Homeschooling when your Kids are Intense

A few days ago I had the pleasure of facilitating a local workshop for parents who are considering homeschooling this next school year.  As the parents arrived I could tell that they were filled with a mixture of ......curiosity and excitement sure but to be honest.....yes- more than a little bit of fear.

Could they do this?    

What would others think?  

Could they get their spouse on board?  

Would their kids fall behind their peers?
 
What about college and transcripts,

and well being a success in life?


As our evening unfolded they shared with me their stories about why they felt that leaving mainstream school was the best choice for their families.

There were 2 moms who said that they had always thought about homeschooling ( but had not yet done so) and 1 who had homeschooled on and off but for the rest of the 15 other families- this was something entirely new and unexpected.  

They told stories of kids who were not getting challenged in school, of kids crying everyday- not wanting to go, of tummy aches and and  constant worries. They shared about the bright light of curiosity starting to dim and of happy kids starting to seem well.....not so happy.  They shared stories about kids with reading challenges that were falling behind despite support from the school and other kids who were extremely bored and not engaged.

A couple of parents shared how homeschooling was the only option for their kids with health issues which made school a potentially unsafe place to be and while homeschooling wasn't their first choice- they were willing do it for the sake of their child's needs. 

After I left the workshop-  I felt inspired to continue to support others on this journey, to offer a safe space to share the struggles and the accomplishments along the way.

I know firsthand that it can feel like a very lonely place to be at times especially when everyone in your local area is doing the school thing and you suddenly find yourself outside that circle staring in. You may feel isolated when others don't understand  or seem to care.

It is a strange experience when your neighbors are talking about homework, parent teacher conferences or school issues and you are planning what curriculum to use next year, or  your next field trip or learning adventure.  

I promise you are not alone. Most of the parents in our community didn't come to homeschooling because it was what we always wanted to do. We didn't question that school was the logical next step for our kids, in fact if anything we tried to ignore the signs that maybe it wasn't going to work because we wanted so badly to believe that it would.

We love our kids desperately but we also looked forward to the break that school would provide us to catch our breath or explore our own interests.
Listen, ​our kids are intense, asynchronous, emotional little beings.  They push us to our limits and force us to find a strength we didn't know we had.  I need to make something clear for fear that you may misunderstand.. 

For those of us raising emotionally intense, creative souls -
homeschooling isn't really something we CHOOSE....in fact , I think it is
pretty safe to say that homeschooling CHOSE US.  It is what we do because it is what our kids need and somehow by a miracle almost we are able to rise to the occasion.  

Sometimes parents tell me that they could never homeschool their kids because they are too intense, they'll never listen to them. They question how they would they ever get their kids to learn if they were the teacher when homework is already such a battle. I understand since I have been blessed with 4 of these strong willed driven little fireballs. 

I promise you , you can do this. You are stronger than you think you are. Let go of the fear, the doubt and the uncertainty.

You have a community of other parents who get it waiting on the other side ready to lift you up and guide you-just when you need it.

You got this!