Military Special Needs Network
Proudly Supporting all Military Families with a Special Needs Dependent
The New Year and Our Homeschooling Journey
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It really is a journey, folks. I’m not sure if there is an end destination, though. This year, I’m going to be okay with that. I’m okay with not knowing how far we will go. I’m okay with not knowing if tomorrow will be brutally tough when we pull out the books, or if it will be swimmingly easy. I’m okay with not knowing if we will start double-digit addition next week or next year. I’m taking our journey one day, perhaps one half day, at a time.
I know that having a special needs child means that every moment has the potential to hit the proverbial fan. Living the unexpected is something that has been difficult for me to live with gracefully. In the past, it has caused me much anxiety, anger, sadness, grief, and desperation.
This year, I resolve break away from the tendency to cling to the calm and peaceful moments. They are few and far between. By “letting go,” and rolling with the unpredictable chaos, my child and I will have an amazing school year. Homeschooling isn’t meant to be brick-and-mortar-school-at-home. Sometimes my experience with traditional public school gets in the way of remembering that. Homeschooling is unique in that it can be anything you want it to be for your child. It can be anything your child needs that day. Sometimes I get caught up in my zeal to make sure we do every worksheet and do every project. This year, I’ll be looking to my child to tell me the direction he would like his education to go. Letting him have more control means taking some of the pressure off myself. It also means it will be a little bit of a terrifying experience for me. Scary experiences are good, because it forces me to grow. I learn to be less controlling when I’m out of my comfort zone.
This year, homeschooling will be a messy, exhilarating, exciting, unpredictable journey with no specified academic target. Along the way I’ll learn to better trust my child, my instincts, and the crazy ride that is life.
Military Special Needs Network 