The Ins And Outs Of Homeschooling

What’s your name and introduce us to your family (include ages of your kids).

My name is Hannah, and along with my husband Carl, we are raising four children - Oliver 11, Imogen 9, Adelyn 5 and Evander 21 months. Carl has two children who lived with us up until recently - Ryan 17 and Lydia nearly 16. So we have 6 children altogether! 

Did you choose distance education or what is called ‘unschooling’?

We don't do either of these, we do homeschooling through HEU (Queensland home education unit) homeschooling & unschooling is different, which I'll explain in the next question.

What is unschooling?

Unschooling is where parents decide to lead their children's education & learning through mostly play & nature based. A lot of the time there are no curriculums or books used. A lot of the learning is done through nature play, and life. So for an example, cooking, it uses measuring (maths) science (mixing) & home economics (cooking).

Why did you choose this option?

We don't unschool, we homeschool, we follow curriculums, we also do our own thing (research & project work) & we use work books & still do lots of project based works as well. We also learn through life as well, with gardening, cooking & lots more!

How did you first become interested in homeschooling?

I have been interested in homeschooling since my youngest (Oliver 11) started prep (2018). But it wasn't as big a thing back then on the Sunshine Coast & I just never had the "push" to do it.

What was your reasoning for choosing homeschooling over traditional schooling for your kids?

There are many reasons I chose to homeschool, mostly they tie in a lot with our family values & morals. But then there are basic reasons like wanting to spend more time with my children, quality family time, family flexibility, they get a lot more opportunities with homeschooling, I also am a big believer in children's individuality & this can really be expressed through homeschooling.

What does your typical homeschooling day look like?

Our days can vary. Some days we are out all day, others we are home all day, some days the kids tag along with me to work. But our "typical" day looks like, getting up (6:30/7am) having breakfast, getting dressed, teeth, hair etc, then house chores quickly (usually just tidying up & dishwasher/kitchen) then we get stuck into our school work, some days we have big days 4 hours + (this is a lot when you are consistently working) other days we do around 2 hours & spend the rest doing extra curriculum activities or sports.

How do you structure your curriculum for each of your kids given their different ages in and learning levels?

We actually do a lot of the same thing but catered different for their ages. So we go through an online programme called simplyhomeschool.com & they have books that they base their "cores" around... you purchase the book & you work through the lessons.

Some of these we do together, we just completed our 'A is for Australia' core, which was amazing (I even learnt things about Australia that I didn't know) some cores the kids do alone, so Oliver is doing an engineering core, Imogen is doing a literature core & Adelyn is doing an emotions core. We are also doing a few others together as well. They also have workbooks maths & English catered for their age that they work through (these are usually the books we take with us on our days at work as it's easier than dragging all the bits & pieces) and when we're out & about at 1 of the kids activities. And they also have learning apps on their iPads that they work through no more than 1.5 hours a day. Mostly we use reading eggs & IXL.

What resources or tools have you found most beneficial in your homeschooling journey?

See above, but also we attend a few extra curriculum activities. Oliver is doing a songwriting & singing course with a famous singer Paul Fogarty, they all attend a homeschool gymnastics lesson, and Oliver & Imogen do an art class every Friday as well.

What are some challenges you’ve faced while homeschooling, especially with four children?

The biggest challenge I have faced is spreading myself through 4 children. Especially a baby/toddler who doesn't do the work. Just comes along & destroys their crafting activities  I've also struggled with how constant it feels, never seeming to get a break, my house never seems to stay clean anymore, judgment from others & wondering if I'm doing the right thing etc.

How do you ensure that each child gets individualised attention?

Again this is something I have struggled with, it is a big job with 4 children. I try & pick pockets through the day where I can sit down with 1 child & have a talk or do some reading or work through some work together that they are struggling with. There is no "set" time, as usually your timetable never stays to what you want anyway, so you just kind of roll with it & you do realise who you haven't spent as much time with that week so you work on that. As everyone knows, some kids naturally get more attention than others, whether it's to do with their age or their personality. So you have to really learn about your children & their needs & focus on them individually.

