ENGLAND COAST PATH BLOG
Why?
We decided to home educate back when the lockdowns first hit; when the school's closed and Alba finally breathed. About a year prior to that time she was a mess. Physically and mentally exhausted. Masking daily at school, extreme over load and meltdowns and self harm once home.
I researched the heck out of home ed and from the summer of 2020 we didn't look back.
We spent the first few months doing this, just spending hours in the woods and long walks, getting lost in a good book or in her imagination in her playroom. We napped. We chatted. We drew.
We spent a long time going backwards, unwinding her, finding her and rebuilding her.
We encouraged her, listened to her and followed her lead.
We showed her and helped her develop skills and tools like 5 step,like building a tool kit of sensory equipment,like CBT skills. We helped her with breathing and regulation.
We focused on mental health and life skills. On adventures and laughing.
On creating a childhood that wasn't based purely on managing her mental health and functioning one day to the next.
But one that was magical.
One where she can can be herself fully,express herself in all her ways. To spin in circles,flap and dance,to scream and shout and stim to her happiest place.
One where she's proud of herself and see's herself. And is confident in her own being that she wears what works for her and dances and fly's in the wind.
This is home education for us.
Tell us more...
I wasn't even aware of Home education or the HUGE community it holds!
Sooo much research went into it and still now, there's many things you'll need to know if you want to go down this route all depending on your location and other specific details.
If you follow the link to the left it will take you to an awesome website which will walk you through EVERYTHING!
How's it going?
AMAZING!!
Unschooling
So, if you've done any research on home education you'll know there are different methods and structures to home ed.
We un school! We decided right at the beginning of our journey this was the right way for Alba; a child led approach and fuelled by nature.
Rather than following the national curriculum we follow Alba's interests, her curiosity , her passion for fundraising and the outdoors.
She reads books on our adventures, does her timetables using the numbers on doors, writes stories using a stick in mud. She climbs trees and waterfalls, runs with the wind and is free as a bird!
ORCHARD HEAD COVID-19 ROCK SNAKE
Alba's first ever project! She created this during lockdown 1 & 2. Starting with one rock painted as a snakes head and a had drawn poster.
Within days it grew! The community in our little area started decorating rocks and adding them on. Within weeks 100s of them!
Alba donated 100s of rocks to the local school, child minders and the care home.
We applied to the council for funding and to have it cemented in our local park and it was granted!
Over 800 rocks in total!!
It literally brought our community together.
Alba was awarded her Blue peter badge after drawing, writing and submitting a piece about her rock snake.
DAYS LOST IN IMAGINATION
ADVENTURES
MUSEUMS
NATURE
WHAT OUR HOME EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE...
ALBA LED PROJECTS
FUNDRAISING
FUNDRAISING
LITTER PICKING
OUTDOOR LEARNING
AND SOOOOO MUCH MORE!
PROJECTS!
We love both of these books so we decided to create our own personal version. We took the photos locally, edited them and printed them off into books.