Learning Each Other

I never thought I would be the one to homeschool. I always believed it was incredible for the families who did it, but not for me. I didn’t think I had the desire or the patience.

Yet here I am, six months into our first year homeschooling my nine and four-year-old.

After my daughter’s year of kindergarten, I knew it wasn’t right for her. We found an incredible private school, along with an even more incredible scholarship that made it possible. It felt like home. The teachers were wonderful, the mission spoke to me, and I am fairly certain the director is a saint who descended directly from heaven. The people there quickly became a pivotal part of our lives and community.

When we learned we were moving to England, I knew I would never find something that matched what we were leaving behind. So homeschooling it was.

The transition has not been easy, but it also hasn’t been as hard as I expected. I feel confident it was the right choice for our family. We are still figuring it out day by day, and I have learned so much about my children and about myself.

My daughter needs structure and clear expectations, while I naturally operate in a go-where-the-wind-takes-me way. To meet both our needs, we created a daily rhythm (see picture below). There are no time constraints, but it gives us a grounding anchor. It has become one of my favorite things we’ve made together.

I’ve also come to understand how differently my children learn. My son wants to do things together. He likes being the helper. My daughter wants independence. She prefers to figure things out on her own.

I see this most clearly in the kitchen. As much as I want to be the kind of parent who loves cooking with my kids, it honestly stresses me out. Cooking feels like an art to me, and sometimes I just want to move through it quietly.

My Helper grabs things from the fridge, throws things away, rinses dishes, and uses the chopper. With Miss Independent, I find simple recipes and stay nearby if she needs me. She loves making dessert after dinner and preparing small meals for herself. It lets her learn through experience, including discovering why wet and dry ingredients sometimes need to be mixed separately after producing one very strange batch of cookies.

Whether it is cookies or crayons, chemistry or communication, I expected to teach my children. Instead, we are learning each other.

-Katherine