Our Homeschool Journey – Part 3

Now, our homeschool routine looks totally different. Because I pulled the babies from kindy, we now have slow mornings. No more early wakeups – these kids wake up on their own when they’re good and ready (which is right around the time Louis and I are ready to wake up as well). We have a nice, relaxed breakfast. We ease into the day, starting with our family devotions and moving on to our other subjects. Sometime after noon, I start preparing lunch while the kids work on their individual studies. After lunch, the kids help with some chores, and then we resume our studies. All the while, the babies are doing their own activities around the table or playing nearby in the lounge. On nice days, everyone goes outside for sunshine and fresh air intermittently between tasks. We sit around the table as a family and work together. I did move one of our lockers to the dining room for ease of access, but other than that, our homeschool looks like home now. I cherish it!

With no set start and end times, the pressure and rush to finish are removed. The only scheduled outing we have each week is Diane’s dance practise, but we now enjoy getting out and it no longer feels like a chore. While she dances, we either visit with Matt (who works directly across the street from the dance studio) or the kids just play in the empty studio opposite the one being used. Practise only lasts 30 minutes, but it’s always a refreshing time out.

What a difference finding our freedom has made in our homeschool journey. Homeschooling definitely has its hard days – some days it’s come close to breaking me. But other days are pure joy. And ultimately, it is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I can see the progress both my kids are making in their learning journey. Not only that, my time is now restored to them. I get more quality time now with all my kids than I ever have since the start of my motherhood journey. In just a year, I’ve seen so much growth in the siblings’ relationships with each other and with God. Our family is now very close-knit, and we do everything as a team. Homeschooling has been everything I never knew I needed.

Homeschooling was a long-awaited blessing for us. I had the desire to homeschool back when I had Jack, but it took nine years for the timing to finally be right. Either Matt and I weren’t on the same page, or our circumstances didn’t allow for it because I was also working. When God’s time for us to homeschool finally came after years of patiently waiting, Matt and I suddenly got on the same page, and our circumstances were perfect for it because I was able to stay at home after having Louis.

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned with homeschooling is to pivot when things don’t go to plan. It’s important to be flexible and let go of perfectionism (this was hard for me). And the rewards may not be immediate, but they are most definitely worth the effort put in. Consistency is key! I definitely consider it a privilege to be able to do this.

Until Next Time,

The Cullums

Cover Photo Attribution

https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/paint Paint Stock photos by Vecteezy