The road less travelled

I love this proverb. It makes me feel comforted at a time when our hearts and our child has led on us on a path less travelled. I would like to frame it and put it up in our house. Me and James have been speaking about how hard it is to feel different and how we do feel judged by others negatively for being on a different path. In actual fact it is probably mostly in our heads, most people probably think our decision is a little strange but don't care so much! Also it is important for us to remember that the reason people judge is because they don't understand home education. I remember a few years back there was a report on the news about home educating family's, I looked at the children and felt sorry for them, imagining they had a life of solitude at home with mum, bored and studying at the dining room table with no friends. I didn't know that there was a lively community, that children have lots of friends and social activities and the freedom to learn what they want when they want and how they want! My vision for this year is to provide our children with a safe, secure environment to explore, play, be themselves, learn at their own speed; for them to have the freedom to wake up, eat, pee, play when they want; for them to have time everyday playing with other children, time outside exploring and exercising and to follow their natural rhythms. My loose idea is to do an activity in the morning and have time every morning for reading, ICT and maths. Afternoons will be for play dates and trips. I will taylor  every activity to the interests of the bubs, for example this morning we made lanterns, Fred designed a Star Wars lantern and Mia made hers a tinker bell one! Fred is loving the "beginning to read" Star Wars and Angry Birds books and a "teach your little monster" to read game on the lap top. After this and lunch in the garden (watching a pigeon making his nest in our tree) we had a full afternoon playing with our lovely friends T and G. The kids had a wonderful day.

I would also like to frame and put this up on my wall!

It would be so wonderful to live in a country like America, Canada or New Zealand where home education was government funded and a common family choice, not viewed as weird or misunderstood...it is getting more common here and whilst we wait I must learn to not care about being different and not fitting in...and keep following the lead of my children and keep appreciating the wonderful families  we have around us on this journey xxxx who knows where this journey may lead.....!