We homeschool our kids, not because we think school is bad, but because we needed something more flexible, more supportive, and more aligned with our reality. We live with chronic illness, neurodivergence, and disability. That means rigid schedules and all-day classrooms don’t always work for our brains or our bodies.

But learning? That’s still a top priority. We believe in education — 100%.

But we also believe in mud, sunlight, bird calls, and wind.

We believe in getting our hands dirty and letting our minds quiet.

And we believe the best lessons sometimes come with no desk, no test, and no shoes.

That’s why we homeschool.

And that’s why we choose nature, over and over again.

When we camp, we read maps and follow weather patterns.

We troubleshoot tent poles and learn what poison ivy looks like, hopefully not the hard way.

We measure things. We problem-solve. We get dysregulated and practice calming ourselves down.

In my experience, the best way to teach your child as a homeschooler is to teach them to love to learn.

I see my kids’ search histories, they’re always Googling something, always asking questions.

And when we’re outside, those questions multiply.

“What kind of bug is that?”

“Can I make a dam in this creek?”

“Why is this tree bark peeling like that?”

“Can you help me build a bow out of this stick?”

Out here, they want to know more.

Out here, learning isn’t a chore, it’s curiosity in motion.

Many lessons still happen at home with books.

But our best ones often start in the woods, or by the lake, or in the middle of a muddy trail with a stick in one hand and an idea in the other.

We’re not raising kids who can just recite facts. We’re raising kids who know how to figure things out. Who know what grounds them. Who know how to take care of themselves and others.

Who know that learning doesn’t stop just because the school day ends, and neither does joy.

Nature supports our homeschool not just because it teaches science or survival skills…

but because it teaches us:

How to be present.

How to listen.

How to grow.

And that’s an education I’ll never regret.

❤️🌿 Mimi