Hello, Hive fam! It's been a while. Again life has been pulling me in all directions, and that kept me away from here. Today, I am back to share a big moment for my family. And I share it with love and especially with the Home Edders community.
A full-circle moment.
Life has a beautiful, sometimes breathtaking way of coming full circle. If you had told me eight years ago when we first pulled our eldest son out of traditional school after the third grade that we would be standing where we are today, I might not have believed you. But here we are, entering a brand-new season of life, both as a homeschooling family and as individuals.
A couple of months ago, I officially enrolled my eldest son into Senior High School. After nearly a decade of learning at home, navigating unique schedules, choosing our own curricula, and building our lives around the flexible rhythm of home education, he is transitioning back into a traditional school.
But the true "pinch-me" moment? He is attending the exact same school where I spent my own grade school and high school years.
Walking through those familiar gates, not as a student anymore, but as a mother holding her son’s enrollment papers, brought a flood of emotions. A lot has changed yet it still exudes such familiarity to me. I couldn't help but reminisce my memorable experiences, even as a gradeschooler! Of course, it was also my chance to share those memories to my kids.
Two months in.
Kuya now walks those same hallways, sits in those classrooms, and learns from a community that helped raise me. It feels incredibly poetic, I literally cried.
These Narra trees are centuries old!
It is a big adjustment for him, having not been to school for such a long time. But he is thriving well. As he always says, "there are good days, and bad days!"
Yes, it's not always sunshine and rainbows. And it is great to know that he is coping well. We encourage him to keep the communication lines with open. "Anything- you can talk to us about anything," we told him.
This is his entryway to the big world, as he prepares himself for university and for adult life. And we make him know that we're here for him.
End of a beautiful chapter.
This is a milestone that marks the end of one beautiful chapter and the exciting beginning of another in our journey as a homeschooling family.
When we began our homeschooling journey all those years ago, our goal was to provide a solid foundation, nurture a lifelong love for learning, and protect the unique pace of our kids' childhood. Over the last eight years, home education gave us exactly that. It allowed us to grow together, face challenges as a team, and cultivate an unbreakable family bond. I am incredibly grateful for every single moment we spent learning around the kitchen table, exploring the world on our own terms, and celebrating the milestones that only the homeschooling community truly understands.
Chaos. From our homeschooling photo archive. 2023
Now, into a traditional campus environment for his final years of high school, my heart is a mix of emotions- immense pride,nostalgia, worry... Everything.
Then I tell him (and myself), he is ready for this. His time at home has made him resilient, independent, and deeply rooted. Ok,I am crying again. 😭🤧
To my fellow parents in the Home Edders community: enjoy every season, even the chaotic ones. The days are long, but the years truly fly by. We pour our hearts into anchoring our children at home, so that when the time comes, they have the wings to fly into their own bright futures.
I still have two close under my wings. We learned a lot from this "first graduation" and we carry that to many more years of homeschooling.
Here’s to new beginnings, familiar hallways, and the beautiful, unpredictable circles of life! ❤️✨️
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
