by Tahmina Sattar

Created on: July 31, 2009

My experience of homeschooling is really quite minimal- two years to be exact but it is probably the best education I have recieved! It was not something that I had really thought about in a comprehensive way. All I knew is that my five year old still did not his A's from his B's. Half out of frustration and half out of arrogance, I felt that surely I could do better?

Well, I did do better. With a lot of help and support. Homeschooling is not a story of being alone. My sons loved their timetable. I loved not having to get on the morning bus crammed full with city workers in their suits and boots while I, the humble mother, would grab the three of them- as if I had three arms.

The sacrafices were worth it in the long run. Waking up early morning, my eyes still groggy as I fixed lunch at breakfast. I had learned to be efficient. There was no way I was going to cook after running between three different class schedules. That morning routine became a kind of quiet time when I would pysche myself up for the rest of the day. I would take my early morning coffee as any classroom teacher would, but instead of mulling over some photocopies or lesson plans, I would sit down in the kitchen waiting for the laundry to end, the rice to cook and the fun to begin.

Although I resisted help with my homeschooling time, it was a great relief when their grandfather offered to take up the outdoor play part of their daily routine. The boys loved that time with their"dada". He would take them on nature trails and berry picking adventures. He would point out names of trees, plants and bus- services! They became savvy with their local tube station, learning how to read the tube map, and important street signs. My five year old could now read and he learnt how to apply it! He would take them home for tea. Grandma had some nice biscuits or cheese burak ready with a cup of hot chocolate. I really appreciated that experience they gave my children and myself. I could speed up all those urgent bits of housework, organise their homeschooling work and even catch up on those forty winks for a quick recharge.

Learning outdoors with my children is something I will cherish and really miss now that they are back in formal school. I wonder if I, garbed in my black jilbab and scarf, really did play football with the boys in the local park, or fly those kites. Did I really scour through secondhand bookshops and charity stores with my boys looking for new and interesting resources for their fantastically creative projects? Those endless moments in libraries and museums will always remain in our memories.

To be honest the biggest confession I have to make is that I didn't realise I would have so much fun. That would not have been possible without the excellent advice I received from the Local Education Officer in charge of homeschooling in our area, or without the help and encouragement of family members as well as neighbours who took care of the children from time to time. That whole experience not only broadened my outlook about education and learning but it created a greater empathy for teachers who work hard in much more restrictive environment with a lot more accountability.

As a mother of very young children, and being pregnant it was not an easy experience as my own personal social life and career ambitions had to take second place. The amazing amount of patience I learned, the bonding between my children and myself, and the richness and variety of learning that took place between us established the importance of love, sacrifice and the priorities of life forever in my mind. I am grateful to have had that option of homeschooling.

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