Homeschool: The start of our journey

Well, the time has officially begun where more structure is being added into our daily routine and this mama is so excited about it! I feel like I've been researching, prepping, and eagerly awaiting this season more than any other. My eldest turned five this year, she's an eager learner to begin with, and so we decided it was time to get our bearings to begin our gentle kindergarten year at home.

Coming from the classroom as a former first grade teacher (absolutely loving it), I knew when having my first baby, the call to be home and homeschool was so strong I couldn't ignore it. Thankfully, I had mentors and family close by that had already paved the path and are personal cheerleaders from day one and my husband was already on board with the idea as our family shifted to more of a "Wild and Free" inspired family, prioritizing nature, camping adventures on a whim, and focusing on savoring childhood, we knew we wanted to be able to keep our schedules and theirs preserved for what was best for our family. So, homeschooling took root in our hearts.

One of the first introductions into a Charlotte Mason education was at the very start of us even toying with the idea. We were debating biting the bullet on purchasing an Airstream right after our second child was born. And when I say right after our second was born... I mean I think I had a two year old and a two week old and we were seriously debating adding camping to our schedule. Looking back, I can't believe I was on board as I was, but something ignited in our hearts and we took the leap. Anyway, digressed, the first introduction was at a large family dinner where I nonchalantly mentioned us flirting with the idea of an Airstream and my aunt says to me, "that's so Charlotte Mason" after I'm sure to have overshared our reasonings behind our why, etc., etc. Then goes the deep dive into what exactly her philosophy of education is, how books we choose to expose our children to matter so much more than I ever realized prior (and a helpful thing I wish I'd have known teaching), and falling in love even more with the idea of homeschool. Ultimately that comment about Charlotte Mason spearheaded me to get on board with as much camping and adventuring we could add to our schedule, as well as challenging me on being more of a gatekeeper of great literature to expose our family to. Do we still read cheesy stories? Absolutely. I am a huge fan of reading what makes me happy, and sometimes that's a Fancy Nancy book, or a fun frivolous Emily Henry book for myself.

However, with the ease into this lifestyle, a few resources that were gifted to me that really helped my journey are below:

1. Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys M. Hunt: this book is a delight in every way. Even if you aren't a homeschooling family, the wealth of knowledge on reading aloud to your children. It's filled with wonderful book lists broken down in a way that is easy to filter through and start checking off books to snag at the library or to add to your family library at home. Don't let this book scare you away from its size because it's truly a gem. I wish I'd of had it when I was teaching and am so blessed I was gifted it to help me create a foundation for our home library.

2. The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson: in every Sally Clarkson book you are challenged to step up in a way for your family, but the realness that she presents these challenges are filled with empathy and understanding. This book is one that leaves you feeling ready to take on the noble call of motherhood.

3. The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie: another book about the importance of books in your home and one of the biggest impact on realizing I am the gatekeeper of what comes into our homes. It's not a free for all at the library and beyond, not that I don't let them pick whatever books they want to enjoy because I do, however, over time they have come to realize what a good book holds even at five and two. Here's a great quote from Sarah's book. "It’s tempting to tell our kids which books they should or shouldn’t like, but good taste is acquired over time. It also varies from person to person. God gave each of us unique taste buds, and because of that we can enjoy rich and varied culinary experiences. I’m convinced that he gave us unique literary taste buds for the same reason." I somehow read this on my Kindle, but highly recommend a hard copy.

4. Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally and Clay Clarkson: The first education based book I read in the sense it's geared towards educating your littles and is in the form of a textbook. I guess that probably isn't the right term, but it's a big one. And it's full of tangible material as well as encouragement on listening to God's calling for your family.

I hope this is a helpful starting place because it was where I was guided at the start of our journey and each of these books has been a huge blessing. I hope they will be to your families, too!