A New Year in Home Learning

So it's official - we are now really home educating.

It was a day of mixed emotions yesterday as many Arthur's friends started school. He had moments when he wondered if he should have chosen school. I did too. I am a single parent trying to do it all. I have no support whatsoever from anyone. I have a business to build a home to run and money to earn. Can I really do it all?

We chatted for a while about it. He decided that school would probably be like kindy as kindy is getting you ready for school. I said I thought he might be right about that. He concluded that it would be fun if he just went for about an hour a week. Unfortunately schools don't seem to be so flexible. He concluded that the activities we have planned with the home school group, and swimming and circus and tennis and garden grubs and young naturalists was a much better option.

I got over my pity party too. I just have to be organised. I'm not the first person in my situation - people have been successful in this business while homeschooling 10 kids. I love the freedom that we have. We can be where we want whenever we want, without the restriction of school hours or terms, or work hours and limited holiday. I get to raise my child instead of an institution. It's hard, but the benefits make it all worth while.

First day of Pre-Primary - Home Ed Style

So we're two days in. Yesterday we spent the day sorting though all our resources and creating learning space. The we went for a swim at the pool for the first time in ages. We've been to the beach a lot this summer and it was amazing to see how much more confident he was in the water. The we played a letter game.

Today we've written the shopping list, been to the local produce shop and the supermarket for the rest. We met a friend at a cafe, played in the play ground walked on the beach, learned a few words, did two science activities as the opportunity arose, and made a train out of rubbish.

And I got all my work done and even had a little me time.

We can do this!