Kiddipedia
By Carlie Maree
Our family lasted exactly 1.5 days with the learning our school provided. Very quickly we knew that the only way for us to do learning-at-home was to do it our own way.
We’d had a head start on keeping two kids entertained and engaged at home, due to having been overseas and therefore in home-quarantine just before the lockdowns began. We’d been doing puzzles, finding science experiments on YouTube, creating art, reading books and embarking on projects.
When remote learning began, things became much less fun and our happy daughter suddenly became stressed and disinterested. I called our teacher and told them we’d do our own thing until school went back.
That decision led to a whole new way of living for us. It led us to unenrolling and full time home schooling. It led to me taking full responsibility for my children’s learning, and since then we have not looked back.
My daughter, who had cried most days about going to school, now loves learning and is well ahead of her grade level.
Her four year old sibling is starting to read, write, add and subtract, all through simply being exposed to what his sister is doing.
Remote learning seems to have sent people in two different directions.
- ‘I could never home school! Get them back to school’ OR
- ‘I think I want to home school’.
As someone who has done both, please know this:
Remote learning is nothing like home schooling. Please do not let that skew your idea of how wonderful home schooling can be.
Here are some of the reasons why exiting the traditional school system and registering to home school is the best decision our family ever made.
Tailored learning
The beauty (and magic) of home schooling is that it can be fully tailored to your child. Some kids love worksheets, others need things to be more hands-on. Some need quiet to work in, others need noise.
Kids are divided by age at school, rather than learning styles, so it’s impossible for teachers to provide learning in ways that suit every single person.
It also means that kids can learn at their pace, and that learning can be tailored around their interests. The best education for kids is the one they are engaged in. There are so many incredible resources, tools, online programs and apps available to home schooling parents, to help keep kids excited and eager to learn.
Social development
My kids have made some of the most incredible friendships since we’ve been home schooling. Thanks to Facebook groups, we’ve been able to connect with lots of other families in our area. Most days there is a ‘meet up’ we can go to.
My kids get opportunities to play with other kids from various backgrounds and of all ages. They have become excellent at making new friends and navigating friendship dynamics. They learn from the older ones, and the older ones look out for the younger ones.
Their play is usually unstructured and out in nature, with no bell ringing to tell them to stop.
The Home Education Network runs camps every term that are very affordable, and we also attend at least 1-2 excursions each month.
Freedom of lifestyle
As a self employed person, I love that we can take off on camping trips whenever we choose. We can travel off-peak and always get the good spots.
We go to zoos and playgrounds on weekdays, which means waiting in lines is a thing of the past.
The Sunday night scramble is over with, as is the morning rush and the worry about uniforms being clean and which day is library day.
We visit friends in the middle of the day, and can head to the beach or the pool if the sun is shining. ‘Fun stuff’ isn’t confined to weekends anymore.
Family time
I enjoy my kids so much more now, than when we were doing school.
Every experience gets to be a learning experience.
My daughter asked to learn about Mexico, so we researched together, watched movies and documentaries and then all headed off to a Mexican restaurant one evening. We explored the Mexican artwork on the walls and spoke with the restaurant owner, each asking questions about Mexican culture and customs.
We are currently fitting out a bus as a mobile home, which the kids have been really involved in, and we plan to travel Australia next year. We are excited to visit marine research centres, historical monuments and natural wonders.
Home schooling might seem like a strange choice to make, but there are thousands of us, and the numbers are growing.
There are many reasons to consider home schooling, and ‘simply because we just want to’ is a perfectly valid one.
Practical tips for home schoolers:
Let yourself and your kids ‘de-school’. Don’t rush into a structured program. Take some time to let everyone gets used to having a lot more spare time, and figure out what to do with it.
Don’t demonise screens. There are some wonderful apps available, such as Skoolbo, IXL and Reading Eggs that are designed to keep kids engaged and progressing. Just get some parental control software for general screen-time safety and monitoring.
Consider your kids interests and work them in. Do they like to read? Do they prefer video format? Do they love animals? It’s amazing how easy it is to work many subjects into one topic.
Find your local home school group and attend a meet up. This is not supposed to be done alone.
Go easy on yourself. There will be days that you feel like you’re not doing enough, and days where you nail it. On the tough days, put on a documentary and read some books together. It’s a rollercoaster, but it’s a wonderful one.
Carlie Maree is an international best-selling author, thought leader and industry disruptor eith a deep understanding of how women work – what motivates them, what drives them and what holds them back. Her book, Soul Modes is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling book. You can find out more at www.carliemaree.com
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