I Ignored My Family’s Advice and Homeschooled My Daughter

When I was a child, the Columbine school shooting impacted my experience in elementary school and beyond. My security naivety was instantly shattered. It was the first time I realized that danger could arise in a classroom at any time.

The years passed and I became a mother. As my daughter approached school age, school rules changed, active shooter drills became the norm, and every parent dreaded the emergency call that their child’s school was on lockdown. I didn’t want to live in this state of daily worry.

Along with this fear, I was afraid that my daughter would not learn physical safety, emotional intelligence, self-care, and spiritual growth in a traditional school.

The natural choice for my preschool daughter was for me to homeschool.

Everyone – including myself – doubted my decision to homeschool

“Are you excited to start school soon?”

My five-year-old daughter has heard this question all summer from eager family, friends, and strangers. Their smiles slowly faded when they heard that instead of entering a school to attend classes, she would enter our dining room with me as her teacher.

The questions turned to me: “Why would you do that? » “Don’t you want a break?” “You’re not even a real teacher.”

I began to internalize these opinions and felt compelled to prove that I was a good teacher. I quickly felt overwhelmed being under the microscope I had imposed on myself.

Each choice left me feeling stuck: which program should I choose? Which learning style is best? Who was Charlotte Mason and why did people swear by her teaching style?

Instead of viewing these challenges as beginner’s homework, I saw them as signs that I had made the wrong choice. I thought a rigid learning plan would be the antidote, and it made the experience miserable for my class and for me.

I was tempted to reconsider my decision. Suddenly the option of having a quiet house and seven hours of free time to myself was appealing. I felt stupid for adding work to my already overloaded plate by not following the traditional route.

I stuck to my plan and it’s worked so far

However, I decided to stick with my decision and not give up at the starting line.

After research, I decided on a formal program to supplement the daily routines and life skills I was already teaching my child. My daughter quickly picked up academic subjects as I mixed things she thrived in with new concepts.

I stopped trying to be a good teacher and started being the kind of mom I always wanted to be: one who taught her daughter holistically.

Seeing his enthusiasm and natural adaptation to learning inspired me to stick to the pace that works for us, whether others understand it or not.

I am happy that I maintained my vision for my daughter’s education. This was the way to provide him with learning experiences that included intention, curiosity and freedom.

Although I’ve had to confront both my own and my family’s doubts, we are now experiencing what I always wanted success and security to look like in our home.