The Beginning of the Adventure

Can you believe it’s almost the end of your little one’s first school year? Whether you just finished your first year or 12th year of homeschooling, taking a moment to celebrate this accomplishment is worth it. Maybe your year went above your greatest expectations. You can clearly see the progress your little one has made. They may have started reading or have math skills they didn’t have back in August. It’s such a thrill to watch our kids learn and to know firsthand what they have accomplished in the past 9 months.

It’s also possible this year didn’t go as well as you would have hoped. Maybe life happened in a way you didn’t expect. You moved, experienced illness or loss, had job changes, or maybe you added another little one to your family. It could be that another child needed more help than you anticipated, or maybe that your little TK student didn’t have the growth you expected or hoped for. If you find yourself in this space, I want you to know that you’re not alone, and that it’s okay!

It’s often not the academic success we see that gives us that feeling of significance and accomplishment; it’s the important life lessons our kids — and we — are picking up along the way.

The beauty of this TK year is that it’s the perfect opportunity to experience homeschooling at its best. When we homeschool, we must practice skills of adapting, learning, failing, pivoting, and being flexible in ways we could never anticipate or prepare for. One of the secrets of what makes homeschooling such a privilege and joy is that it’s often not the academic success we see that gives us that feeling of significance and accomplishment; it's the important life lessons our kids — and we — are picking up along the way. Take time to reflect and appreciate these moments with your child as well. 

Whether this year went better than expected or presented you with lots of opportunities to fall and get back up, you have achieved something incredible, and you and your student deserve to celebrate! As you look ahead, take time to acknowledge all of the different lessons you have learned. Imagine the possibilities the future holds and all the growth and learning that lie ahead. And remember, there is still so much time to fix what needs fixing, to improve what needs improving, and to perfect what is working. After all, the TK year is just the beginning of the adventure!