the convenience & freedom of not sending my kids to school!
Now… lets be honest. When it all comes down to it – it may be ideal to keep our children at home but many of us are actually looking forward to the day we can pack them off for 6-8 hours a day, am I right?
Not only that, many of us are looking forward to the day when we can focus on our career or actually getting to spend a good 10 minutes alone in the shower. The idea of having your child home with you 24 hours a day 365 days a year might sound like a death sentence to some people.
When I tell people this is what I am planning to do I can see them mentally putting those shackles on.
“God… that’s a lotta time with your kids, isn’t it?” they say while staring beyond my shoulder trying to imagine being tied down to their kids for the next 12 years.
And I am being honest – I sometimes have felt that way too (most frequently at 6 am when they are bouncing on my back). It would be most convenient to have my children somewhere else most of the working week. Imagine all the sewing I could get done!
But the truth is – I see keeping my children at home as actually the most freeing decision we’ve made as parents (well, besides babywearing!).
Those hours school would provide me child free do seem enticing until I think about what they cost me.
The idea of having to structure my weekdays from now until 2026 (and even later if we have more kids 0_0 ) with 8 am drop offs and 3pm pick ups seems almost like a death sentence to me. Structuring the kids entire childhood and adolescence around when they’re not in the classroom makes me incredibly sad. The idea of giving that time and giving my role to raise my children to someone else? Not a price I am willing to pay.
Those spontaneous afternoons to Byron Bay, the freedom to spark an interest in tadpoles and spend the entire afternoon up to our knees in creeks and mud, the ability to travel whenever we please for as long as we please?
All gone (or… at least severely narrowed down to weekends and four times year when everyone else is out cramming those beaches too).
Not having my children in a structured school system allows me room to run a business to the hours that are convenient for me and be with our children when I want to be. Being able to dictate the hours I work around what’s best for our family – I don’t think there is anything more convenient than that.
My children can roll out of their beds into their ‘classrooms’. We can travel for weeks or years and never worry about missing school. If I notice that Theo really wants to know more about dinosaurs – we can pursue that for as long as he wants to. We have the freedom to cater education to his interests. If I notice Peach needs time just with me – I can spend afternoons out having hot chocolates and just being with her – for as long as she needs. This is my freedom – the freedom to be where I really want to be – with my children.
When I think about our years to come while our children are growing I see lazy afternoons, adventures in the gallery, swimming, kisses, good music, good books, knowing (really knowing!) my children, laughing, traveling, mornings free for cups of teas with grandmas, little business ideas, my children working alongside me, me learning alongside my children – I see the greatest adventure I’ve ever been handed and I feel beyond freed by this decision.
And all I can think is – how wonderful is that?
This is the final post in our series.
If you missed the previous posts they are What is an Education?, Natural Learning, Why school isn’t the best place for my child & Socialisation





