Five years ago, I made the decision to begin what, on paper, was a crazy undertaking. Homeschooling my children. This entire plan wasn’t crazy in the typical sense associated with homeschooling their kids such as “Do I have the patience for this endeavor with MY children?” or “What if he doesn’t learn enough?” Both very legitimate questions and yes, they did in fact go through my mind, but for me, it was more than all of that. I was deciding to start the adventure from the cozy comfort of our roughly 400 square foot camper. Yep, that’s correct and not a typo. 400 square feet. Homeschooling quite literally side-by-side.
Choosing to handle your own child’s education is not one to be made lightly and for many parents, it’s not an option at all. The fact that I had the choice as a possibility for my kids was a blessing for me, but I struggled immensely to make it. You see we were in a very unique situation. Our little family lives a unique life so our decisions are unconventional most days. And I love it most days. This topic, however, was one that pulled at my heartstrings daily until I finally pulled the proverbial trigger.
We lived temporarily in our camper, or travel trailer as many refer to it. By temporarily I mean we were pushing 10 months having lived in the camper, my husband and I with our two young boys, when I decided to homeschool Carter, our eldest. Four humans in about 400 square feet for what ended up being 15 months total. It wasn’t because we were building our dream home or traveling the country living our lives as modern-day nomads. No, we were parked in the lot next to our old family home and front yard where we spent the beginning years. Every day we had to look at the place we created so many memories establishing our little family. And we couldn’t go back, because it had been destroyed with a flood. Furthermore, every day we had to see my sister’s old house and yard where so many memories were made for Carter with his best friend because she too lost it all in the flood.
After I had Carter I would envision him attending the same school that his father and I both attended, in the same school building in which I first started my schooling journey. It was nostalgic for me. Carter was to begin kindergarten in 2017. In June of 2016 life changed for us in ways that could not be undone nor unseen. That’s another story for another day. My thoughts of where he would go to school during that time didn’t even cross my mind. It was survival mode and stay afloat mentality only. Eventually, the time came where I had to decide about his kindergarten enrollment. Kindergarten roundup would have come and we would have been standing there with flying colors ready to enroll, but my heart said something totally different at that moment.
To say I struggled on what to do was an understatement. I was placing a LOT of pressure on myself to “do the right thing” and basing it on society’s expectations, not what I was feeling internally. Eventually, I gave up trying to make decisions myself and handed it over to God. He kept bringing me back to this nagging feeling I should homeschool him. You see, Carter didn’t handle the flood very well. I mean what child naturally could? It was devastating for so many families in our area and the children in our community still feel the effects of it today. Carter, however, changed. What once was a carefree child who learned at a very young age how to get a battery-powered Jeep stuck in the mud (I’m dreading his days of driving real vehicles) and wore a raincoat with an umbrella to watch a meteor shower with me, he was now very cautious about a lot of things, was more concerned with whether I needed help with the adulting I had going on, and didn’t like being away from me for long. I’m talking, me upstairs and him downstairs kind of separation anxiety.
The months following the flood were rough for many reasons, which again I’ll address another day. But as I watched Carter slowly come out of some of those fears and difficulties, my heart lightened at seeing him carefree again, even if just for a little while. I wanted to keep going in that direction and I was worried that just when he was coming back around, sending him to the school he knew also flooded, piled together two schools in one, I wasn’t sure it was the right choice. I just wanted to give him back his childhood as it SHOULD be so I wanted to take control of that for a little while. Honestly, I wanted to take back the year that we lost together as well. So eventually I stopped trying to make my thoughts seem logical to everyone else and just said “Yep we’re homeschooling…from the camper…and for who knows how long.”
Ergo, I began researching homeschool curriculums. You know, just dove into some light reading. I had no idea how much was available nor did I know how long it would take me to decide what to use for his education. I tapped into my aunt’s knowledge since she was one of the few people I knew who had homeschooled her daughters. Eventually, I opted for Abeka as our education materials. I say “our” because the reality was I needed to learn just as much as he did. My college degrees are not in education so I went with the most user/teacher-friendly curriculum I found. And we loved it. So much that it carried over to my second son’s homeschooling journey.
Abeka is a Christian-based curriculum that many Christian schools use as well. I love the connection it makes to God’s word and how it connects each one of the subjects. The Bible lessons are optional and have to be purchased separately, so if you aren’t necessarily looking for a Christian-centric curriculum it can be taught without it. I’ve enjoyed that portion with my boys though and it helps them to be better humans too.
Teaching in the camper came with a learning curve…pun intended. We made the best use of space in the camper as it was, so all the books and teaching manuals didn’t have a space when we first started. Eventually, I bought a sturdy basket to hold all of our materials in and kept them tucked away neatly under the dining table. Fortunately for us, it was kindergarten so I only had one teacher’s manual. First grade is another story. We had a routine, set a schedule, made time for our version of stations and enrichment activities. We even took a trip to go stay in another camper with my husband while he was away working and visited COSI. Of course, we had lessons with it, it couldn’t be all about fun, could it? We didn’t have space for a whiteboard so we just used one that tucked away easily beside the couch in the boys’ bedroom. We also utilized command strips on the wall for additional storage and artwork display. I was determined to make sure the camper still felt like a classroom while keeping things organized and not overwhelming.
Homeschooling for us has been very hands-on and eclectic. I’ve kept the mindset that as I teach the boys something new each day, I need to learn something new as well. Another new lesson to incorporate, new historical figures to introduce, new math and science. I’ve even incorporated my mom into lessons with home economics which has included sewing and baking…the boys love baking days. No way did the lack of space hinder a growth mindset for the Thomas household.
I try to offer what insight I can being a homeschooling mom, guide my friends or family on ideas for if their child is bored with a subject, struggling with certain subject matter or techniques how to teach them a little easier, or even technical support, not that I’m that tech-savvy. I’ve even had moms come to me asking “What material do you recommend if they get behind in math?” or “What do you use to boost their reading?” I always refer back to the curriculum I started with and still use, Abeka.
Other places to look for resources or supplemental material for your child:
In today’s chaotic world, inconsistent educational decisions by lawmakers, and total uncertainty, it would be only natural if you’re looking decide on your child’s education and considering homeschooling. The choice to homeschool is not for everyone and fortunately for those who live here in this community, we have a plethora of wonderful teachers in the public school system. Make sure you do your research and put a lot of thought into the decision as it’s not one to be made lightly. If you feel compelled to rip off the bandaid and begin the homeschool journey, take it from me, it can be done, even in the most adverse situations. As for me, we no longer have to tiny home-school as we’ve settled into what the boys refer to as our “forever home”, but I’ll have those memories to cherish for as long as time allows.
XOXO
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