One mother homeschools her children to give them “life lessons,” teaching them how to pay the bills, do DIY, and clean the house to “prepare them for the real world.” I teach them how to cook for themselves.
Caroline Widows, 46, was forced to start homeschooling her children Toby, 13, and Daisy, 15, during the pandemic, but she will not be able to do so once school resumes. I decided to continue my education.
Caroline has created a timetable for a variety of lessons, including core subjects such as English and maths, but also things she considers important to prepare for the real world, such as preparing meals, doing laundry, and managing the household finances. I was writing a session.
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Daisy and Toby learned how to clean, make their beds, use the washing machine, and cook for themselves. Caroline believes that homeschooling has helped them both become more “self-sufficient.” Toby's father Charlie Widows, 48, an IT consultant, taught him woodworking and together they built a desk for his bedroom.
Caroline said homeschooling allowed her family to spend more time together and allowed her children to “enjoy their childhood instead of rushing through it.”
Caroline, a part-time National Trust volunteer from Somerset, said: 'We asked people we knew who were already homeschooling for advice. I was confident that it would be effective for us as well.”
“They are [the kids] I see me and their father at home, and I see them doing their daily tasks, whether it's general household chores or paying the bills. For example, they are very self-sufficient when it comes to making their own lunch and tea.
“Even tasks like using a washing machine or cleaning, I wouldn't have thought of teaching them if they had been at school all day. Toby did some woodworking with his father and worked on music production. I made the desk myself.
Caroline started homeschooling her daughter Daisy full-time in September 2020, saying she didn't enjoy her daughter going back to school after lockdown. When school resumed, Daisy went back for just one day.
Her younger brother Toby, 13, joined her at home in September 2021 after graduating from primary school, rather than proceeding to high school with his classmates.
Caroline said: “I found some great resources online. It took a bit of trial and error at first, but now I've found the perfect way to teach my core subjects while also exploring new ones.”
“We have been really impressed by the quality of resources at our disposal during lockdown, and that if we manage their days wisely, we will not only be intervening as ‘teachers’. , I knew I could benefit greatly from them.
“As children grow and their learning becomes more advanced, we believe our ability to guide them on their journey will improve, and we are confident that the resources available to them will continue to improve. .”
Caroline said both her children are thriving in a home learning environment, adding: “Toby is really good at math and can solve equations much better than me or his father. I have a lot of other interests, like piano and art. It's great that I've met so many friends through that.”
Caroline said the social aspects of school were not an issue for either of her children, who maintained a good group of friends and whose relationships were “more about shared interests and passions than just sharing a classroom.” '', he said.
Since leaving the full-time education system, Daisy and Toby have been able to develop in creative areas such as music, drama, art and singing, says Caroline.
Caroline said: “I don't think if they had had a mainstream education they wouldn't have had time to do anything else. Their friends who go to other schools are reviewing every night.”
“From my perspective, if you don't do anything science-related in your life, you don't need to look at science. If none of your friends play piano, I think it was embarrassing.”
Toby and Daisy's regular classes start at 9am, and they spend the morning taking math and English lessons with an online tutor. In the afternoons, the two spend time doing theater, art, and music.
Caroline said, “I'm so glad we made this decision. We were able to share so many experiences with each other that we wouldn't have had if we were going to school five days a week.''
“Some days are harder than others with certain subjects, but we always manage to find the fun in everything and in the end we always laugh together. That's what works for us. A big part of the reason is, we've seen this change in kids – they don't really get grumpy.
“They get along very well, are bright, well-adjusted, and are learning everything they need to learn to be happy, sociable adults. They just happen to be doing most of that learning at home. .”
“Their childhood seems to go by so quickly. It goes by so quickly that I wanted to slow it down. We spend so much more time with them. .They were able to enjoy their childhood instead of rushing through it.'' ”