The Accidental Home Educationalist
I am home educating my 12 year old daughter Meg. We had no choice as my husband is highly vulnerable to COVID following a kidney transplant in 2012. (I donated to him).
To make matters even more challenging we only moved to Ceredigion (from Monmouth) in August so my daughter has no local friendship networks to fall back on.
I’ll be honest. I’ve considered home education briefly in the past (when we moved to France in 2005 and I wasn’t sure my 14 year old would be able to integrate — he did) but never had much opinion on it either way. There’s lots about the National Curriculum which I don’t like but Meg had always attended school and done well.
When she discovered we were planning to move to West Wales she said she didn’t want to go to high school here. This was last October and I was determined that she would.
Now through happenstance we find ourselves on this excruciating journey. I can’t describe how hard I find it having to be teacher, mother, best friend. I started by trying to follow the text books but was met with a wall of disinterest and resentment. I couldn’t believe that my bright, funny, articulate daughter seemed to have no curiosity in the subjects she had chosen. There have been tears and angry outbursts (by both of us). My husband just seems to steer clear, only occasionally offering support. My eldest daughter does an art lesson over Zoom with Meg. She loves this. A good friend has offered to help with her writing. This weekly slot now seems to have become Meg’s ultimate terror.
I find myself feeling desperate. Any threats of ‘you can just go to school’ are empty and Meg knows it. I also worry a lot about her and keep trying to find ways to help her find an interest in education. If we lead with creative projects she’s engaged and interested.
The moment we switch to anything academic I feel a shutter come down in her. So I am having to find my way and so is she. To my utter surprise she has started to teach herself German with great gusto. She just about tolerates me reading Watership Down to her. I’ve suggested podcasts, audio books and film for learning but these have been angrily rejected.
It’s tough for all of us. We are largely stuck at home (at least we have a large garden) with the dogs and the rabbits. We can’t just wander off to a castle or join local homeschool activities because of shielding my husband.
So for now, we are still finding our way.
