Originally published for Wild + Free Online Content Bundles in February 2023
Over the last nine years of homeschooling, my idea of “school” has slowly, but dramatically, changed. What used to be days chained to curriculum, checklists, and subjects deemed necessary by the professionals, has now been redeemed by a stronger sense of freedom and creativity over the way we spend our days.
Still, it’s easy for me to get off track and feel bound by invisible tethers to The Curriculum. If we don’t get the workbooks done, the prescribed subjects, or have a perfectly scheduled day, I might just throw my hands up declaring: “We didn’t do any school today!” But when the guilt and sense of failure eventually passes, as it always does, I settle back into the truth that we did do school that day.
In fact, every day is a school day; including Saturday’s, Sunday’s and holiday breaks. My attendance tracker will always have every day of the week checked off whether or not we did our math books, history, or writing, because there is so much more to school than sitting down with a pencil to paper and merely playing the part. Education happens organically at every turn.
There are things the kids need to learn and practice that everyone may not be all that enthusiastic about, but those things don’t need to be bound into the neatly tied subjects that are typically found in the four walls of a classroom. We get to do this however we want.
On days we don’t pull out our curriculum, so much is still happening. The kids bake, build in Minecraft, and write stories for fun. They plan and execute lemonade stands and budget their money for goodies at the bakery across the street. They make their own inventions and build their own forts. They tag along with Daddy as he makes home repairs, walks them through a woodworking project, or digs up clams for dinner. They write letters to pen pals, play Pay Day or Monopoly, and learn to play poker. Instruments are practiced through apps, hand knitting skills are honed, handstands are perfected, and the blows on the recorder start to turn into music.
My oldest earns her streak badges on Duolingo, my son makes, yet another, web-shooter prototype, and my youngest creates a beautiful painting, declaring: “I want to be an artist when I grow up!”. YouTube videos are recorded, edited, and posted teaching various “How-To’s” that the kids are eager to share. Power Point presentations on favorite animals are crafted.
They do their chores, take care of their animals, and help cook meals. The beauty in nature is noticed as we walk through the woods, play by the sea, and explore a nature reserve. Their character is shaped as they resolve conflicts, play with friends, and sit with the sick. They stop for a chat with an elderly neighbor, bake cookies for a local addictions group, or spend time volunteering at the library.
The truth is, this is so much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. If I don’t stop to take in all that is happening around me, I can often miss it. With the right environment, a few nudges, practical tools, and many beautiful books on every subject, their imaginations take off.
Every day is a school day because this actually isn’t a school at all. It’s a beautiful education where learning gets to be an extension of family.
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