It has always been a dream of mine to homeschool my children. When I was younger I would pretend I was a teacher down in my basement.

Hours of pretend has come to a reality as I have begun educating my children.

This has been the first year I have homeschooled. I have been challenged at times. Figuring out what to do, how to do it, when to sit down and do a lesson. What curriculum to do, how to involve all my kiddos no matter their age.

I wanted to do all things. I aimed to be the best preschool teacher. However, with two energetic boys, I had to really reevaluate my expectations. I read books like Raising Boys to Men and The Four Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson. And Homeschool Bravely:How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence by Jamie Erickson. These amazing homeschool mamas filled me with confidence and calm as I embarked on this new journey with my kiddos.

The biggest takeaways with these books, and podcasts about homeschooling are these:

1. It is not about doing school at home but educating the whole child. Not just math, reading, writing, etc., but it goes farther and deeper than that. It goes to the heart of the child. Home educating involves teaching your children the basics. It also includes training them on how to live in the world.
2. Let them play

Since my kids are 5 and under I am in the season of play. It is hard to curb my enthusiasm of a new curriculum because I love new school supplies. But my boys, especially, need to play and use their imaginations. They learn best by playing. They need to test the limits. Learning to step back is a hard pill to swallow. Letting go of the expectation to sit down for 10-15 minutes a day doing book work was and is challenging.

Let them play

My oldest has a longer attention span. But my second oldest is still in his excitable 3’s and an engineering mind. Meaning he likes to take things apart and tries to see how they work… He is learning to put things back together again. My oldest loves art so he is constantly coloring or drawing. They both love to be outside exploring our “pond” and running around playing dragons and superheroes.

In all that, they are learning. It is hard to believe, but they are. They are learning spacial awareness, they are learning to take safe risks. They are growing their hand eye coordination, problem solving and so much more.

In our home, Home education looks like this:

1. 3 days a week we will sit down for 15 minutes and do one lesson a day.
2. Playing inside and outside
3. Reading books
4. Errands like banking and shopping
5. Caring for the house (rollback – see A Time for Everything)
6. Occasional Field trips

Below is how we have figured out what to do each day.

Learning to see everything we do as education has been helpful too. Play dates are socialization. Shopping teaches budgeting, meal planning, and socialization. Helping with meals and chores around the house teach crucial life skills and responsibility.

I have begun switching my mindset from home school to home education. From strictly book work to life skills and book work. In doing so doors have opened to a relaxed, fluid and alive education experience. Not only are my children having a slow-paced childhood, but they are learning so much along the way. Not only them, but me too.

Together we are learning, exploring, and growing together. And home education has made that possible!