Home Education Has Given Us Time to Wonder
I always hoped there would be moments of wonder and awe in my children’s childhoods. I wanted them to have the chance to pause and take in the magic around them. So, without a doubt, the biggest benefit of not sending them to school every day has been the gift of time.
Home education has opened up both the time and space for them to wonder at the small marvels in their worlds. They have had time to select the perfect stick while out on a walk in the woods, or the prettiest shell at the beach. Time to stop and watch the birds feasting at the feeders they lovingly hang out. Time to sing, and dance, and play, and think.
Our relaxed way of life has given them the freedom to stop and wonder at the iridescence of a beetle, at the brush strokes on a painting in a gallery, or at a particularly interesting display at the museum. They have lingered while choosing books at the library, and been able to have ‘just one more hour’ at the park.
And in return I had time to wonder too. I could wonder at these small humans that I had the pleasure of spending each day with. I got to sit and wonder at how they would seem to grow centimetres over night. I could watch them laughing at some video and wonder at how they were developing their own personal and unique tastes. I got to be present as they learned something new and I could watch as pride flushed their faces. I could stand by and marvel at how their personalities were developing, and how that started to be expressed in their choice of friends, clothes, hobbies.
I have had time to wonder at the uniqueness of their hugs, their touches, their smells.
I have wondered at how different they are to me despite being grown by my body, and I have wondered at the glimpses I get of the women they will become.
I have watched them form new relationships, create art, learn new skills with little more than observation and determination.
We nearly lost it though. Before Covid, life started to get a little crazy. Developing interests and hobbies began to lead to more demands on our time. We got busier and busier. We’d have weeks when we could hardly find a few spare hours for a much wanted play date. Months past in a blur of workshops, classes and visits. Sometimes our moments together as a family were few and far between, ships passing in the night. Moments of wonder became more and more elusive.
Then 2020 forced us all to stay home. The calendar was cleared and we were faced with endless empty days. It was a shock to have time again.
I tried to keep the momentum going, to book virtual classes and workshops. I pushed for learning schedules, and time being spent productively. It’s like I had forgotten the early years, the slow days.
Slowly I am remembering. We have glimpses of wonder again. We are rediscovering time that hasn’t been managed, that just is. It feels harder this time. I have experienced the ‘busy’ and it still has a hold on me. It is not exactly how I would choose life to be. We miss seeing friends, we miss the galleries, the museums, the pools, all the interesting places we used to be able to explore whenever we wished.
But once again I have the chance to watch and wonder at the small changes that I might not have noticed. I can be there for the little sparks of joy, for the big leaps in development, for the highs, and also for the lows. I can be present again and that is ‘wonder’-ful.
