People often ask me how I manage to homeschool three children, and the honest answer is that we simply make it work one day at a time.
Several years ago, my husband left and started a new life elsewhere. Unfortunately, he no longer has any involvement with the children, so everything falls to me. Like many single parents, there have been difficult days, but there have also been some wonderful moments that I would not trade for anything.
We live in a small village many miles away from the nearest school. There is no public transport here, and because I do not drive, getting children to and from school every day would be extremely difficult. What I do have is a reliable push bike and plenty of determination.
Home education has allowed us to create a routine that suits our family. Every weekday we spend at least two hours focusing on Maths and English. These are the subjects I like to keep structured because they form the foundation for so much future learning.
After that, our learning becomes much more natural and flexible.
We spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in the local woods. The children love exploring nature, identifying plants, spotting wildlife and collecting interesting leaves, feathers and seeds. A simple walk can easily turn into a science lesson, an art project and a discussion about local history all at the same time.
I also strongly believe that life skills are just as important as academic subjects.
When the children help prepare meals, they are learning planning, measuring and responsibility. When they help clean the house, they are learning organisation and teamwork. Gardening teaches patience, science and problem solving. These are all valuable skills that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Some days do not go to plan. Sometimes somebody is not feeling motivated, the weather is awful, or life simply gets in the way. That is normal.
What matters most to me is that my children are happy, learning and growing into kind, capable people.
Home education is not always easy, but it has given us the freedom to learn together, spend more time as a family and enjoy opportunities that we might otherwise have missed.
For our family, that is worth every challenge.
