I couldn't think of a single reason we keep choosing this

Wrapping up another beautiful “school year” at home.

Another year of playing mom, teacher, principal, chef, janitor, therapist, chauffeur, activities director—all hats I wouldn't trade for the world. (Insert huge shoutout to my husband, who somehow manages to hold and support all of it as the backbone alongside me.)

And thank you to one of the BEST (Sierra Ford Photography) for holding 'school photos' for us to capture this season.

It feels misleading to even refer to this moment as “wrapping up” because honestly, things don’t change much for us through the summer. We are always learning, and somehow doing the absolute most and the absolute least possible all at the same time LOL if you know, you know. But in that sense, taking a full summer “break” just doesn’t really vibe for us.

That said, we are pausing our regular co-op rhythm for the summer, and we did just complete our required end-of-year testing, which was pretty painless and felt really affirming and encouraging for all of us. (Note my state does not require testing, but the state funded scholarship we receive does).

And alas culturally, May is a moment of transition, so it still brings up all the reflective feels for me.

I originally started writing this more as a journal entry for myself, but I love sharing our homeschool journey because I think it often looks different than what people imagine. At the same time, I know homeschooling is not the right path for every child or every family, and there's nothing wrong with that.

There’s no one right way to learn, parent, or build a meaningful family life. This is simply the path that feels most aligned for us. I share it not to convince anyone, but to offer perspective and maybe encourage reflection—whether that leads someone to make changes or to feel more grounded in what’s already working well for their family.

I think the important part is the willingness to honestly question, reflect, and choose intentionally. That’s how we steward our families with care.

I also talked with a dear friend recently who has a toddler who told me she could never homeschool - until we talked deeper about what it looks like, how we grow into the role, and how we really are the best possible teachers for our own children. If that's you, someone who would love to consider homeschooling, but thinks its out of reach, then yes I am trying to convince you and would love to have a deeper convo if you'd find it supportive :)

Here goes my honest thoughts as we 'wrap up' this year ...

My hygienist last week asked me why we homeschool, and I honestly couldn’t think of a single reason to rattle off — because for us, it’s all of the reasons.

Reflecting on it later with Charles had us both appreciating again how aligned this path continues to feel for our family.

There isn’t a single reason we homeschool because there isn’t a single reason you could convince us there’s a better way for our family.

Is it hard? Yes.

Overstimulating at times to be with your kids 24/7? Yeppp.

Do I wrestle with self-doubt about whether I’m doing enough or teaching them everything they’ll need to know to be successful in life? Hell yeah I do.

And also that’s all kind of the point.

Homeschooling is hard because it takes grit. Like anything else worth having in life, it takes willingness — to try, to work, to stay present with the friction. And it equally takes trust and surrender to the process. And in the way we choose to lean into our childrens' natural interests and strengths, it takes a willingness to surrender to THEM.

It becomes overstimulating when something is off — when I’m not taking care of myself, putting too much pressure where it doesn’t belong, we’re off our “rhythm”, need to update our systems, or ask for support. And honestly, learning how to recognize and navigate that gets to be part of homeschooling, too. Executive functioning, communication, self-awareness, problem solving, teamwork — these are life skills. So instead of pretending I have it all together all the time, we get to have honest conversations and work through those things together as a family.

As for the “am I doing enough” question. Oooph. This obviously shows up in many ways and different areas of motherhood, not just homeschooling, and I could go on and on about it and have shared on this topic in the past. But when it comes to homeschooling specifically, no, I’m actually not trying to keep up with everything they’d be learning in public school. I’m not focused on them knowing everything or pressuring myself to check every box. I have to remind myself of this often, as a former A-student who actually enjoyed school, it's hard to not want to keep up.

But by releasing that expectation, we get to give more quality attention to the boxes we do choose to check. More depth. We get to approach learning with slow curiosity, wonder, and creativity instead of rushing and shoving information through.

The spacious time I get to have with my kids, the deep conversations we hold, the questions, the communication skills, the confidence, the life skills, the authenticity and self-awareness I see blossoming inside them, the perseverance, respect, and genuine love of learning that continues to grow… when I focus on that, it all feels deeply worth it.

These are years I won’t get back, and I’m not about to miss out on being with them, while giving them every opportunity to learn in their own way, at their own pace, and by leaning into their personal strengths and interests.

I don’t hear about their day — I’m involved in it.

I don’t just know of their friends; I know their friends intimately. And their friends’ moms have become some of my best friends, too. Community is a whole other layer of this journey that continues to surprise me with just how much it matters. I honestly couldn't do it without their encouragement, shared wisdom, and regular meaningful fellowship.

This year, we:

• logged countless hours outside (I really need to track this next year!)

• spent the majority of our time barefoot

• ate three home-cooked meals most days (as long as you count bare chicken for breakfast as home cooked LOL)

• learned about helping create said meals, nutrition, + clean up

• read over 200 books

• participated in 3 community service days (honestly, looking to get this number higher as the kids get older)

• started gymnastics

• learned alongside our Root and Rise community

• explored local farms, state parks, and nature centers

  ... grew plants and relationships, worked through hard moments, celebrated the small wins, and continued building a life that feels intentional and aligned for our family.

At the end of the day, that’s what homeschooling means to us. It’s not about doing school at home — it’s about doing life together.

It’s about giving our kids the freedom and opportunity to truly know themselves, to stay connected to who they are, and to build the resilience and adaptability needed to navigate an ever-evolving world with confidence, curiosity, and humanity.

I'd love to hear, do you homeschool or are you considering it? What is important to you about it?