Have there been any subjects or topics that were particularly difficult to teach, and how did you handle them?

Maths is not my strong suit. I'm fine with younger grades, but as Oliver gets older, I'm not loving it. We are considering distance education next year for this reason, but we love learning about what we love learning about. So we're not sure. We have just got a tutor starting though, so she might be great for filling in that spot of maths for him. Everything else I'm pretty confident in.

How do you ensure they are getting enough social interaction with other kids?

The kids are part of a few homeschool groups & they also do sports. So Oliver does music, gymnastics, dancing & art class. Imogen does tennis, dancing, gymnastics & art class. Adelyn does gymnastics & dancing x 2 a week. We also attend a homeschool group at least once a week, if not more! It just depends how we are feeling etc.

Are there homeschooling groups or communities on the Sunshine Coast that you’re part of?

There is a huge homeschooling community on the Sunshine Coast. And we are part of a few groups yes! Still plenty out there we could join, but the time is the biggest problem, there is so much available, but very little time to fit it all in!!

How do you assess your children’s academic progress?

So with HEU, I have to write a pretty detailed report every year with examples of their work throughout the year, along with the next years homeschooling plan & send it off to HEU to be approved.

What are your goals for your children’s education in the next few years?

I just want my children to be happy & love learning. To flourish in the things THEY individually love. I do want my children to do well academically, but at the end of the day, their happiness & mental health is more important. But my children do well academically, they are quite intelligent children & I'm not concerned about their academics at the moment.

What advice would you give to parents on the Sunshine Coast considering homeschooling for the first time?

It's rough when you start, give yourself time, de-school for a little while, get yourself & your child out of the schooling environment. Homeschooling is not meant to mimic school. It's meant to be comfortable & fun! Don't compare your children's progress to others, and most of all don't let others compare your children's progress. It's not a race. Every child is unique & special in their own way. Yes it's going to be stressful at times, the first 2 years are the hardest (so I have heard) I am just about to finish up on our 2nd year, so I'm very excited to see how it goes from now on. Ask for help, and find your tribe! It's hard, but they're out there!

Can you recommend any books, websites, or local resources for those interested in homeschooling?

Oh there's so many Instagram accounts (lots of American) that I follow that inspire me everyday. Facebook has some great groups that you can join that really help with the encouragement & "how to do's" etc.

Facebook:
Sunshine Coast homeschooling community
Home Education Qld
Distance education Qld

How do you look after yourself and your mental health? What self-care do you practice? 

I have always struggled with mental health for as long as I can remember. From low self confidence/self esteem, to slight depression, to full blown high functioning anxiety & diagnosed obsessive compulsion disorder. I have gotten a lot better in some areas, but probably worse in other areas. But I do believe only a small percentage of that is from homeschooling/having the kids around full time. I'm not the best person to give advice as I am not perfect myself, but the things I know work for me are exercising/getting out into fresh air & sunshine daily, sleeping as decent as I can (with waking babies & toddlers) practicing gratitude everyday, drinking lots of water & eating healthy. Again, something I am definitely not perfect at, but I'm working on it.

What’s your advice for a struggling mumma or busy woman? 

My advice for struggling Mum's is to seek help as early as possible. It took me about 7 phycologists to finally find the right one that just understood me & gave me the right tools that really helped! This phycologist was my saving grace. And although the tools & 'homework' were horrible to work through at the time (I did exposure therapy for my OCD) they really really worked!! I'm still not perfect, but a lot better & I can actually function as a somewhat normal human being now. Also try & find someone who understands where you're coming from, this is probably the thing that helped me the most. You'll be surprised that there are other people out there like you who struggle with similar things & it is so good to know you're not alone. But my biggest piece of advice, is hang in there Mumma, this won't last forever, it's only a season.