When Pablo and I decided it was possible to take the year to travel abroad, we knew the most reasonable solution to ensure our daughters continued their education was homeschooling. Seemed simple enough. We’re both educators I spoke with the girls’ elementary school in our hometown of Oak Park, Il. I reviewed the national standards. I downloaded curriculum. I mapped out units and lessons. Then, we got started a month before we departed our home.
At first, things we smoothly. The girls seemed ready and willing to try out this advertised “Mom and Dad school.” Then, we took a two week break to pack up our lives and set off for the East Coast to visit family for a month. When we returned to lessons, the girls resisted. It was tough. Ingrid screamed; she refused to do any work without the consequence of removing her IPAD access for the day, the week. Hattie would blurt out that she “hated math” and start crying. And, while Pablo and I knew the source of these tantrums–strange learning in strange, unknown places–each time we encountered them we struggled to maintain our cool. This was weird and new for us, too!
I can’t say things have gotten easier from July to September, but they’ve gotten more predictable. If we ask Ingrid to complete a challenging task, she’ll revolt. If we ask Hattie to complete a task outside the scope of our average morning –math, reading, and writing, she’ll melt into a sobbing fit. Things won’t be perfect, but learning is happening and we know that once the girls return to a brick and mortar classroom, they’ll be more willingly to see us as both their teachers and parents.
28520 Miles 