#Dadlife Homeschooling: Volume 1

We shared previously with you that we took on a new adventure this year... homeschooling (In case you are just now joining us, yes you read that right. Homeschooling. 3 teen/pre-teen boys in 3 different homes with 6 different parents.). Steph shared her perspective of our journey last week, which you can read by clicking here: https://www.lessonsfromtheblender.com/post/homeschooling-blended-style But now it's time for me share my (Mike's) side.

Here’s the thing. When we embarked on homeschooling our kids this year I was so excited to take control of our kids’ educational needs. I had this pipe dream that unicorns and rainbows would just magically appear to teach the kids and grade each paper with smiles and sunshine everyday, and the kids would smile and just be so thankful that their parents were taking the time to teach them. And they would give us thank you card and flowers daily. And hugs.

WRONG. I have received no flowers yet. For those of you homeschool (and are a nuclear family) you already know it’s hard... now add the dynamic of 3 households. There’s 2 kids going back and forth to one home and 1 kid planning on going to another home, all with different schedules, the driving involved is switching houses, and 6 parents with varying opinions about how to school and how to handle Covid (and ALL the things, quite frankly). Homeschooling in a blended family has meant double books, weekly lesson plans and different curriculum for multiple sets of kids, and a mass amount of coordination and preparation for success in three houses. 6 different people teaching the kids the same subject 6 different ways. Add on top of that I work 50 plus hours and week and my wife works part time as well. Plus we have a toddler that would actually like some attention. It’s been a lot and we’re right in the thick of the start of all this. So far homeschooling has felt more like trying to cross the freeway at rush hour versus my dream of walking down the beach hand-in-hand like the 70s smooth jazz commercials promised us... this has not been a Calgon “take me away” moment at all!! Thank God for grandparents.

So why do we do it??!? Well, because we want the best for our kids in a whacked-out season. It’s hard enough for 3 of our kids living in two different households, so the least we can do is try our best to create some normalcy and stability for them in a really weird time... At least that’s how this started.

But day by day, I am seeing the value more and more of teaching our kids God-centered academics as well as teaching them to think critically.  I know we’ll get in a new groove. I know the kids will get in a new groove. We are finding some...

GOLD at the end of this rainbow. With having two kids gone 50% of the time one value of homeschooling is found that our kids are no longer gone 8 hours of the day, only to return tired and cranky from school. Now for the 50% of the time we have those two they are here with us!

GOLD found since time goes fast! It can be hard in a blended family with kids gone as much as they are in other homes, and we've suddenly gained a whole bunch of time back with the kids. In 6 years when they go off to college I know we won’t regret this time of life.

This whole process of homeschooling our family can best be described as the same process of how records are made... with a blank plastic disk being spun around while the new music is forcefully pressed into it and permanently etched into it. After it’s pressed in it sounds beautiful, but there IS a pressing that happens. We’re in the middle of being pressed right now (so it sounds like heavy metal music but I can start to hear little bits of beautiful Bach starting to play as we take some ground little by little).

I know there are so many of you who might be reading this who decided to do distance school, or change schools this year. You might be a single parent. Whatever the situation, you’ll be ok too. Jesus is good, and he fulfills EVERY promise. The Gold at the end of the rainbow is coming. Hold onto that promise. Because we certainly are.

PS I didn’t even mention two of our kids are in 7th grade... so you know what that means?? We get to teach sex education, ohh boy...