How many of you began or contemplated homeschooling on, about, or around the year of 2020? For me, it may have physically been during the Pandemic. Mentally, upon deeper reflection, I always knew I wanted to play an important role in my child’s educational experience.
For me, I had spent my earliest months and years in the care of others so my parents could work. I started with a babysitter. Later on, I attended a nearby preschool. It was here that I witnessed a woman who looked like me operating her own childcare center. This is where the initial seed was planted, childhood experiences on both sides of the spectrum watered the seeds that over the years grew a love for children and desire to open my very own childcare center. I babysat in my earlier years, had my Barbie dolls and often my cousins who visited play school even on the weekends. Interestingly enough, they did not mind which spoke volumes to their parents and other adults around me. I went on to study Early Childhood Education. After two degrees and th-OW-sands (typo on purpose, those with student loans know my pain) of dollars in student debt, I worked in just about every role in the Early Childhood sector from 2002 until present day. Two things for sure, my dreams were to own a center and be a mom.
After having my son and no center, I began to ponder how to pivot. My mother came to help care for him for a few months until we got it sorted out and so I could return to work. His dad was laid off shortly after I came off maternity leave and started a new position at a local college. With hopes of him returning to work right away, my son was first enrolled into a family day home I was referred to by a fellow co-worker. Shortly after, a space opened up for him at the Children’s Research Center on campus where I worked. After a few months, a growing balance and his dad had not yet found work so I had to withdraw him and have him stay home with his dad. Once his father and I split, he spent time at a community based center for a short period of time before the pandemic hit and shut everything down. It was at this time that I had the opportunity to observe, learn my child as well as learn more about myself. I decided to document the experiences we curated together. I used resources from Curriculum Agents (www.curriculumagent.com) and aided in my financial ability to homeschool by launching my Virtual Administrative Support business service, CC PatchWorks, LLC.
The challenges I have encountered along this journey include: Work flexibility, Lack of Support, Income, and Self-care.
The way I persevered was: Work flexibility > seeking and securing remote work; Lack of Support > Building my confidence by curating what was feeding my spirit (i.e. what I followed on social media, limiting contact with those who did not support my decision to homeschool, sought out and surrounded myself around like-minded families and holding dear to my WHY; Income > I sought ways to generate multiple streams of income (created my LLC, worked remotely part-time, & utilized my certifications to do classroom observations as a CLASS observer); and Self-care > I dove back into things like journaling, coloring, spending time in natural settings, did yoga, meditation, prayer, read, affirmed myself; I enrolled my son into a homeschool extension program so I could have a few hours a couple days a week to be with myself; therapy; and seeking a village.
This has been my blueprint. When I saw “blueprint”, it is not to say it should be duplicated to its entirety. Take what resonates with you. Do what’s best for you and your family. Stay motivated and inspired.
With much gratitude,
Keisha James, M. Ed.
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