Homeschool Squirrels

It was 5:30am. I can always tell without looking at my phone, because the sky holds a faint shimmer and a single car chugs past my window, lone and sleepy. I woke up thinking (almost reflexively, since education is my current hyperfocus, as happens at the close of every summer) about all that is to be accomplished, and forgetting my downfall: high expectations, holding myself to neurotypical standards (not healthy for me OR my son), forgetting the patterns and habits that I've found work best for me, personally, though they may not make sense to our hectic, hustle-obsessed society. I was reminded of something my friend Meghan shared recently. She said after completing daily work with her children (math, language arts) she makes a "menu" of options for the rest of the school day - things she's prepared that they can complete (or not) based on what life brings. She said she used to make a checklist, but that she "doesn't like reducing our atmosphere of educatio

"Homeschool" was not a recognized word in dictionaries or Microsoft Word when I was growing up. It always annoyed me slightly. I loved being homeschooled, but I always felt invisible, other , and it was yet another reminder that our family was different.  Homeschooling in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s was not what it is today. We were not allowed to play outside during school hours, in case a nosy or curious neighbor called child services. We were constantly drilled by strangers out in public: "what grade are you in? What are you learning in school? Do you know *insert math equation*? Is it legal?" (Yes, as a child, I got the question of whether it was legal often .) Even as a young adult, I was told by a much older adult that I was "quirky," and they could tell I was homeschooled. (I never could tell if this was a passive insult, but I took quirky as a compliment... who wants to be like everyone else?) My children have had very few of these experiences to