During my blog hiatus, I am introducing a new series of guest posts — Real Life {While} Homeschooling.
Over the next 4 weeks, I will be introducing you to 9 inspiring friends, who are homeschooling with some kind of real life challenge. I know that you will be as blessed by their stories as I am by knowing them.
Today, please welcome Heather!
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Hello Everyone! I am so happy to be guest posting today for Marcy! I’m Heather, and I blog over at Only Passionate Curiosity. We are a proud United States Air Force Family. Military Daddy has been in the armed forces for about 12 years now, and currently, we are experiencing the best of Europe while stationed in Germany.
As I am writing this post, Military Daddy is off in the other room packing a bag of camouflaged gear. I couldn’t tell you what half his goodies do or where he is heading. I don’t really need to know. What I can tell you is the sight of him packing that bag is enough to make my heart pound. I know that in a few short days, he’ll be taking off on adventures around the world (thank goodness, this time is a relatively short trip) and I’ll be here to keep everything running smoothly in his absence.
My kids also feel anxious when they see that bag being packed. They know now that sometimes the trips are long, and we miss Daddy on Birthdays and Holidays. Sometimes they are a lot shorter. Most of the time, Daddy can’t give us many details, so we know to promise no more than “Daddy will be home sometime around when the leaves change colors” or “after Christmas time.” There are no count downs, but we’re used to it.
Over the next few months, we’ll repeat this cycle of Daddy coming and going. Packing and Unpacking. Hugs and Kisses, and See You Soon. The good news is, something is going to stay the same, as our emotions run the gamut.
We’re homeschoolers. I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to be able to say that. Homeschooling provides us with stability and a routine; when Daddy is gone, we cling tightly to that routine.
The homeschooling routine and stability is even more valuable when it comes time to PCS. In the military world, PCS is a fancy term for “loose your mind while shipping all your belongings to the other side of the world and living in a hotel, probably while Military Spouse is off working somewhere”.
When we moved from California to Germany, I was able to carry our curriculum in my backpack, and we only missed two days of “class” for jetlag. We set right to work in the hotel room when we got here, and the routine helped all of us feel less homesick and overwhelmed with our new life in Germany.
We’ll repeat this across the world move in a little over a year (probably- we don’t know where or when we’ll move). Moving is rough for anyone. Moving every couple of years is insane for a child. Because we homeschool, my kids have one less thing to worry about when we move. They don’t have to get used to new classmates, their siblings moved with them. The teacher came too. The rules are the same, the routine is the same.
Even more importantly, the curriculum is the same. Each state has different rules and ways of doing things. Some states require state history. Some require other things. My homeschool kids only have to follow one set of requirements- my own.
I am able to provide my kids with stability, continuity, and a solid education; when, let’s be honest, the world for a military family is anything but stable.
If you are a military family considering homeschooling, I highly encourage you to give it a try. You can contact your post’s School Liaison Officer for information and regulations in your state or overseas location.
Heather is a proud Air Force Wife, and a homeschooling mother of three wild and wonderful children. When she’s not blogging, you can find her covered in paint splatters from art class, gallivanting through the European countryside, or in the kitchen, sneaking chocolate. Follow her blog at www.onlypassionatecuriosity.com