As with every journey in life, the road we find ourselves currently on is not necessarily the one we planned from the start. This is so true concerning our schooling journey. After attending school for a few years, we decided to home-school our children who were at that stage 10, 8 and 3 years old.
Diving into the deep end, we had a lot to learn. I remember that the first 9 months were like having a baby for the first time. I felt clueless, even after reading numerous books and articles on the subject. How will we ever manage to do (never mind complete) this successfully? Thankfully there were people who could assist us along the way. I am grateful for Martie du Plessis from Dynamis Learning who gave us practical advice on how and where to start.
And still there were days that I wanted to throw in the towel, and other days I felt on top of it all. I have learned that you need to find a ‘new normal’, whatever that may look like for your family. Do not decide too quickly that you cannot do this, because only time will tell, and time is patient.
After 11 years we are still going strong and 2 of our chicks are done with ‘formal schooling.’ We could not have survived, nor thrived, on this journey without the support of family, friends, fellow home-schoolers (in our town and the broader internet community), and knowing in our hearts that this is the path that God wanted our family to follow.
I encourage you to find out what the path is that your family needs to travel on. Enjoy the journey and the detours when they come. Take time to ‘live in the moment’ but also plan (loosely) concerning the future.