One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the ability to find what works for you.
It's funny, because it really feels like that is something that bugs a lot of "non homeschoolers" when they ask about our day. When I tell them we switched math curriculum mid-year, went to a four day per week schedule, do work on the floor, bring work to Panera or Starbucks, or anything that doesn't seem standard for school, I get a lot of raised eyebrows and skeptical looks. No one is rude to me, no one says anything that comes across as "anti", but when you're going against the tide, breaking your own path, it does make people look at your with a little bit of a slant.
The thing that I love most about homeschooling IS that flexibility to think outside the box. Or maybe inside the box, but a different box than you thought. I love reading about how other homeschoolers work. Some people wake up, get dressed, and sit together in the morning. Some people take a slower approach to the morning and work in the afternoons. Some people do a lot online, some people take a tech free approach.
Honestly, last year, when our co-op had our year end showcase, I loved looking at the varied displays. Some had lapbooks demonstrating all the units. Some showed off journals. Some made videos. Some displayed their work on posters. And all the moms get to chat, look at what works for others, and decide what might work for them.
I've always been a pretty beaten path girl, but I'm finding that teetering out of the box with regard to schooling is letting me explore other ways to break with the norm. I started organizing our vacation things differently. I started treating our mornings and evenings differently. Why was I stressing about how dance was interfering with family dinners when we had a full day together? Sure, the experts recommend everyone sit down to dinner together. But we were together all day. We could have our family time at breakfast. Or lunch.
And if our life doesn't look exactly like my neighbors, I'm ok with it. Their box isn't my box.
But I'm open to suggestion.
