It is funny how sometimes you fall into something unexpected and it just works so beautifully.

When our eldest reached the age kids in Scotland traditionally start attending primary school we had our held backs. At the time we were just getting in the swing of things with the twins and the eldest two were such a little team, something just did not feel right splitting them up. Our local primary school, albeit ideally located right across the road did not exactly took our breath away either. I made some research and with the encouragement of a few friends already on the journey, we decided to give homeschooling a go. What a trip it has been!

I cannot begin to describe how rewarding it is to watch your kid read for the first time, the look of joy and pure amazement they have when they realise they are reading by themselves! I think there are very few moments like this a parent gets past the early years, maybe the first bike ride without safety wheels but past a certain age a lot of firsts happen at school and parents miss a lot. So homeschooling has been special in this sense.

Both our eldest two are now well on their way into learning. Reading is a huge stepping stone and things snowball from there in incredible ways. Kids love learning and one of the best advantages I have found from homeschooling is how tailored the experience can be to the child. Our twin boys are lively to say the least, both are very smart but with a very special dynamic that might have landed each in trouble at school. I know I would not be able to blame a teacher dismissing them as one the clown, the other with meltdowns when frustrated, fiercely loyal to each other. They both love learning but each require a specific approach. one likes observing what his twin is doing and needs things to be kept lively, interesting, colourful and playful. He needs to feel safe to make mistakes. The other picks on things very quickly but gets distracted easily so needs quiet to concentrate, he loves asking questions and absorbs information and patterns like a sponge. Homeschooling for our boys was the answer to a question we thankfully never had to ask ourselves. Sometimes things work out beautifully.

Thank you for reading this. If you are on the fence of homeschooling, feel free to reach out in the comments. I would love to answer to the best I can any question about this choice.

I hope you have a magical day,

N.

NB:Now I know homeschooling is not the right answer nor always possible for everyone. One thing we have made sure of as our kids got older was making sure they were on board. Every school year they are involved in deciding if they want to homeschool or join mainstream school. We make sure they are kept up to date with curriculum so they always feel confident whichever their choice.