Karen Binedell, mum to ‘Our Travelling Family’, talks about the role of a homeschooling parent.
There have been looks of shock, horror and absolute disbelief when we have explained that we’re
volunteering our way around Europe whilst homeschooling three teenagers. This particular topic has generated plenty of interest over the last two years and we have regularly been asked about our experience of homeschooling and, specifically, the role of a Wolsey Hall homeschool parent.
While we are incredibly fortunate to have a team of Tutors and Student Progress Managers to help our children with their homeschool journey, we have also learnt how absolutely crucial parent support is to ensure successful homeschooling. With that in mind we decided that this month’s blog post would focus on the role of the homeschool parent.
I think it goes without saying that every homeschool parent has chosen this particular path with the best interests of their children at heart but it is very important to realise that your role does not end there.
Sebastian, Aiden and Ella homeschooled with Wolsey Hall Oxford for 18 months while they travelled around Europe in a caravan volunteering.
You will be your child’s first port of call when things are tough, especially in the early days.
They will look to you for support as they navigate the path to becoming confident, independent learners. There will be times where motivation is low, topics may be challenging and distractions could crop up and it’s at these times that your child will come to you for encouragement. You will play a much more active part in your child’s education.
They will involve you in topics, share thoughts and ask for feedback, advice or assistance. You will learn together.
In our experience, the function of the homeschool parent is the following:
• SUPPORT
• ENCOURAGEMENT
• GUIDANCE AND UNDERSTANDING
• TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION
• PATIENCE
• CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS BIG AND SMALL
For our family, the opportunity to travel full time whilst homeschooling has been a rewarding, enlightening and educational journey for both children and adults alike. We feel incredibly fortunate that our children were homeschooling when the world went into lockdown, that for them, their schooling and education remained consistent at a time when nothing else was.
As parents we have loved seeing our children become far more confident in their own abilities, find interests and passions they never knew existed, tackle and overcome obstacles, all the while travelling the world, meeting new people, learning new skills and making the most of every day.
If you’re thinking of enrolling your child at Wolsey Hall Oxford and you’d like to know more about what we do or how to enrol, please get in touch. We’re ready to enrol new students throughout the academic year.
