Back to School

Well, the school’s been phoned, registration is next week and my eldest starts on the 4th. 
And while I sit in my room with fingers crossed that she won’t like it, my girl is eagerly excited to start her first day in high school.

She won’t like it… right? Surely!

But still, she will try it.

We’ve homeschooled since day one and the reasons behind that have been varied.
Yes, I’ve wanted them to have individual educational experiences, with the space to follow their passions and interests. 
Yes, I love the freedom. We’ve not done half enough traveling as we intended and world schooling is knocking at my heart begging to give it a try… but still the ability to know we can go when we want etc. That’s important to me.

But mostly, I love being together. I love sharing our worlds together. 

I’ve loved homeschooling, despite the scattered and sometimes confusing time of it we’ve had over the years. 
And although my eldest is off to try high school because she’s always been curious, we still have 2 here at home with us.
So, today I thought I’d share what resources we’ll be using this year. (Because people often ask!)

First of all, Oak Meadow is our favorite curriculum by far and creates the foundation of education.
As you may know our daughter has been using the curriculum for the past two grades and it has transformed everything.
She started with the grade 7 and feel in love with world history.
We watched as her confidence started to build and she felt she was really learning and absorbing… not just memorizing and forgetting as had been happening before. Now in the grade 8 she’s already completed the English and Civics, both which were incredible, and she has science and Math to move on with.

With an elder sister gone for most of the day, I’m aware of some shifts in energy for sure. So, we’re also talking about working through one of the fine arts courses or photography courses that Oak Meadow has offered in the high school grades, so she can add some sparkle to life. Starting a year with science and math for that girl is a little rough!

I'm looking at some Oak Meadow for my 9 year old as well. 
He learns best with lots of observing and exploring, and up until this past year has mostly been unschooled. But this year we’re shifting that around as he needs some more routine to create balance for him. 
We’ll be looking at the beautiful nature curriculum Exploring Nature for Children, as the tasks and explorations there speak to his natural scientist. I highly recommend you look at that program as well as an addition to your curriculum.
My son has also been interested in learning about world religions lately,
as he’s been asked “what he is” a few times and it got him curious.
So, I’ll be laying out some basic concepts of traditions and cultures we can explore together, along with geography and world history.
For September we'll be getting into a groove of learning together, which has been a little bumpy of road sometimes with him. Each child is different!

I’m eager to integrate some more mindful practices this year for (fingers crossed) all three of my kids. 
They’ve been raised with spiritual tools, they know about meditation, grounding, energy work and LOA, but they have also been free to practice them or not.
Lately, it’s been more in the not, which is fine as it provides contrast. However…
With my eldest going to school I’ve asked her to install Insight Timer on her phone and get into the habit of some quick meditations so she can feel like herself in the day.

Meanwhile, we’ll be doing some yoga, meditation and reviewing exercises from Spiritual Kids at home starting in September.

Spiritual Tools aren’t just taught, they have to be lived and experienced. Talking just makes things go stale. That's why Spiritual Kids was created, so that I wouldn't just keep going on and on! LOL
I find that each stage in my children’s lives have brought out different answers or perspectives when we review things and, like a build up of energy, remembering how to find that drop space and centre creates a feeling of lightness and alignment within them.

This summer my children have experiences some huge shifts with sleepovers, playdates, and new perspectives. They talk about how they feel like they are exploring different realities, so, by putting a little attention on mindfulness and meditation, they will find the bridge to realities and be able to feel true to themselves in all worlds.

I may homeschool because I love having my kids at home… but I’m not naive. There is coming a time when they will be exploring the world more and this year, with these tools in place, I hope to give them a strong foundation where they can find their true home, wherever they are.