I don’t love the word homeschool. I use it because it’s what people understand – but it doesn’t actually describe what we do.

When people hear homeschool, they often picture a classroom copy-pasted into a lounge room:
A rigid timetable, formal lessons from 8:30 to 3:00, and a whole lot of structure and no socialisation.

Nope. Not us.

Our learning is flexible, fun, and often spontaneous. Sure, we have structured moments (I call those intentional learning times) but most of the time, our day is shaped around natural curiosity and real-life experiences.

My daughter, for example? She learns best in the evenings. Sometimes we do “schoolwork” at 7pm on the couch – and she thrives. That would never fly in a traditional school model, but it works for her. That’s the point.

We don’t stick to a Monday-Friday model. We skip Fridays completely. Sometimes we do a “schooly” activity on a Saturday. We go to parks when they’re empty. We do errands, chat with strangers, ask questions, and follow rabbit trails of curiosity.

It’s learning – but it’s not schooling.

That’s why I prefer to call what we do life learning. Because learning happens everywhere:
In the car. In the kitchen. At church. While folding towels.
It’s not limited to worksheets or “lesson time.”

But the word homeschooling opens doors. It’s the label people search for. It helps us find community. It gets us through the admin and the paperwork. So yeah – I use it.

But I don’t love it.

With warmth and wonder,
Britt xx