What Led Us to Homeschool our Daughter? 2025 | Part 1
HOMESCHOOLING REPRESENTS A NON-TRADITIONAL FORM OF EDUCATION, WHERE IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS TO CREATE AN APPROPRIATE AND ESSENTIAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CHILD. EDUCATION IS NOT MERELY A SERIES OF COURSES; IT IS A CONTINUOUS PRACTICE ESSENTIAL FOR LIFELONG GROWTH.
PATIENCE, ENDURANCE, FAITH, CONFIDENCE, FOCUS, AND CONSISTENCY
KEEP US GOING THROUGHOUT ANY LEARNING PROCESS.
(This article is divided into 5s.).
Part 2 is continued (link provided at the end of the article)
I had never considered homeschooling until the COVID-19 lockdown made it a necessity. At that time, I had to take on the responsibility of educating my daughter, who was at a critical age for learning and preparing for the outside world. After two and a half years of being isolated from social interactions, I recognized the importance of creating a supportive environment at home during the lockdown.
I established a play zone, a study space, and a work area at home for both myself and my husband; managing without any additional support became quite challenging. You can check out two vlogs detailing my journey into early preschool training at home through the link below.
2. Home training your toddler as a preschooler. YOUTUBE]
Our experience regarding our daughter’s circumstances:
1.
Our daughter was highly cooperative in her learning, and I never felt pressured to ensure her understanding. She exhibited curiosity, promptness, spontaneity, and attentiveness, along with impressive memory skills. These traits were sufficient for her early foundational training. When the lockdown was announced, she was just 22 months old, and I was preparing to enroll her in playschool, where she could interact with friends for an hour. I was confident that I wouldn’t leave her for more than an hour or two, as I felt that being away from me for longer than that, especially with unfamiliar people, would be too much for her at such a young age. While some may question this perspective, I believe that being with relatives and extended family is a different scenario and acceptable, unlike being with strangers.
2.
During lockdown, she had experienced a playschool setup at home without any social interaction. We decided to enroll her in a nearby school for an online nursery program, anticipating that once the lockdown was lifted, she could transition smoothly to in-person schooling. Online education proved to be quite unfair for children, as it required a parent to be present during Zoom classes. I felt sorry for my child, having to navigate a chaotic environment with 30 kids sharing a single screen. It became clear to me that schools often prioritize profit over the genuine growth and development of children. To assess her progress during this period, I enrolled my daughter in several national competitions, and she emerged victorious, winning the national championship in the Play to Learn MARRS educational program. (You can find the photos on my Instagram profile @monisha_sd.)
3.
Being an architect and professor and serving my industry gave me the courage and wisdom to take things into my hands. I refused to let my child suffer the same fate that I have witnessed for years. A bright, joyful, and gifted individual was being stifled by the chaotic and unethical online education systems we encountered with our daughter. While we, like any parent, wished our daughter a joyful school experience, we would never sacrifice her carefree childhood for it. It is clear that hard work is essential in life, as my husband and I have both achieved success through our dedication. However, it is unreasonable to expect children to exert the same level of effort, as they often lack the understanding of such demands.
4.
We successfully completed nursery, and then it was time for kindergarten (junior). However, things took a turn for the worse. She struggled to adjust to the school and its environment, making it increasingly difficult for both my daughter and me. During this time, my husband was extremely busy with work, leaving early and returning late. His industry was also experiencing a downturn. Except for weekends, our daughter missed the morning and evening time with him that she longed for every day, which created significant turmoil in our family. Since it was just a post-lockdown release, I had commitments to wind up too. Despite all these challenges, I somehow managed to help her through Junior KG. Time seemed to fly by, yet nothing improved; instead, we faced mounting difficulties and obstacles.
5.
I reached a point of saturation. My career was demanding, and with my husband often unavailable for family matters, I decided to step back from my high-pressure job to support our daughter as she adjusted to her new school. We enrolled her in one of the top schools in the country, and her transition to Sr. Kg had its ups and downs. Nevertheless, I made it a point to drop her off at school and be by her side every day. During this time, I was also dealing with health challenges and emotional turmoil. I was striving to hold myself and everything around me together with dignity. The roles I juggled—as a mother without additional help, a professional, a wife, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a friend, and a community manager—were overwhelming. I almost faced a near-death experience twice due to my overstressed health.
6.
The experience of Sr. KG was far from what I anticipated. Having completed my education in Mumbai, I was familiar with the local schools and took great care in selecting the right one for our daughter, as I intended for her to complete her education through grade 10 at the same institution. She excelled in Sr. KG, becoming a highly regarded and celebrated student in her class. However, her transition to Grade 1 was demanding, resembling the long hours of a corporate job, but at a child’s level. Despite her existing allergic rhinitis and dermatitis and being allergic to any antibiotic medicines, our daughter showed remarkable resilience in adapting to school life. She continued to attend classes despite the challenges, but as an educational professional, I observed the unfair treatment of children at this grade level. It was disheartening to see her joy diminish and her childhood slipping away. Each day, she would voice her concerns, which echoed the sentiments of many other children, leaving their parents feeling powerless.
7.
I tried my best to connect with the school and requested to extend understanding and cooperation since grade 1 was a huge shift for the kids, and the sudden pressure was putting a heavy impact on her physical health. The unnecessary pressure was severely affecting her health, and I couldn’t accept seeing a courageous child lose her confidence.
8.
One morning, she posed a question that struck me deeply: ‘Mom, I hear everything you say. Doesn’t my pain affect you? This prompted me to explain the future implications and the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional schooling and homeschooling in a way she could grasp, despite her young age. Ultimately, her future is my responsibility, regardless of the educational path we choose. I researched informal education extensively to support my daughter through this journey. What she truly needed was my guidance, support, understanding, patience, and faith. I shared my insights with my husband, who was initially uncertain. However, after presenting my research and discussing it with him, he began to see the bigger picture. Now, he feels confident that choosing to unschool our daughter was not a wrong decision.
9.
Through various sources and her involvement, we learned that our daughter possesses a high IQ and has little tolerance for boredom. She is very expressive and quick to respond to situations. Her accomplishments have been recognized and celebrated by her school and teachers. However, she faced several challenging situations in quick succession that caused her some trauma. We chose to give her a break from these circumstances, and over time, she began to heal. Some of the trauma still requires her understanding. These issues are quite simple, yet children tend to hold onto their fears for an extended period, and only time can truly help them heal.
10.
I have made an effort to keep this article brief, but it encapsulates nearly 2100 days of challenges I faced in securing a suitable school for my daughter’s future. Eventually, she became quite insistent on being homeschooled, reminiscent of our earlier days, which she embraced with enthusiasm and a progressive mindset. Currently, she has experienced both homeschooling and traditional schooling. This allowed me to easily discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various educational paths and life choices with her. Initially, I was hesitant about informal education due to its potential impact on my career. Nevertheless, my faith in God remains strong. A mother’s primary responsibility is to support, understand, and guide her children to the best of her ability, regardless of the circumstances. Trusting my instincts, I moved forward, having already overcome far greater obstacles in my life and emerged triumphant.
Find our homeschooling journey @lifeofammuandamma
CONTINUE READING PART 2 OF THIS ARTICLE
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