Sarah Beck

Some days I can’t remember why we started homeschooling. I can’t remember why I opted to spend nearly every waking moment with my children.

Today may or may not be one of those days.

Right now we are sitting in a library three towns over. The girls are building with blocks at a table having bickering wars through whispers.

I needed to get out.

I needed to get out of our space. I needed to not be surrounded by unfinished projects and chores begging to be done. Sometimes I just need a change of scenery to get motivated, or to change my mindset.

What I like most about this library is that the children’s section doesn’t feel like a day care room.

I hate spaces that resemble daycare centers, or waiting rooms at the doctor’s office. Lots of libraries have that sterile waiting room vibe. Not this library. If only they would let me bring my coffee in here. It would be perfect.

With this section of my site I hope to share what our lives are like. My main goal as a home educator is to raise creative beings. Being creative requires inspiration.

Rule #5: Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.

– Jim Jarmush

The thing that I love the most about homeschooling, is that it’s a lifestyle.
I don’t think that homeschooling is for everyone, but it works for us. It works for our girls and it works for our family.

I adore living inside a lifestyle. Even on days, like today, that I can’t quite remember why I made the decision to homeschool. We reset and find new inspiration.