Day 200
3rd October 2022
Perfect Slime!
It seems perfect to finish with a post about slime, given just how much time slime has dominated our household, over the last few weeks. 🙄
Mila has finally discovered the perfect slime recipe.
She looked up every recipe she could find, and she’s done it.
So, I asked her if I could share it here & was astonished at what I learnt.
“Mila, what’s in your perfect slime recipe?”
“Um, well you mix 1 cup of tapioca flour with some water.”
“How much water?” I ask.
“Oh, just a little. So that it’s goopy.”
“Ok, then what.” I say.
“Then put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Then take it out and stir it and then put it back in the microwave for another 20 seconds. Then you have slime!” She announced proudly.
“Hold on, are you telling me that after all the shaving cream, olive oil, my expensive shampoo and conditioner, lemon essence, hand soap, dish soap, borax, nail polish remover and at least 2 boxes of GF flour, the only thing you need to make ‘perfect slime’ is tapioca flour and water?” I asked.
“Yes.” She giggled and nodded.
Home School
When we decided to home-school a year ago, it seemed like a radical, counterculture decision.
A part of me thought, I must be about to go mad.
How would I cope?
How would I teach them?
Who was I to assume, I could take on such an enormous responsibility?
wanted to write this blog to hold myself accountable. I wanted to write it for other families, who were contemplating the same decision.
I wanted to write every day, because I wanted to capture the daily grind of the home-school lifestyle and not showcase the weekly highlights.
This did make for some very dull posts, I’m sure.
Exciting things don’t happen every day!
Ok, so what did we learn?
Firstly, we eat a lot of pancakes! 😂😂😂
Secondly, home-schooling isn’t about the curriculum you choose.
It’s not about your ‘flow’ or your approach.
It’s about your family.
Home-schooling is about your family.
It’s about your relationships with your children. Your family’s dynamic.
When we were in the school system, we were keeping to a schedule with zero input, of our own.
The school lifestyle was very stressful. In hindsight, we find it very unhealthy.
Toxic socialisation.
Pitting children against each other for the top spot, while pretending ‘it doesn’t really matter’.
In preschool we were so excited for ‘big school’ but after 4 years, we couldn’t take it any longer.
We didn’t realise how stressed our children were, until we left the school system.
We didn’t realise how stressed we ALL were!
Our family is closer than we’ve ever been and I considered us a close family before.
Lincoln and Mila have thrived this year.
They are ahead in their learning.
They enjoy lots of time to themselves & still catch up with friends every day.
They are excelling in sports.
They’ve met a tonne of new people, made some special friendships, and they’ve also kept in touch with their school friends.
Our kids can now write a grocery list, do the grocery shop & pay, all by themselves.
They cook every other day.
They do laundry. ✅
They’ve met many, many doggies at the dog park and engage in conversations with adults every day.
They’ve matured and remarked on differences between their school friends and their home-schooled friends.
They use really big knives in the kitchen and apparently, I’m ok with that.
They chase their own interests.
We share really special moments that we didn’t have time for before.
Homework doesn’t exist.
Bullying & teachers & phones & vaping & all that school stuff that parents are dealing with, is gone.
It’s all gone!
We’re at peace & we’re happy & we’re carving out our own lives.
Next year, Mila & I plan to go to Bali for a few weeks to take art classes in Ubud. 😍😍
We all want to spend a season at the snow next year.
The boys want to take an overseas surf trip.
Oh, & we’re buying a caravan so we can spend lots more time on the road!! Eeeek!
Life’s fun.
It’s anything we want, now that we’re free.
So, if you’re thinking of home-schooling your children, I can’t recommend it enough.
We love it. It’s completely changed our lives.
Even spending a year away from school, will have a dramatic effect on your child.
As we return to a more private life, I want to thank you for reading along and for writing in. 💗💗💗
I promise you can do it. You really can.
After all, all you really need is love and a library card. 🌻
xx
