What Home Schooling Really Looks Like
& the misconceptions around it
there is so much uncertainty when it comes to homeschooling. Many people, just like us at the beginning, have no idea where to start. Even now, we are constantly learning, but we have built a basic understanding of what’s required.
We are incredibly thankful for the local communities and friends around us, those who have homeschooled themselves or know someone who has. Those conversations opened doors for us. They gave us the opportunity to ask the questions we didn’t even know how to ask at the time.
How do we start?
Who do we turn to?
Will our families understand the path we are choosing for our kids?
At the beginning, we truly had no idea.
One of the biggest misconceptions around homeschooling is the structure, accessibility, and what is actually required day to day. Like anything, it comes down to the effort you put in and what you believe is best for your children. Some may lean toward a more traditional, textbook-style approach, while others — like us — take a more relaxed, hands-on approach to learning and life.
We are not naive to the fact that children need to learn the basics, reading, writing, and math are important. But what we have discovered on this journey is that there are so many ways to teach these fundamentals beyond sitting down with a book or placing a laptop in front of them.
Our boys are grounded, humble, and full of energy, like most young boys. Sitting them down and trying to force structured learning that doesn’t interest them simply doesn’t work for us. What does work is interactive learning.
Being in the garden.
Being in the kitchen.
Working in the shed.
Building, creating, having honest conversations.
Teaching them about money, playing games like Monopoly, the list goes on.
We’ve embraced this way of learning, making it hands-on and engaging, while still ensuring they understand the basics.
Homeschooling in our home isn’t perfect. There are days, sometimes even weeks, where the kids are more interested in going to the beach, getting their toes in the sand, or helping their grandparents in the garden or shed.
And you know what? That’s okay.
That’s life.
We don’t keep things overly structured, and for us, that’s part of the beauty of it. It teaches the kids that life isn’t always perfect. Some days flow well, some days don’t. Some days might involve ten minutes of structured work, and the rest is filled with real-life learning.
Something we didn’t realise at the start is that there are different pathways within homeschooling. There are requirements we need to meei, reporting to a governing body, completing reports, and documenting progress.
A few times a year, my husband completes a detailed report — often around 25 pages, outlining what our son has been learning, providing evidence of progress, and planning what’s ahead. It includes what will be taught, how it will be taught, and who will be involved.
And yes, every time that email comes through, it brings a level of pressure.
But for us, this lifestyle works.
The structure we follow allows us to incorporate so much more than traditional learning, things like yoga, French, business, banking, and building. We can sit down with our son and ask what he wants to learn, then shape that into his education.
Is it a lot of work? Yes.
Do we have days where we question it? Absolutely.
Have we considered traditional schooling? Of course.
I handle the homeschooling while my husband works, and like any path, it comes with its challenges.
But every day we are learning, discovering, building, and growing together — and for us, it feels right.
If you’re considering homeschooling or simply want to learn more, please feel free to reach out. We are always open to sharing our experiences, especially knowing how uncertain and overwhelming it can feel at the beginning.
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