My Favorite Part of Homeschooling

When we first started homeschooling, I was telling my husband every other day that we should
start looking at potential schools for our children because I just couldn't do it. "I AM FAILING."
No one listens to me. Everyone laughs hysterically when I make letter sounds. They just want to do math
all day, every day. We can't even pray without someone needing to pee. He's touching me. I'm hungry.
Baby's crying. Don't move. "Ok, we're done with school for today."

...as I gather whatever morale I have left and go nurse Bella in a secluded room with the noisemaker
on HIGH. Take it from here, Wild Kratts?! That'll be acceptable on a transcript, right?
Elementary school of Netflix. Check.

So one morning, about two weeks in to this whole fiasco of bright ideas about homeschool Kindergarten
lessons plans and legit schedules, I had an epiphany. Possibly a conversion. Maybe both?!
An epiphersion.

We don't teach our kids at home only to imitate everything they do in the system. We homeschool
to give ourselves and our children the FREEDOM to learn, explore, create and be at their own pace,
in the environment we think is best for them at this time. Amongst other things of course.

I decided to quit saying "NO" to my children's cues
and let them lead and teach me (teaching them) instead.

You want to do math all day? Fine.
You want to cut straight lines until we run out of paper? Great.
You want to play outside? I'm coming too.

Obviously this is all within reason and their general safety. The other day Judah told me he had
an "idea" and asked for all the pillows in the house and a tube of caulk. Apparently he had a vision
of a "giant pillow" he could use on the trampoline (this is what I'm dealing with!), but it had to be
massively reimagined and funded by the parent-teacher association of me.

And now it's my favorite part of homeschooling.
Learning with my children rather than teaching at them.
Getting on their level and seeing the world again through the eyes of a child.
Feeling the excitement and wonder and joy of listening and understanding -
of being free to be wild and whimsy.

We felt called, and knew it would be a good idea to homeschool our children this year, but I didn't
see that it was going to be such a gift for me too. I need this as much as they do. Together we are
learning and re-learning the beauty of the world around us -- and all the lessons God has tucked
away for us to turn over, explore, dissect, collect and LOVE. It is good to be little.