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Happy Eclectic Homeschooling: Realizations after the PHC 2019

October 8, 2019 · 22 Comments

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It has been a month since I attended the Philippine Homeschool Convention 2019. I was planning on blogging about my experience immediately after, but I decided to take my time and really think about what I learned or realized that day.

As usual, I enjoyed going to the convention. I especially enjoyed being with my long-time friends that day. One of them is a newbie homeschool mom while the other two are private school owners who are thinking about offering a homeschool program. I also enjoyed seeing my other homeschool mom friends who I rarely get to see these days. I only wish I had more time to talk to them that day.

Anyway, back to my realizations….

Several months ago, I mentioned in this blog that we’ve been incorporating more Charlotte Mason methodologies in our homeschool with the intention of slowly transitioning to full CM. I’ve been researching a lot about CM from experts and other CM families here and abroad.

I’ve been watching lots of YouTube videos on how families incorporate CM in their homeschool. I stalk tons of CM families on Instagram. I’ve learned a lot from them, and I’m inspired by all of them. At the same time though, there was still a part of me that was hesitant to go full CM.

The Dilemma

The thing is, I’m also inspired by other styles of homeschooling. Right now, we use different ways of teaching depending on our subjects. Our methods are a mix of CM, Montessori, Unit Study, and Traditional. You can say that we’re actually more of eclectic homeschoolers.

Ziggy and Zander in our homeschool room…. We do a lot of playing.

We’ve been enjoying what we’re doing so far. I actually can honestly say that this is the most fun we’ve had homeschooling even though it’s more challenging now that I’m teaching two of my kids. Still, there’s that nagging thought that I’m not doing things right because we’re not sticking to just one style.

Then two-year-old Zander practicing how to “cut” vegetables and fruits. One thing we let him do to improve his fine motor skills.

There’s no problem in being ecletic, in my opinion. However, there are some people who believe that it is best to just choose one style of homeschool and stick to it in order to reap its full benefits. That idea somehow got stuck in my head these past several months, making me feel confused about how best to do things. Part of me wanted to go full CM but another part just wanted to continue what we’d been doing.

The Realization

So, what did I realize during the Philippine Homeschool Convention?

I was able to listen to stories from different types of homeschooling families. Their stories reminded me that each of us have our own homeschooling journey and that ours do not have to look like theirs.

Dawn Fung, homeschool mom and founder of a homeschool organization in Singapore

Dawn Fung, the guest speaker from Singapore, said something that really resonated with me. She said something like “the bigger the gap between expectations versus reality, the bigger the tension” and that “the smaller the gap, the more fulfillment.”

I couldn’t agree more.

The thing is, I know this already. I shouldn’t expect our homeschool to look ideal. I shouldn’t expect our journey to be the same as others. I shouldn’t expect for the results to be the same. I shouldn’t force myself to conform to other people’s ideas of what the ideal is. We don’t need that tension in our homeschool and in our life.

Building an atom. An activity that is part of our Intro to Energy unit study for Science

It’s just that sometimes I still can’t help but compare our journey to other families. Looking at the nicely curated Instagram photos posted by other homeschool families probably doesn’t help. I just need to constantly remind myself that there’s more to their story than what they show online. We can be inspired by them but that doesn’t mean we should be like them.

I also need to remind myself that what works for other families may not work for us. While some may choose just one style of homeschool (which is totally fine, of course), what really works for us right now is using different methods for different subjects. It may not be what some people consider “ideal” but the reality is that it works for us and that is what matters most. The reality is that we are happy doing this.

Snapshot of our family (by a fellow homeschool mom) during our homeschool co-op’s recently concluded painting class

Besides, our family is also not what you would call ideal anyway. Even the hubby and I are both more individualistic than most. We like doing our own thing and not conforming to the norm. We like being different. It’s just our personality. So, I guess it’s not really surprising that eclectic homeschooling is what works for us.

That realization (or reminder) made me feel a whole lot better about myself as a homeschool mom and about our homeschool journey as a whole. We are happy eclectic homeschoolers and we’re embracing it. I have the PHC to thank for that.


