As we approach fall, I have been spending these hot late summer afternoons eagerly going through our homeschool cabinet, replacing old crayons and markers with new, sorting bins and flipping through the new curriculums I hope will engage my rising second grader in new and fun ways. This will be year two of our homeschooling journey, and while I don’t know if this will be a forever thing, or something that works for all four of our children long term, or at all – I do know it is right for our family right now.
I want to start by saying, I am not one of those super opinionated ‘shove it down your throat’ people when it comes to homeschool and what I believe to be right or wrong for kids. I wholeheartedly believe every parent and family has their own distinct calling when it comes to the school decisions. I also believe each child is unique and comes with his or her own set of needs, interests and preferences and therefore – I truly don’t believe there to be a singular school approach that will work perfectly for every child.
However, for our family, and our military lifestyle, it has been quite a good fit, and I will share those reasons below:
- Creating Stability in an Unpredictable Military Life. This is probably the most common reason you will get from military moms as to why they choose to homeschool. The stability that homeschooling provide kids in a life of so much instability is hard to pass up. Not only does it relieve military families of being limited to optimal school districts when house hunting, but also eliminates the chore of researching and enrolling, disenrolling and anticipating good or bad teachers, friend groups, etc. It simplifies life so much. Kids already must adapt to so much when moving around. The art of “building resiliency” in military brats does not need to include the acclimation to school after school. Kids already have to adapt to so many things besides school, such as new homes, new churches, new friend groups, new climates. Why also have them adapt to a new school when it might not be essential? Some kids will be more adaptable by nature, and changing schools might not be a big deal. But for others, it could be a very hard transition — and ultimately be the right choice for them to have the stability of the homeschool environment.
- Flexibility When Military Life Isn’t. This is another big one. Homeschool provides unique flexibility to military families which can be very helpful in certain seasons such as middle of the year PCSing, block leave windows and deployments. Homeschooling gives parents the ability to schedule school when it works best for the family and allows for making family time when military life allows for it. Just as homeschool provides stability amidst an unstable lifestyle, it also provides flexibility in an often inflexible lifestyle.
- Turning Every Duty Station Into a Classroom. Being a military family usually entails moving every few years, and each time you move to a new place, you have so many unique learning experiences at your fingertips. These might include state parks, museums, new cultures, ecosystems, and historical sites. ‘Field trip’ opportunities become endless and will truly create some of the best memories at each duty station. In Washington, some of our favorite field trips have included tide pooling, berry picking, the annual Skagit valley tulip festival, and a family trip to the Washington Coast where we visited the Tree of Life and some iconic beaches.
- Strengthening Family Bonds Through Homeschooling: When you move often, it can naturally bring you closer with your immediate family members. Sibling bonds are strengthened by the perpetual turnover of friendships and the reality that family is one of the only constants. Homeschool life only makes those bonds stronger as you spend your mornings and days together learning, visiting new places, and making the best of wherever you are together as a family unit.
- A Personalized Education That Fits Your Child: This is a major perk for our family, specifically. My son doesn’t actually enjoy learning as much as I hoped he would. He didn’t enjoy public school during the year we sent him, and he doesn’t always appreciate homeschool learning either. I look at it from the perspective of being grateful he is only required to spend an hour or so per day learning at home with me, versus six hours in the school setting. I also like that I can cater to his unique interests outdoors and make math fun and engaging with food, interactive activities and games. I can choose books I know he will enjoy and be motivated to read.
Homeschool was never our plan as a family… but it’s where we have landed for now. Just like living in Washington State, it’s been a beautiful (sometimes scary) and unexpected adventure that has grown and shaped our family in ways we never could have imagined.
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