Are you coming from a traditional schooling system that didn’t work? Many of you left in such a big and unsettling way that looking back is probably the last thing on your mind. You might not realize it, but there’s likely a level of trauma and/or grief tied to leaving.  Many of us want to shove that part of our lives deep down, never to return, but hear me out…Were there aspects of your old system that worked?

It wasn’t long after beginning school at home that we found ourselves wrapped up in failure. I experienced what many transitional homeschooling families experience when they try to recreate school at home.  It makes sense, if you think about it, traditional systems for traditionally raised children have deep systemic roots! However, I quickly realized the person traditional structures worked for was me.  Traditional systems didn’t work in school for my son and recreating the same structure in a new location was sure to fail! 

Although I had found some clarity, I didn’t know how to fix my problem or what to do next! I was so frustrated and wanted to take all aspects of the traditional system and throw them out the window, never to return! However, the opposite of traditional schooling was unschooling, and that kind of freedom evoked high levels of fear in this momma! So, I started doing some research and found an eclectic style of schooling was the right fit for our family! (If you’re wondering about your homeschooling style, there’s a free resource on our website!)

    I learned I didn’t have to stick with just one method, I could pick and choose what worked for my family.  I thrive on structure, but my strong-willed, creative 9-year-old needs more freedom, which is the reason we pulled from the traditional system in the first place!  I decided to go back to basics, taking a firm look at our “why” along with the pros and cons of traditional schooling vs. homeschooling and found there were aspects of our traditional schooling life I needed to re-implement.  

Homeschooling is all about finding balance in your season and learning to pivot and shift when friction rises! Each year of homeschooling will bring more clarity to your education design and your design will most likely differ from others because it’s tailored to you!  Remember, don’t jump ship if something isn’t working, instead break it down and analyze, taking the good and leaving the bad.  

While my son needs flexibility and freedom, I need structure! Now, we find places in our educational design where we can have both!

This experience inspired us to create an Education Design and Family Philosophy Resource Kit that will guide you in building a uniquely tailored design for your family!