What is Home Education?

Home Education is parenting 100% all the time, and essentially can be described as not delegating the formal education portion of a child’s development to a school. When you start home educating, you stop co-parenting with a school. The freedom can be liberating, and the weight of responsibility overwhelming. You might even feel like Alice falling down a rabbit hole, passing through the looking glass as you go from one world to another. Rest assured, you have a large community to help you to navigate how to do that successfully.

Learning about the world, in the world, is very hard to replicate in a school environment.

My professional teaching and personal educating parent perspective

I’m one of many who have moved from working in a school as a teacher, to opting to home educate their own children. I started home educating in 2006 and continued for 16.5 years. Being in a very diverse community of parents, and caregivers, who are choosing this approach to education has been humbling.

It was the best teaching gig I’ve ever had. As a teacher, I deeply enjoy meeting children’s needs without the many limitations of school life. As a parent, I loved watching my children thrive socially, spending time with a diverse range of people rather than being confined to a classroom with same-age peers they often would not free to collaborate with. I find great joy in seeing children play freely, learning cooperation and collaboration naturally, without constant policing.

What is it like for you the parent, or caregiver? Also, diverse! However, we are guaranteed to have one thing in common: we’re home educating at least one of our children. Everything else is a mixed bag, which makes for a rich and varied socialisation, for children and adults. As an adult, you don’t have the competitive or superficial dynamics of the school gate. You have time and opportunity to make deep connections with other parents. The support can be wonderful, as long as you get out and meet people.

I would add though that nobody home educates on a whim. You’re going to be meeting very committed and dedicated parents who genuinely like being with their children. If you’re still doing it after 2 years, you’ve generally found a way to make it work, and it’s working.

Home Education Mentor videos from 2021 to 2024

Want access to free advice? To date, I have over 50 Mentor Videos for Nurture Parenting Magazine. Micarlé Callea is now adding to them. Feel free to ask her a question, and she will answer it there. All access is 100% free.

If you’re in NSW, the best help available is through the Facebook group Home Education NSW.

In QLD, the best help is through the Facebook group Home Education Qld.

If you’re not, then there’s no better place than The Educating Parent.

Can you book a home education consultation?

Not at this time. I’m writing and illustrating interconnected fiction books, of various genres. In all, there are 20 including a guidebook. Follow along for updates on how I’m going with making books that celebrate home education, homeschooling, and unschooling. I’ll be adding behind-the-scenes insights in blog style updates here and over on my Substack. I hope you gain creative inspiration for your own empowered learning journey!

Looking for a treasure trove of experienced advice? The 2025 Australian Homeschooling Summit will start very soon. I will pop a link before for it before it begins so you can join in the live support. In the meantime, you can find the 2024 link here. The annual AHS is hosted by Fearless Homeschooling.

I have recorded advice at most of these summits, including contributions to the Registration Bundle.

Earlier this year, Fearless Homeschool hosted the Neurodiversity Homeschooling Summit.

If you’re looking for a bargain, you can access a 3 in 1 bundle. The price is lower than if purchased separately (2019,2020 & 2021).

All of my links are found here

Feel free to join me on my Substack. There are posts of my progress already there.

This is a complete ‘how to’ home education course.