Duende’s school experience didn’t last long (a mere 6 months) but at 14 there isn’t much time to waste — either it’s a good match or it isn’t. This particular school was not a good match for her and in this area there are not a lot of options, so back to homeschooling we go. We are lucky to be confident in our life choices to have this option and we wish others were, too. Freeschooling is a wondrous way to grow and learn to be a part of the world we live in.
We’ve fielded a lot of questions over the years about the (redundant and misguided) concerns folks have regarding social skills, conflict resolution, their own math or science or english skills, homework, transcripts, and grades. None of that actually comes into play for us. Freeschooling is a way of letting them live their own little lives and helping them find the answers when they have the questions. It’s about pointing out the learning moments in our everyday life. For us, it is finding interesting and engaging resources so we can all learn (and re-learn) together. She already lives in the world so her social skills are marvelous (and perhaps better than many school system education’s since she engages with people of all different ages, all of the time, in the functioning world), which seems to be the number one concern of random people.
Do we wish somedays that her spelling and writing skills were better? Sure, but that doesn’t change from any other parent wishing their children excelled at everything. Duende has an amazing imagination and can translate that into art, costume design, stories, dances, baking, and isn’t afraid to try new things. Maybe she watches a little too much Korean anime right now but she also helps out at the store, engages with her friends and the folks in our little town with care and respect. She’s a really great kid. We couldn’t have asked for a better little person to share our life with (who is not so little these days, especially now that it is Spring and she’s back on the roller skates!).
Lately, she is making costumes for the Renaissance Faire tours we’re planning on for the Summer, working on a homeschool project of miniature scenes with a story line to be filmed by June, making cakes, scones, pancakes, and Moroccan food (she loves Djej Emshmel: Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons), and had a smash of a time decorating eggs for Spring a few weeks ago (she likes to blow them out and paint them — a lovely local homestead sells us all blue eggs and duck eggs every week!).
We’re not surprised she enjoys being home with us — she’s already happier, healthier, and less stressed, isn’t that what we want for all kids?
Rock Bottom Homestead 
Congrats I guess, now you can relax more less stress but still have to do your work. That means, math, writing sentences/ paragraphs and etc or I will not be happy.
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