The Challenges
Here are some of the challenges we face with homeschooling abroad:
- Shipping – Getting our hands on affordable resources can be tricky. We are blessed to have one English library in our city with a decent selection of quality books, but compared to anything we could access back in Canada, it’s downright puny. So we buy our resources or do without. Many resources simply do not ship to China, and the ones that do are forced to charge very high shipping rates.
- Access to Nature – We homeschool with a blend of Classical, Charlotte Mason and TJEd approaches. We have tried to make nature study a part of our regular routine, and we are sometimes successful, but so many of the resources designed for nature study are based on North American flora and fauna. We often see things we don’t know how to identify, and honestly, in this very urban culture, nature can be hard to find. Even “nature trails” are paved and very well-worn, and hiking up a mountain or hill can mean climbing sets of stairs. Sometimes we literally long for the feel of grass under our feet.
- Supplies – We’ve tried a number of science programs while living here. Some even provided some of the supplies, leaving us with just the “easy things” to purchase on our own. But imagine trying to buy activated charcoal across a language barrier. And where to begin looking!
But these same challenges have each given us stories to tell of our adventures, and our lives are rich with so many experiences that we can hardly complain! We have learned to love ebooks and downloadable curriculum options. We have learned what to bring with us and what we can live without. We have learned to adapt and be flexible. What a valuable lesson that is!
The Blessings
And we have learned to be thankful for the many blessings of our expat life:
- Language Learning – Our language classroom is literally right outside our door. While we’ve wrestled with the “right” way for our kids to learn the language quickly, or the emphasis to put on learning characters versus oral communication, we are watching our children steadily learn and master Mandarin.
- Life Skills – One of the big things about living abroad in any country is learning to adapt to life around you. Life is never quite what you expect, and there are often days where we have to remind ourselves that “we’re not in Kansas anymore.” We affectionately call those days “culture days,” and we give each other a little more space and a little more grace when one of us hits up against one. Often the struggle is learning that the situation isn’t going to change, so we must change instead.
- Tolerance and Understanding – We live in a culture very different from our own. Whether it’s the food, the weather, the language, the traditions, or simply negotiating a friendship, everywhere are opportunities for misunderstanding. We do our best to teach our kids that different isn’t wrong, it’s just different, and to appreciate and embrace all the things that make this culture so rich.
- A Wonderful Homeschool Room – We often joke that it took coming halfway across the world to bring us our dream homeschool room. We are blessed to live in a spacious apartment with room enough for a beautiful homeschool space. It is a joy to us every day as we study.
Some days, if someone were to plop you down at our homeschool table (bought at IKEA, right here in our city), things would look just like any day in any homeschool, anywhere in North America. But other days, it would look nothing like you’ve ever seen–until you come to China! And every day, we’re blessed.
Author, wife, mother of three, homeschooler, health-food junkie, plant-based eater, gluten-free chef wannabe, reluctant cat owner, adventurer, lifelong learner, and general wearer of multiple hats, Carey Jane Clark is author of the debut novel After the Snow Falls. She and her family are expats living in China. Learn more at Life Words.
Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner
©2007-2013 Ben and Me. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://www.benandme.com
