“What does a day in my life look like?”

I’m hesitant to answer this common question, usually asked with the sparkle of expectancy. Maybe because it is not as exotic or thrilling as one may expect. Or maybe it’s because I’ve been in China for ten years now, so my days just seem too normal, sometimes even boring. When people come to visit I remember how unique, and even exciting, our life as a family can be.

But day to day is fairly routine.

Why routine? you ask. Well, I have kids and as much as I love variety, kids need routine. Anyone who has had a baby will remember what life was like when the sweet little one had missed her nap. Not so sweet!

While we are long past the napping stage, we are definitely in the school stage. Our kids’ main occupation is to learn and I have chosen that my main occupation, for this season, is to teach them. To facilitate their education at home, I need to create structure and be committed, especially as the boys enter Junior High. To accomplish this, my day-to-day is becoming more and more patterned.

Homeschooling may not be for everyone and I can appreciate our diversity, that different moms and different kids have different needs. Some of my friends, who love their kids, have told me they could never teach them. They need to drop them off at school! Others have offered me sympathy.

They say homeschooling is a burden, I say it’s a joy. I was homeschooling my first while he was still in the cradle.

The idea sparked when I was in high school and made the amazing discovery that my friend’s younger sister didn’t have to go to school every day. She got to learn from home. I wished I too could be free of institutional learning, could have energy to develop my own interests and could dedicate myself to study, rather than watching classroom dynamics. I envisioned childhood and adolescence  without the pressure of trying to fit into a predetermined box that so clearly didn’t fit.

One of my earliest school memories was completing a wonderfully creative art project that my teacher refused to hang on the wall with the other students’ because I had not followed her instructions precisely. If you can’t be creative in art class, when can you?

When my first son, Bamboo Shoot, was young I loved watching him develop. Every little progression, from holding his head up to rolling over to sitting up brought so much joy. I wanted to continue to be a part of his learning, beyond his baby, toddler and preschool years. Delving into the world of homeschooling I began transforming our day-to-day into a natural learning environment. My desire to question the norm and live a creative life fused with the idea of homeschooling and it’s been a great fit for our mobile family.

So back to the question, what is a day in my life like? Well, the boring answer is, making sure my kids get all of their school work done. I prefer the more meaningful one.

I spend time with my children. I read to them from books that inspire courage and teach values, especially biographies of people who have lead self-sacrificial lives, helping or even saving others, and in the process I am encouraged too.

I model the choices I hope they will make but on the flip side, since they are with me all day they see my mistakes as well. I can teach them how to respond to both victory and failure. Their observations and questions, in the process, are great discussion starters and are the springboard to talks on a plethora of life issues. I wouldn’t trade these opportunities.

My kids also gain real-life experience as they help me cook, clean the house and buy groceries. They come with me to the bank and to pay bills, so they are getting a clear picture of what life will require of them. And we get to participate in special events and outings as a family, even if they fall on a week-day. My kids have been able to help me host events and even translate for groups that visit. Invaluable experience!

I prize this time that I have with my children and have determined to maximize it, knowing that one day their lives will be bigger than math problems and bedtime hugs. One day their borders will extend far beyond those of our homeschool.

And I have the courage to believe that when that time comes they will be ready: that the seeds I am planting in my three children are taking root, will blossom, and, like dandelion fluff on a windy day, will spread; that our little homeschool will impact the community around us and possibly even the world.

Routine? Maybe.

Worthwhile? Definitely!