooling. Now, I am so thankful for this unexpected path and the time we have together.
Your kid might surprise you. Mine sure did. Children are our wisest teachers, and I’m so thankful they let me tag along for the ride!
Are you a new homeschooler?
You can read about our homeschool journey here:
- Suddenly, Unexpectedly Homeschooling (“You’re gonna WHAT?!”)
- My Biggest Homeschool Regret
- Her Homeschool Manifesto
- I don’t need a third strike, folks. I’m out.
And be sure to check out these related posts:
- 5 Wonderful Homeschool Secrets No One Will Tell You
- 5 Things You Should Never Say to an Unexpected Homeschooler
- The 5 Best Homeschooling Decisions We’ve Made
- Start Small: Rhythms and Routines | The Homeschool Sisters Podcast
- My Biggest Homeschool Regret
- Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices
- When Homeschooling is Hard
- Gameschool Challenge: Add More Play To Your Day!
Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: How have your children surprised you lately? Share here.
Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.
Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, GeekMom, and many others. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
and G+.
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I always cried for a week when my kids went back to school. This is our first year homeschooling. I’ve been doing a little happy dance in my head for over a week as I heard about all the other kids going back. Happy that I finally get to keep them with me, happy they are loving homeschool, happy I don’t have to deal with the day-to-day grind school adds to our schedule, etc, I suppose I’m a little surprised homeschool has gone as well as it has. I already feel a stronger bond between my 11 year son and myself, that is surprising, too.
This post reminded me so much of this video. Maybe you’ve already seen it. It’s quite funny. It seems to make the point that spending time your kids is a GOOD thing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s56-Ta35JRk