Since March, I have seen 100s of Facebook posts from various people proudly showing off their "home ed"/home school set up. Whilst it is amazing to see the effort some people went too, the term 'home education' was pointed out by the 'real' home education community who in their opinion wasn't happy with the choice of words being used.
Being a home educator myself, I can see the home educators views. For the parents who have all of a sudden had to help their children learn - we (a vast majority) of the home education world believe these parents should use the term homeschooling, because what the world has been thrown into isn't normal, and whilst it's been a journey for new homeschoolers, it's also been a different journey for us home educators and our children.
Quite early on during the start of lockdown, I had a few people messaging me asking how I coped? People were messaging me saying they were going crazy being stuck indoors with worksheet after worksheet, and they was desperate to know what routine I had set up to make their new journey successful.
The thing is, just like schoolers worlds were turned upside down, us home educators had our worlds turned upside down too. We are not stuck in our homes with our children like the majority of us was - because the joys of home education are that learning can be taught anywhere and everywhere!
Learning doesn't just happen in a classroom at school, or a specific place in a home educator's home. Home ed'ers learn everywhere, I know a few families who do about 25% of learning in their home, with the other 75% of education being taught in a number of various ways out of the home, and that's the beauty of home education!
Homeschoolers, although thrown in at the deep end with very short notice, had it a lot easier than those of us who chose to elective home educate. Plus for many home ed'ers, home education was sprung onto us too - me and Spud for example, our home ed journey wasn't planned. Spud was in a school, and after a safeguarding incident, I pulled him out that day and never looked back.
I never once received any form of food help (food parcels) or financial help (vouchers for food) like lots of people have been receiving for their school attending children. Nor did we receive lesson plans, worksheets, workbooks, or even stationery, and as for having teachers accessible via email or phone for help - yeah there is none of that too.
Whilst home education is a beauty to us, it doesn't work for everyone. The home educating parents have to foot the cost of even exams, whereas school attendees get to sit exams for free. All our trips cost us money, and there is no help towards that cost, and whilst we don't have to pay for uniform, we do get less wear out of clothes, and there is no help towards clothing or footwear costs either.
Whilst I admire everyone educating their child/children in whatever way they are, I am disappointed that so many people have a view that the current situation is a home-ed'ers life. This is not the case, your children are struggling being out of school, they're missing their friends, they're missing the socialising etc, our home educated children are missing their parts of learning too - their trips to the swimming pools, the farms and zoos, the trampoline parks, and they're missing their friends! Our children are missing out on so much too, so please, think before you speak and think before you judge!
Until next time,