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One of the biggest lessons world schooling had taught me is that it's ok for kids to just be kids! Now, I know that sounds silly coming from a professional in early childhood and primary school teacher but it's actually been harder to let go of societal expectations than I thought it would be.
When we started homeschooling, I did the worst thing I could possibly do. I tried to recreate the classroom in our home (van). I'll cut a long story short, it did not work. Home is not school. It took us a long time to find our rhythm. I had to strip back all my expectations and let go of the need to keep my son 'where he should be' in line with his peers at school.
It took me 5 months to realise that what he was actually missing was fundamental life skills. As an 8 year old, he had just started reception class when covid-19 hit. Not only did he suddenly have to deal with a pandemic but a brand new sibling. I am now starting to see the impact of that. He missed so much in those first 2 years of school in terms of personal and social development.
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Once we hit the road and started 'worldschooling' we really found our rhythm. We stripped away the expectation of having to do spellings, times tables, writing, reading and mathematics on a daily basis alongside trying to squeeze in music, geography, history etc. Wow, it's exhausting just writing it. Truth is, when you're on the road it is just not possible to squeeze it all in and it's not fun! Now, we learn through play and communication. We use our senses to explore the world around us. We learn resilience by playing board games, exploring parks and climbing rocks.
The world is teaching us to slow down. We are now spending our mornings searching for treasures that have washed up on the shore over night. My boys are learning to spend time together, understanding how to be patient and empathise with each other. They are playing. All day. To sit and watch them is quickly becoming my favourite thing to do.
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Now, please don't think that I am neglecting my 8 year old of a proper education. He is getting exactly what he needs. He journals, he reads and he is doing mathematics. His art work is beautiful and he is becoming immersed in the history of the places we visit. He is learning languages and is beginning to communicate to others in Spanish. He is learning so much about the world around him, he is just learning a different way. He's learning through play and exploration.
It takes a lot to let go of societal expectations. Some days I still wobble and worry if he's 'on track' but then I ask myself why am I worrying. I think about all of the things he's learnt and is continuing to learn. This is such an exciting chapter in our lives and right now it's working for us. There may be a time when we return to the education system but until then we are embracing our worldschooling journey. What an exciting adventure!
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We are a family of 4 living and travelling full time in our self converted Luton van.Â
Our aim is to provide other families information, guides and top tips to help them on their next adventure, whether that's world travel, van life or home education.
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