Year one is under our belts!  I’m so proud of us.  I guess technically the year isn’t entirely over, they are still doing math and cursive 3 days a week, but it’s pretty much done.

I’ve been getting asked a lot how our first year was, and I’m so happy and thankful to say that it was great.  It was even better than I thought it would be (not that I knew what to expect).  I didn’t know how much I would love it.  So as I sip my coffee in the wee hours, here are some reflections on our first year at home.

> I didn’t start homeschooling because I’m patient, but it has certainly made me more patient!  Being home all day with our three kids, with subjects to accomplish, being responsible for their education – I’m learning how to prioritize.  They just have to come first.  If I let myself get distracted by something less important, that’s when I get impatient with them and even annoyed.  If I focus on them and being available to them, I am so much more calm and patient.  (That being said, I’m done teaching around 4:30 when it’s time to work on supper.  School’s over, if you’re not done by now you’re on your own.  They’re usually done by then.)

> I thought I loved planning until I started homeschooling, turns out I deeply, passionately love planning!! Oh the calendars…

> I thought my kids lacked the ability to manage their time – turns out they just didn’t really need to before, or they didn’t see the direct result of it.  They learned very early in our school year that it would benefit them to buckle down and get their work done.  They’re usually all done by lunch so they have the rest of the day to play.  I couldn’t have taught them that, they had to figure it out on their own.

> Our slow days are amazing. Sometimes we have busy days, but we all hate them.

> I’m never alone.  This one gets tough (hence the sipping coffee in the wee hours part of the intro).  Thankfully my kids are old enough that I can run errands and leave them at home, but I’m never at home alone unless my parents graciously ask if they can take the kids for a few days.  For real – gigantic blessing!

> Most importantly, my kids love homeschooling.  They say they love the field trips the most, but I know there’s more than that.  They love the slow days, the flexibility, getting their work done on their time, doing school outside, popsicles after lunch, visiting family when we want (school in the car!), easier access to their teacher… they’re happy.  It’s good.