A Year Of Grit, Grace, And Growth: Our Homeschooling Journey Unfolds. l Homeschooling l Homeschooling PH l Life With ZG

Another Year, Another Milestone: Celebrating Zoe's Homeschooling Journey

This past Monday, I sat there watching Zoe’s face light up as her name was called — “Highest Honors” and “3rd Place in the Slogan Making Contest.” My heart swelled with pride, a mix of joy and bittersweetness. Another homeschooling year has wrapped up, and just like that, we're a step closer to a season of change.

It's been five years since we began this homeschooling journey — five years of learning not just from textbooks but from each other. When I first decided to homeschool Zoe, I had no clear idea of what this path would look like. Doubts lingered — would I be enough as her teacher? Would homeschooling truly work for us? Yet here we are, celebrating another year of growth, mistakes, laughter, and resilience.

This past year, however, was different. It tested us more than ever. In August, I fell ill for two weeks, struggling to regain my strength. Just as I began to recover, Zoe was hospitalized for over a week, and our world paused. The timing couldn't have been worse — we were nearing the end of the first quarter and heading into the second. Catching up on lessons while healing felt overwhelming, but we pressed on together. We adjusted, we slowed down, and we reminded ourselves that grace matters more than any deadline.

Homeschooling has always been more than just academics. It has been morning cuddles before math, art projects that left our hands sticky with glue and glitter, tearful moments of frustration when lessons felt impossible, and victorious “aha” moments when it all finally clicked. The world has become our classroom — where baking transforms into a science experiment, reading turns into a journey through new worlds, and crafting becomes an opportunity to express ideas and emotions. These moments make homeschooling more than just a method of learning; for us it is a lifestyle of discovery.

Seeing Zoe’s achievements recognized this past Monday reminded me of the heart behind this choice. Homeschooling has given us precious time — time to explore, time to understand, and time to truly know each other. It has allowed me to witness her growth firsthand, to celebrate her strengths, and to gently navigate her struggles.

Yet as I watched her accept her awards, a part of me felt the weight of time. In a year or two, she may be walking the halls of a “normal” school, surrounded by classmates and teachers I won’t know as closely. She'll be learning from others and experiencing things beyond our little world of two. It makes me wonder — have I taught her enough? Have I prepared her for what lies ahead?

The truth is, I don’t know. I can’t predict what the future holds, but I do know this: homeschooling has given us time that is irreplaceable. Time to bond, time to build a foundation of love, and time to create memories that will carry us through whatever comes next.

To my fellow solo moms, homeschooling parents, and those who wonder if they're doing “enough” — I see you. I feel it too. But let’s hold on to this truth: the time, heart, and effort we give to our children are more than enough.

To my creative, curious and sweet Zoe, I am so proud of how hard you've worked, not just in your studies but in every moment of learning and growing. As we step into 5th grade, I can't wait to see what this next chapter holds for us. Let's keep learning, dreaming, and embracing every moment together.

Cheers to another year of growth, grit, and grace.

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I hope to see you on my next blog post. For more homeschooling tips and a glimpse of our journey,

Rooting for you and your family,

Mommy Gen and Zoe