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Before Home Education

We were new (tired) parents in 2009 and didn’t have a grand educational philosophy or plan for future schooling.

I was excited to read to my baby son, but we had hardly any children’s books and I wasn’t terribly interested in that kind of material yet.

I picked up Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days and started reading aloud to my one-month-old.

He fell asleep on me most times and I kept on reading because it felt like a magic spell. Sometimes I fell asleep.

Jules Verne

Mary laughed everytime I said, “Passepartout,” and it strikes me that Westen just this week discovered an interest in French that was unexpected. Although, he says, he may switch to Spanish.

I always try to remind parents interested in home education that they’ve been doing it for years. No child between the ages of 1 and 5 needs school to learn a vast amount of skills and knowledge. No one needs any school after that either. We’ve been conditioned to accept school as a universal, yet we are born to learn. The home education community is growing exponentially and the examples of children thriving without school are plentiful.

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Magnolia Season

Our magnolia tree started to bloom this week, but I haven’t captured a good picture yet. This one is from 2020. The tree has gotten healthier every year we’ve been here and I’m excited to see what the next few weeks bring.

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I Don’t Teach Anything

My older son is getting a lot of attention in the adult jiu-jitsu class. People are learning what his coach and I have been seeing for years, that he’s focused on technique and won’t be intimidated by someone’s size or skill. He battles and learns like he was built for it.

A fellow practitioner asked me about his involvement with other sports and I said, “Actually, he’s really into theater. He’s been on stage many times and is the student director on a production of Much Ado About Nothing right now.”

Our conversation turned to Shakespeare and I was happy to find another lover of The Bard. I guess my passion got her to ask, “Do you teach Shakespeare?” “Well, I’m a homeschool dad, so I don’t teach anything.”

I’m a facilitator. Yes, I brought Shakespeare into my boys’ (and wife’s and lovers’ and anyone who will let me drag them to a show) lives, but after that, I don’t teach. I will spout off because I am truly curious and passionate about so many things, but I have modeled a spirit of challenge with my boys. It can be infuriating, but they know that speaking truth is their responsibility and repeating the words of an “authority” will never fly for truthful thought.

We found a lot of freedom when I gave up teaching. It created space for more passion and curiosity, it took the chains off our learning lifestyle.

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Always Making Friends

I got to meet new people (and a couple spiders) today and share my story.

It’s been a remarkable journey from husband to dad to believer to widower to something greater than the sum of those parts.

I’m grateful to God for all my blessings, the bountiful ones as well as the difficult ones that have taught me much.

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365 Devotionals: Humbly

The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
-Micah 6:8  NLT

This is interesting. This devotional uses this Scripture three times in a row, each with a different translation. I’m not sure what to make of that after an intensely active few days of soccer, jiu-jitsu, theater planning, unschool club, non-stop action.

I’ll just walk humbly with Jesus for now. I doubt I’d lack mercy if I was walking by his side. I doubt I’d be lacking for anything.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

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Bird Garden

“Dad! They’re learning to fly!”

This was an unschool morning.

My older son was enjoying cereal on our deck when the Carolina wren hatchlings living in our defunct grill hopped out to try their wings.

This is one of the parents who kept a close eye as the littles found their wings.

Below are the babies who didn’t have long to become independent. After a few hours in our small yard, the whole family moved along.

While watching this miracle of maturation, many more birds visited.

And a surprise poppy.

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365 Devotionals: Act Justly

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
-Micah 6:8 NKJV

The commentary on this devotional reads, “We act justly when we behave as Jesus did.”

That’s a high goal to set, but a loving and compassionate one that is worth reaching for.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

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Isaac Morehouse on the Ken Coleman Show

T.K. Coleman and Isaac Morehouse are the reason this blog is approaching one thousand posts. Although I have failed multiple times in the last few months at Coleman’s year-of-blogging challenge, the attempts have helped me find and grow internal and external connections.

In this conversation, Morehouse touches on all of the reasons I’ve been following him for years. He’s been a catalyzer for my learning lifestyle and an inspiration to start my own business. His aim to connect and help people aligns with my heart’s direction and I won’t wait to send him a Thank You as soon as I hit PUBLISH.

Isaac Morehouse on the Ken Coleman Show