Long before homeschooling ever entered our lives, I had my own complicated relationship with school.
Growing up, I struggled — really struggled. I fell through the gaps in ways that left me believing I just wasn’t smart. Math was especially hard for me. I never felt challenged, yet everything somehow felt challenging. It was a confusing place to be: bored, overwhelmed, and convinced that everyone else “got it” except me. For years, I carried the quiet fear that maybe learning just wasn’t something I was built for. I did not enjoy school. I was too quiet. I love reading and stuck to my small group of friends. But my teachers mostly ignored me or not so silently judged me.
Then, during my sophomore year of high school, one teacher changed everything.
He placed me in a class I was certain I would fail — a class far above where I believed I belonged. But something unexpected happened. I didn’t fail. I thrived. For the first time, I felt seen, capable, and genuinely excited about learning. He even let me help teach classes sometimes, trusting me with responsibilities I never imagined I could handle. But I was capable.
When my parents couldn’t afford AP courses, he paid for them himself. His actions altered the entire trajectory of my life. I went to college. I went to graduate school. But the truth is, I almost didn’t. I almost believed the story I had been telling myself for years: that I wasn’t smart enough. I listened to the lies and gave in to the boredom… Until I didn’t.
That experience sits at the core of why I homeschool today. I know what it feels like to be misunderstood by a system that wasn’t designed for every learner. I know what it feels like to need something different and to flourish when someone finally offers it.
Fast Forward…
When we became parents, we had a feeling our lives were going to look a little different… in the best possible way. With my background in psychology and my husband’s nonprofit work supporting vulnerable communities, we were already used to thinking outside the box, questioning systems, and meeting people exactly where they were. It turns out, that mindset carried straight into how we approached education for our own children.
Our homeschooling journey began quietly in 2014, long before we ever imagined it would become a way of life. We were simply teaching our daughter how to read. Nothing formal, no pushing, nothing fancy… just handmade games, repetitive (and honestly, pretty dull) sight‑word videos, stacks of picture books, and lots of cozy reading time together. We weren’t trying to accelerate anything; we were just following her curiosity.
But she took off.
Before she entered kindergarten, she was reading chapter books independently. We were proud, of course, but also aware: traditional school wasn’t designed with her pace or learning style in mind. Many of her peers were just beginning their reading journeys — which is completely normal. I didn’t learn to read until I was six myself. But we could see that placing her in a setting where she’d spend most of her time waiting, repeating, or slowing down would dim the spark she already had.
We didn’t want her to lose her love of learning, and we definitely did not want her to lose her spark!
So we made a decision. We told ourselves we’d take it one year at a time. No long‑term commitments, no pressure, no grand declarations. Just a simple question at the end of each school year: Is homeschooling still the right fit for our family?
That first year, the answer was yes.
And the next year, yes again.
And somehow, here we are… four children later … still learning, growing, and adapting together.
Each of our kids is wildly unique. They learn differently, think differently, and thrive under different conditions. One needs structure, another needs freedom. One learns best through movement, another through stories. One needs quiet, another needs noise. And somewhere along the way, I realized something that changed everything for me:
School should never be one‑size‑fits‑all.
Homeschooling hasn’t always been easy. We’ve had seasons of doubt, exhaustion, trial‑and‑error, and complete curriculum overhauls. But we’ve also had seasons of joy, discovery, and connection that we wouldn’t trade for anything. We’ve found what works for us …not perfectly, not permanently, but faithfully, year after year. And we continue each year by learning something new.
This journey continues to shape our family in ways we never expect. It’s taught us flexibility, patience, creativity, and the beauty of meeting each child exactly where they are.
And now, through Dewey Decimal Academy, we’re honored to walk alongside other families as they discover what works for them.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for reading our story.
And wherever you are in your own homeschooling journey… just beginning, just curious, or deep in the adventure — we’re cheering you on.