Why Homeschooling is on the Rise

This week I hit send on a rare post about motherhood and raising my boys on Instagram. In the mix of the life-affirming and genuinely touching responses from other parents, there were also a few unexpected, and pretty full-on DMs, specifically targeting my mention of the traditional education system. To be clear, the post wasn’t even about school, I just happened to mention getting ready for it. Which I would never have imagined would have attracted the attention of multiple homeschool advocates, but lesson learnt. Before I go any further, know that you are in the company of a woman who would naturally view homeschooling as fringe. Absolutely all power to these families, but it could never be me. On a cellular level, I am not built for that life and my children - especially one child - and I would not mesh well in that dynamic. It would be open warfare, and I might have to resort to a lobotomy to survive. Admittedly, I would try my hardest, but I know in my waters it would not be good enough.

However, a few conversations in my other jobs have prompted me to take a pause for thought. I try to remain as open-minded as possible and do my best to interrogate my lazy assumptions. It’s far easier to double down on your natural opinions and perspectives, so when you’re busy it’s obvious that you lean on preconceived thought patterns. But as our experience with school as a family progresses, I’m really trying to leave at least a small gap for curiosity and new insights. I am not a pedagogical expert, so why pretend I’m sure about anything?

I’ve been working on two books with authors this summer and both experienced significant negative episodes at school which coloured their lives and importantly their opinions of themselves for decades after graduation. When I really think about it, across my 14 ghosted titles, not one of the famous people I’ve collaborated with had a good school experience. Far from being the best days of their lives, schooling left scars and traumas spanning sexual assault and bullying. Teachers were demeaning and belittling, creating teens with rock bottom self-confidence and esteem. They all hated school, which is understandable, because who wants to be somewhere that sets you up to fail?