We’ve established that we shouldn’t expect a homeschool day in one home to look like a homeschool day in another. But what about the actual homes? Do they have anything in common? Maybe a little more than the actual activities, but not by much.
You can peg some homeschool homes before you barely get your foot in the door. Bulletin boards on dining room walls, sagging bookshelves, oddly accessible crayons and glue, marked up maps, and paper, paper, paper everywhere!
But I have also entered the homes of friends whom I know homeschool and couldn’t tell by looking around. That can mean they have an area of the house set aside especially for homeschooling, they school in a manner that doesn’t call for all the trappings of a ‘class room,’ or they are just a lot cleaner than I am!
I had one friend who had a converted bedroom with sweet little desks set in a row facing a giant white board and all four walls packed with supplies. The door leading to the room had my friend’s name on it—as in Mrs. Teacher! The first time I entered, I was speechless. It was so different from my mish-mashed house.
Yet again I was humbled and thrilled by the differences between my friend and I. As our friendship blossomed, the way we both chose to educated our children changed. We influenced one another without pressure, but by just being ourselves.
As you homeschool, have fun being you. Ask friends what their day and homes look like. This is a time when stealing ideas can be a good thing! But be cautious about emulating at the expense of your own family’s personality. If you erase yourself from your own day, how on earth will you ever shine for others?
And if you don’t have any friends who homeschool, seek out a homeschool group. Every major homeschool association and network, whose existence is to support homeschooling families in their noble endeavor include joining a local homeschool support group on their short list of how to get started!
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