Soon enough, social media will be flooded with adorable back-to-school snapshots: kids with gap-toothed smiles, dressed in vibrant outfits, clutching shiny new backpacks. The little chalkboards will announce, “BACK TO SCHOOL 2017,” while parents flaunt the impressive penmanship that spells out their child’s name, grade, and a list of their favorite things. There will be pigtails, sweater vests, and all the heartfelt attempts to freeze a moment of childhood in time. It’s charming yet, somehow, overwhelmingly sentimental.
In contrast, our homeschool life looks quite different. We’re still in pajamas, having started our school year in a leisurely manner, gradually introducing subjects without even realizing when we officially kicked things off. One day we’re exploring the ins and outs of “The Aeneid,” and the next, we’re diving into “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.” For us homeschoolers, what signals back-to-school for everyone else is merely business as usual—a reality that can feel both liberating and a tad disheartening.
Take, for instance, our favorite outings to museums and zoos. Like most homeschooling families, we school in the mornings and save our adventures for the afternoons. As a result, our typical haunts become eerily quiet, free from the chaos of summer crowds. No more children screaming in the dino digging pit or misidentifying gorillas as monkeys, which always annoys my youngest, who insists, “It’s an ape!” And while he’s ignored by the older kids who’ve learned to tune out the younger ones, we relish the peacefulness. We can stroll through the zoo hand-in-hand without being jostled by throngs of families.
However, the onset of the school year also means an influx of field trips, which can be a bit overwhelming. These excursions tend to be chaotic, with children running about in matching shirts, teachers shouting about lunch, and little ones barreling past my 4-year-old. I can empathize with the excitement of kids eager to escape the confines of the classroom, but for those not used to the frenzy, it can be quite a spectacle.
Back-to-school signifies the start of our homeschool co-op, too. This means I must rouse my kids from their slumbers every Friday morning—a challenge for those used to sleeping in. I scramble to get everyone ready, a task I’m usually not equipped to handle until noon. Throw in packing lunches and supplies, and you have a recipe for a stressful morning. For someone who enjoys a relaxed pace, this transition can be quite the hurdle.
Then there’s the thrill of shopping for school supplies. While we don’t have a lengthy, expensive list, we do indulge in science experiment kits and an array of arts and crafts supplies—79-cent watercolor sets and gallons of glue for slime experiments. We might not need pencils (which my kids prefer to replace with pricey gel pens), but we do stock up on colorful markers and safety scissors. It’s a joyous chaos of shopping.
After our haul, we return home to play with our new supplies, all while scrolling through the back-to-school photos online. They tug at my heartstrings a bit. I picture my boys posing on the front porch, pajamas and tousled hair intact, holding up signs that read:
- BLAKE READING: GRADE 5
- MATH: GRADE 1
- SOCIAL STUDIES: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR?
- SCIENCE: ALL THE THINGS.
- AUGUST: READING PRE-K; MATH KINDERGARTEN; SOCIAL STUDIES: CAN SING HAMILTON; SCIENCE: SPINOSAURUS; EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY.
I’d probably need to use tiny writing to fit it all, but that’s part of the beauty of our homeschool journey. It may not be the traditional route, but it works perfectly for us.
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In summary, while the world gears up for the back-to-school season with its bright photos and organized chaos, we embrace our unique homeschooling journey, savoring each moment—pajamas and all.