Everyone has their own ideal of perfection. Homeschool Moms are no exception!

Whether it’s a spotless room dedicated to school or a hands-on project that captivates our child’s attention for hours, we all search for it.

Throughout the years, I am amazed at how my perception of this ideal has changed. When I first started, it was full steam ahead with bright “school” type decorations plastered everywhere! My poor preschooler had every workbook imaginable and even a little wooden and uncomfortable desk to plant himself in while filling out page after page.

Over the years I refined our homeschooling ideal. Gone were the countless workbooks and in their place, living books of every shape, color and theme. Books to read by themselves and books to gather around and read aloud as a family.

Replaced was the stuffy idea of fixed desks in place of tables, couches, floors and even the outdoors. Many a day was spent enjoying the warm sunlight upon bare arms while reciting spelling words or math facts. The world became our classroom.

We took this one step further when we abandoned the traditional school year in favor of random field trips, unscheduled days of rest, schooling in the heat of summer and then taking off in the cool of winter. In other words, schooling year around. This gave us an extreme amount of flexibility and joy as we set out to make learning conform to our lifestyle and not the other way around.

Though our homeschooling is definitely different this year, this is for sure. As we grown and change, our ideal does too. By embracing each new season, we work together to accepts these new norms and form new ideals of perfection.