As a mom and former homeschool teacher I wanted to remind you when #Homeschooling follow your heart and think outside the box and teach what your children are interested in. For Charlie this was being outside or playing video games. For Suzzane it was going to work with me and working with the different businesses in the Mall I worked at.
I know when people think about homeschooling, they often picture one parent sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of workbooks and lesson plans. While there were certainly days that looked like that in our home, our homeschool journey became so much more than books and assignments. Before you ask yes, that is what I thought before I began to homeschool and learned more from other parents.
One thing I learned over the years is that homeschooling does not have to be expensive. We homeschooled on a tight budget, using library books, everyday experiences, free resources, and a whole lot of creativity. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade those days for anything.
Before I get into today’s post, I always like to start at home. When Suzzane was #homeschooling it was just here and I. But with Charlie homeschooling wasn’t just my responsibility. It became a family mission, even on the days when none of us realized we were teaching.
Sometimes David and Charlie didn’t even know they were helping shape our homeschool. To be honest, there were many days when I didn’t know exactly what I was doing either. We learned together, made mistakes together, laughed together, and grew together.
David brought what we now jokingly call the “man content” long before we ever had a name for it. Instead of another worksheet, Charlie would watch his dad repair something around the house. They spent time working with tools, making simple repairs, learning about car maintenance, talking about the price of things, and figuring out how to solve real-life problems. Those weren’t just chores. They were lessons that prepared Charlie for adulthood.
Those moments taught patience, responsibility, and confidence. They showed him that sometimes the answer isn’t found in a textbook but by rolling up your sleeves and trying. Charlie added his own personality to our homeschool as he grew older.
He introduced gaming discussions that turned into conversations about strategy and teamwork. His love of technology encouraged all of us to keep learning. We talked about business ideas, explored creative projects, and laughed through plenty of humorous moments that became some of our favorite family memories.
Then there was #wrestling both online and in real-life as we learned about how it worked. There was gardening and cooking with his Grandmother Sherry and pe was walking either in the Park or around our neighborhood with my sister Debbie. Or Charlie and I riding bikes.
Those experiences reminded me that education isn’t confined to a classroom. Learning happens while cooking dinner, fixing a faucet, balancing a budget, building something together, or simply having meaningful conversations around the table.
Some of our greatest homeschool victories never showed up on a report card. They showed up in confidence. They showed up in character. They showed up in kindness. They showed up in the life skills that prepared Charlie for adulthood.
If you’re homeschooling today, I want to encourage you not to compare your journey to anyone else’s. If you’re teaching your children to love God, love people, work hard, solve problems, and keep learning, you’re doing more than enough.
Those are lessons that last a lifetime. Looking back now, I’m thankful for every unexpected lesson, every mistake, every laugh, and every ordinary day that became extraordinary simply because we spent it together. Homeschool wasn’t perfect.
Neither were we. But together, we made it work, and that’s one of the greatest blessings our family has ever shared.
What unexpected life lessons has your family learned together? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
