The school of life – our first BIG decision

Our first big decision has come and gone with respect to what our “new normal” will look like – we have made the decision to keep going with homeschooling Hunter next year.

I have absolutely loved the experience this year while travelling – it has given us a front row seat to see what excites him, where he is passionate about something and what frustrates him from a learning perspective. It has also made all of us much more aware of the learning opportunities around us every day, and how to make the most of them.

Tim and I do our best to answer every question that is being asked or to guide him to find a solution, rather than blowing them off because we are juggling too many balls or tired.

Last night he announced that he wanted to get a TV, a DVD player and an electronic pencil sharpener and take them apart to see how they work! I am sooo excited that he is now exploring his own curiosity and we are just here to guide and support him.

Last week Hunter and I came across a bike in the ditch down the street. He decided to bring it home to see if we could fix it. He had been spending a little time with Tim working on our bikes but you’re never sure how much kids are paying attention. I put the bike up on the stand and the next thing I knew, he had all of Tim’s tools out and was engrossed in this bike. 2 hours went by and he managed to take the whole thing apart and clean it, grease it etc. It’s such a dump bike that it’s not actually fixable but the experience was invaluable. And the best part was this was in the middle of a “school day”!

I am also loving the peaceful mornings – Hunter gets up when he gets up and there is no more rush to get breakfasts into everyone, lunches made and he and I out the door. The combination of homeschooling and me doing contract work has decreased the stress level at our house ten fold. We will make less money with this approach next year but it will be a worthwhile investment in our family and our selves!