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22 Comments
Filed Under: Education, Events, Family & Parenting, Home and Lifestyle, HomeschoolingTagged: #NoPlaceLikeHomePHC, #PHC2019, Charlotte Mason, Homeschooling #EclecticHomeschooling

Comments

  1. Maj Vill says

    October 8, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    Dapat pala tlaga mahaba patience mo Momsh.. Pero at some point good bonding din ng parents and kids.

    Good Job Momsh.

    Reply
  2. may palacpac says

    October 9, 2019 at 4:27 am

    Personally, ”ideal” is relative. I had no idea what method we were using back then, and even now, with the current boxed curriculum we have, we still stick out from among other families that does the same curriculum. I think you do what works for your family.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      Exactly! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Ayi says

    October 9, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    I’m so amazed with homeschooling families. I wanted to try this but my lack of patience is always getting in the way. Kudos to you momma 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jennie Villanueva says

    October 9, 2019 at 5:29 pm

    Medyo hindi open si daddy nya sa idea na homeschool but i personally think it makes more sense.. lalo kung fulltime mom naman ako. I have always been curious about this thanks for sharing your experience.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      I hope your hubby will change his mind. 🙂

      Reply
  5. berlin says

    October 9, 2019 at 5:51 pm

    your story is one of the few that i admire. we try our best to homeschool our two little ones and one thing i learned in the process,too, is to never compare. you’re right. we have different approaches and comparing our progress from others will only make us happy or otherwise.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      Awww, thank you, Berlin, and good luck on your homeschooling journey!

      Reply
  6. Czjai says

    October 9, 2019 at 9:37 pm

    I really admire moms/dads who homeschool their kids. I did consider homeschooling my son before he entered kindergarten, pero sabi ko baka di ko keri. ?

    Czjai recently posted…How to Make Friends When You’re Traveling.My Profile

    Reply
  7. Mommy Rockin In Style says

    October 9, 2019 at 9:52 pm

    I really admire those mommies who homeschool their kids. tapos yayaless pa. It really needs a lot of patience. Good job mommy!

    Reply
  8. Michi says

    October 10, 2019 at 6:36 am

    I agree, stop comparing and just do what you think and feel is right for your family.

    Reply
  9. Leira Pagaspas says

    October 10, 2019 at 9:30 am

    write a family’s home schooling journey is different from the other families so don’t be pressured about not meeting your own expectations about what you should do and not do i can definitely relate because my sister is also home schooling her kids as well

    Reply
  10. Purple Pieces says

    October 10, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    I’m homeschooling my bunso right now 🙂 Pero informal kami.
    Purple Pieces recently posted…Knowing Where You Stand: 10 Reasons to Test Your Hearing TodayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      We started with informal homeschooling too when my eldest son was only 3 years old. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Maj Vill says

    October 10, 2019 at 11:43 pm

    I always Amazed with Homeschooling
    Ang galing lang kasi.

    Reply
  12. Gwen says

    October 11, 2019 at 12:21 am

    Love reading articles about homeschooling. It’s nice that there are options other than traditional schooling.

    Reply
  13. Gwen says

    October 11, 2019 at 12:23 am

    Love reading about homeschooling.
    Considering options for my little girl who’ll soon go to school.

    Reply
  14. Nessly Hamoy says

    October 11, 2019 at 5:47 am

    Kudos to your homeschooling journey as a family. The dedication of homeschooling parents amaze me. Comparison and sticking to what is ideal can be hindrances. Just enjoy and know that you are doing your best for your children.

    Reply
  15. Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says

    October 11, 2019 at 6:15 am

    It really needs a lot of effort to homeschool kaya naman I admire that you and other moms who homeschool. Great Job!

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:06 pm

      Thank you, Peachy! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Emiliana says

    October 13, 2019 at 1:00 pm

    Different strokes for different folks. Just trust what you feel is right for your kids and you won’t go wrong.
    Emiliana recently posted…Teleperformance Philippines presents Great Place to Work® high-trust cultureMy Profile

    Reply
    • Janice says

      October 13, 2019 at 4:06 pm

      That saying is perfect! 🙂

      Reply

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