How we do it

I never know how best to answer that question, How do you do home education?

Tut. It's like asking, How do you live? Or How do you interact with your children?

But I guess they're asking when they have a gut feeling that not all is right with their school option, and not just because they're a nosy parker. Maybe they're considering choices ahead, and wondering what their experiences might be.

In which case, I try and help. Maybe with this?

5% sitting at the table doing anything alongside me which an onlooker could say looks like school. (Usually over breakfast.)

25% kids away doing their own thing. (Squirrel on roof, doing stuff, better not to ask. Shark reading fish book. Tiger creating horse animation.)

25% out with friends, groups, meet ups, workshops, events.

45% family, reading, cooking, talking, visiting, play, swinging punches, sulking.

Or maybe a narrative of events would help? Today's home ed diary reads:

'Chemistry workshops are going well. Our Leader is totally brilliant at galvanising kids. (Not literally, obviously. That would involve dipping them in zinc. I mean metaphorically.)

I bet I could run these weekly workshops back home. Looks simple. Involve a dozen chemical-minded kids to chant chemicals, run about, sing, do drama, experiment on a super-strength dining table, and now, watch TV. (One of the kids has to work out how to turn the thing ON and play stuff. Same as at home.)

But good result. Shark, Squirrel and Tiger can now make some sort of account for carbon.'

Or maybe I could photo record the most eye-catching and extraordinary moment of the day.


See? Home ed is easy. It's just living normal life, but with lots of friends and family. Does that help?