Home Schooling!

If you haven't been watching my Youtube Channel, then you might not know that I have started home schooling Alice. It wasnt something that was ever really off the table. We knew straight away that if she didn't get into a school we liked, she would stay home until a place came up. And that is exactly what has happened. We are third on the waiting list for our preferred school, and until that comes up (if ever) we are educating Alice at home.

Of course, I'm dedicating Thomas too, because he's at home with me still. I was incredibly nervous about this all summer because it feels like (and is) a very big responsibility. The early years are so important to get right, as they begin to develop their lifelong attitude towards learning.

However, after the first week at home I have a completely different view on it. I LOVE it. I can already see that my eagerness to go an buy every single work book for 4-5 year olds and flash cards was a little wrong. Because Alice is learning through play and exploration every day! All by herself! I am understanding more and more that my role as an educator in her life, is to encourage her to keep asking questions, to answer ones she can not for herself and to provide her with activities and toys that enable her to explore the world.

The other day we captured some snails in some containers. We put in leaves and the kids were fascinated by them. They named them, Sophie and Steve. Which led us to talk about the letter "S". We wrote the letter, they drew pictures of snails, we counted up the leaves for their dinner. Alice asked questions, most of which I had to google, such as "do snails sleep?" and "How do snails drink?" They were both amazed and entertained by the snail poo left all over the containers.

I was just amazed about how many learning opportunities came from the simple activity of finding some snails in the garden. And it just opened my eyes to what this home schooling is all about. It's about allowing your children to develop and lear at their own pace. It feels incredibly natural, and nothing like learning at all to be honest! Because it's all just fun, and child led. And I feel like I am starting to trust my children to be inquisitive and creative and able to learn without me telling them how to all the time!

So one week in, and we are loving it. Would love to hear if you homeschool, and any other home schooling blogs you know where I can get some more ideas for (I realised very quickly that my crafting ideas extend to cut out snakes and painting! Haha!) xx