As a homeschooler mother of six, I often reflect on how this educational choice has shaped our lives. Even though only one of my children is currently homeschooling, I still consider us a “homeschooling family.” Our journey with homeschooling has been deeply intertwined with our goals, achievements, and the overall flow of family life. For us, homeschooling wasn’t just about academics—it was about creating space for personal growth, family entrepreneurship, and community involvement.
Today, our three eldest children are not only still studying, but also working part-time, and I can’t help but attribute a significant part of their success to the foundation homeschooling gave them. It allowed us to focus on the things that mattered to us, like entrepreneurial skills, without the constant busyness that often accompanies traditional schooling—school events, fundraising, parent meetings, and endless projects. Those activities are valuable, of course, but they can easily consume a family’s time and energy. Homeschooling gave us room to breathe and explore opportunities we might not have pursued otherwise.
That being said, I want to stress that I don’t see homeschooling as the only way to go. It has been one path we’ve used, but I deeply appreciate the options available in our broader education system. For example, our Year 12 son is thriving in a public high school here in Darwin, where the structure and resources suit his needs. Our Year 1 daughter is in a traditional school setting, which is perfect for her because she’s a social butterfly. And our four-year-old son is in daycare, where he benefits tremendously from the care and attention of early childhood educators. I’m incredibly thankful for these services in Australia, and I genuinely believe they play a vital role in our children’s lives.
Homeschooling has been a tool that helped us balance our family life at different stages. When I had four kids in school, it felt overwhelming. That’s when homeschooling came in as a way to reduce some of the stress. It allowed me to spend more intentional time with the kids and pursue the entrepreneurial goals we had as a family.
Recently, as I was browsing through some old files, I came across my sons’ blogs from when they were younger—during their middle school years when, I had assigned them these blogs to document and reflect on their homeschooling journey, and reading them now got me all choked up. It was such a sweet reminder of that time in our lives, seeing their thoughts and creativity at that young age.
It made me incredibly proud to see how they expressed themselves and captured moments through their writing. I only wish there were more entries to read, but I’m grateful for the ones we have saved. Those blogs are like a small window into our homeschooling days, a snapshot of that precious time. And honestly, whenever they jokingly deny that I homeschooled them, I’ll just point to this, and this, blog posts as proof!
Though I say this lightly, as a mother, these moments are emotional for me. They serve as a reminder that homeschooling was such a special chapter in our lives, and I’m so thankful to have these memories preserved.
Now that the bigger sons are older and more independent, I’ve reintroduced traditional schooling because I see how well it serves them at this point in their lives. But for one of my daughters, homeschooling continues because her situation called for it. The flexibility to make adjustments based on each child’s needs is what I love most about homeschooling.
What I’ve learned through all of this is that raising children truly takes a village. I now understand that phrase in a much deeper way. It’s not just about the people under your roof—it’s about teachers, child carers, neighbours, friends, and even strangers who all contribute in some way. There are times when we’ve had guests stay in our home who were practically strangers, but their kindness made a lasting impact. I remember one particular instance when our youngest son had a febrile seizure and we rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night. When we returned home, our guests—people we had only just met—expressed genuine concern and shared their own experience with their grandchildren’s seizures. It was such a small gesture, but it made a world of difference to us at that moment.
Those little acts of community support shape the way we raise our children. I’ve come to realise that no one should ever feel too proud to ask for help. We need each other. Whether it’s family, friends, coworkers, or even the homeschooling community here in Darwin (which I admit, I’m not actively a part of), everyone plays a role. The key, I think, is to remain flexible, to review and reassess your choices as your family evolves. Homeschooling worked for us when traditional school felt overwhelming, but it isn’t a permanent decision. Life changes, and so do our needs.
In the end, it’s about finding balance and knowing what works for you when it comes to educating or raising your children. For my family, homeschooling allowed us to nurture a business, develop entrepreneurial skills, and stay closely connected to each other. But it’s not the only path, and I’m grateful for all the educational options available to us. What matters most is having the freedom to choose what works best for your family at any given time—and knowing that you don’t have to do it alone.
Thank you for reading and sharing in this journey with me!
That being said, I want to stress that I don’t see homeschooling as the only way to go. It has been one path we’ve used, but I deeply appreciate the options available in our broader education system. For example, our Year 12 son is thriving in a public high school here in Darwin, where the structure and resources suit his needs. Our Year 1 daughter is in a traditional school setting, which is perfect for her because she’s a social butterfly. And our four-year-old son is in daycare, where he benefits tremendously from the care and attention of early childhood educators. I’m incredibly thankful for these services in Australia, and I genuinely believe they play a vital role in our children’s lives.
Homeschooling has been a tool that helped us balance our family life at different stages. When I had four kids in school, it felt overwhelming. That’s when homeschooling came in as a way to reduce some of the stress. It allowed me to spend more intentional time with the kids and pursue the entrepreneurial goals we had as a family.
Recently, as I was browsing through some old files, I came across my sons’ blogs from when they were younger—during their middle school years when, I had assigned them these blogs to document and reflect on their homeschooling journey, and reading them now got me all choked up. It was such a sweet reminder of that time in our lives, seeing their thoughts and creativity at that young age.
It made me incredibly proud to see how they expressed themselves and captured moments through their writing. I only wish there were more entries to read, but I’m grateful for the ones we have saved. Those blogs are like a small window into our homeschooling days, a snapshot of that precious time. And honestly, whenever they jokingly deny that I homeschooled them, I’ll just point to this, and this, blog posts as proof!
Though I say this lightly, as a mother, these moments are emotional for me. They serve as a reminder that homeschooling was such a special chapter in our lives, and I’m so thankful to have these memories preserved.
Now that the bigger sons are older and more independent, I’ve reintroduced traditional schooling because I see how well it serves them at this point in their lives. But for one of my daughters, homeschooling continues because her situation called for it. The flexibility to make adjustments based on each child’s needs is what I love most about homeschooling.
What I’ve learned through all of this is that raising children truly takes a village. I now understand that phrase in a much deeper way. It’s not just about the people under your roof—it’s about teachers, child carers, neighbours, friends, and even strangers who all contribute in some way. There are times when we’ve had guests stay in our home who were practically strangers, but their kindness made a lasting impact. I remember one particular instance when our youngest son had a febrile seizure and we rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night. When we returned home, our guests—people we had only just met—expressed genuine concern and shared their own experience with their grandchildren’s seizures. It was such a small gesture, but it made a world of difference to us at that moment.
Those little acts of community support shape the way we raise our children. I’ve come to realise that no one should ever feel too proud to ask for help. We need each other. Whether it’s family, friends, coworkers, or even the homeschooling community here in Darwin (which I admit, I’m not actively a part of), everyone plays a role. The key, I think, is to remain flexible, to review and reassess your choices as your family evolves. Homeschooling worked for us when traditional school felt overwhelming, but it isn’t a permanent decision. Life changes, and so do our needs.
In the end, it’s about finding balance and knowing what works for you when it comes to educating or raising your children. For my family, homeschooling allowed us to nurture a business, develop entrepreneurial skills, and stay closely connected to each other. But it’s not the only path, and I’m grateful for all the educational options available to us. What matters most is having the freedom to choose what works best for your family at any given time—and knowing that you don’t have to do it alone.
Thank you for reading and sharing in this journey with me!
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