Family on the move, and baby on the way

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: FAQ; Parenting on 25 Aug 2009.

“There will be a lot of adjustments when the baby comes….how will we cope?”

[DT: When a father wrote to express fears homeschooling 2 children with a third on the way, many moms sent in encouragement for him to continue and not give up.  This post which is #4 in a series that began on 18 August, comes from a mom who's got more than baby on her mind, but is happily homeschooling all the same!]

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on your wife’s pregnancy! I’m presently pregnant with my 3rd child who’s due in mid December (I’m about 21 weeks along). I have 2 boys – Ian, 5+ and Pio, 2+. We’re homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way.

I understand your concerns about homeschooling, as we’re going through some big changes ourselves. We’re moving to Hanoi, Vietnam, next Saturday, and will remain there for 1 year as my husband has an assignment there. With all the packing and organizing and planning, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed … and I sometimes get ahead of myself and tend to get anxious and worried about things, especially about homeschooling.

Early next year, there’ll be a whole lot of CHANGES in our family and lifestyle – new environment & home, new baby and new ‘school’ year for Ian, who will be 6 yrs, like your eldest son. We’ve never had a hired domestic helper (well, I have 3 non-hired ones actually — my 2 boys and my husband haha!), and do not plan to have any in the future. I believe that EDUCATION is MUCH more than just the academics – a child must learn the basics of life, especially on how to take care of himself and others, and these are best learned at home, through every day routines and house chores, etc.

I agree with the other homeschoolers who have replied your email – a child can LEARN anytime, anywhere, anyhow – and everything is an opportunity for learning. Even though I know that our homeschool next year will NOT be a typical ‘school year’, I am sure that my children will get the best out of everything.

Having said that, once all the packing and organizing were done, I seized the opportunity to plan out our Year 1 (Gr 1 for age 6-7). I’ve gathered all the books and materials that we need for each subject and came up with a schedule system that is flexible enough to be modified easily. That way, when baby is born, I can fully concentrate on breastfeeding (which, by the way, makes life so much easier for everyone, especially mommy! not to mention that it is the best food for baby) WHILE homeschooling the 6-year-old. The 3-yr-old tags along in our homeschool lessons (which are done as informally as possible for children of these young ages) if he wants to — If he doesn’t, I have ‘activity boxes’ (Duplos, playdoh, art supplies, etc) to keep him occupied while I do a lesson with his older brother.

You must keep in mind that homeschooling is NOT “school at home” It is actually EDUCATING the child in the HEART OF THE HOME, in the domestic church, which is the FAMILY. The best part of homeschooling is that we can make it as flexible as we want it to be, all the while, enjoying each other’s presence and building strong bonds and relationships within the family. It’s always the toughest during the beginning phase, but it will soon become second nature. I am inspired by many homeschooling families overseas who have 7-10 children and no helpers, and they’re having the time of their lives homeschooling! The support that I’ve gotten from these veteran homeschoolers have really kept me going, especially when there’re any uncertainty or self-doubt.

If you like, I would be more than happy to share with you our lesson plan outline for our 6-yr-old next year, and the schedule planners and templates which you and your wife can modify easily for your own usage. I kept our schedule very light next year, as the main priority is to spend time together as a family with new baby. As “light” as it is, I do not believe that our homeschool schedule will “shortchange” my son in any way, as it is very rich and full of life. That’s another great thing about homeschooling – we can focus on what we believe is important and limit those that we believe are not!

I just want to affirm you in your decision to homeschool your children – it is a decision that you will not regret! Despite all the challenges and a new learning curve, you, your wife and your children will be having the most wonderful time of your lives!

GOD BLESS!
Dominique

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