The Not Back To School Day
Hi, my name is Lillias. I am a co-founder of We Are Wonder and together with Gina we envisaged the core values at the heart of all our offerings. I have since stepped back in my active delivery role, supporting the team strategically as an active Board member of the CIC. Both my children participate in The Den and The Nest and I am a grateful member of the community (also currently loving the monthly makers circle Hearth).
“What do you do all day?”
This post is taken from a piece of writing I made earlier this year for Substack. It is not directly about The Nest, The Den or We Are Wonder but rather how we weave together offerings and interests to build a home educated/un-schooled family life in Glasgow.
I have been asked the question ‘but what do you actually do all day?’ more times than I can count recently by families curious about home education/unschooling or flexi schooling. So I thought it deserved a post and that it may also be of interest to the wider We Are Wonder community.
I do not delve into the reasons why we decided to home educate or our values. It is simply a documentation of one week in June 2024. I hope it will also answer questions about the practicalities of money/time and how as a family we find balance between our passions, creative work, earning a living, personal and family life. I welcome a dialogue with you and any questions/comments you may have.
This is snap shot: ONE day in our life. A day out of ONE week, in the month of June and does not reflect ‘home education’ in general. I have tried to authentically capture our day, yet it is nevertheless seen through a lens of positivity as you do not see the moments of meltdown or conflict which occurred!
There is only one very brief sighting of my partner! This is not to say that he is uninvolved with, or unsupportive of home education - quite the opposite but Monday is his work day.
Sit down with a cuppa and enjoy the read/viewing…
August 2024 (first week back for Scottish schools)
My finger has been hesitating over the ‘send’ button due to an incredibly busy few months painting my latest picture book, but also sitting in acknowledgment of my privilege, which I would like to recognise before sharing what feels a very personal account, and as such a vulnerable insight into our family life. All those who appear have given consent.
I am a white, educated woman. I was brought up in a family of artists with modest earnings but with a generous growth mindset. In watching the video of ‘our day’ I am acutely aware of our privilege but also that living differently for us, leans heavily on the investment of time and passion over money. We are making change. Raising children in a consent-based, self-directed, nature-led environment and questioning the way we live. I am proud of this.
Here we are - three years into home educating. The shape of our days has evolved with the children and I am aware it will look different next year or even next week. Flexibility is key and I have learnt not to be concerned with what could happen and focus on what works now. If it is not working, you have the power to change direction. If you feel your family needs something but it’s not available then you have the power to make it happen (like The Nest).
We travel, we spend time with family in the Borders, sometimes the children become ill, plans change but on this Monday the 10th of June we are in Glasgow and our day looked like this (music by Crooked Still).
What Our Week Looks Like:
Steiner Group
An informal collective of three families that we set up in 2023.
One of the parents is a trained Steiner School teacher and teaches the three older children. The other adults facilitate free play with the younger children before joining together for snack and painting or knitting session.
10-1 Monday and Tuesday. 10-11:30 Wednesday.
£20 a month donation per family towards materials
Wolf Pack Intergenerational Dance Group
Tuesday 6-7:30
Myself and L attend
FREE
Glasgow Home Ed
Wednesday 12-4
FREE
Swimming Lesson
Thursday 10:30 - 11
£100 a month
NHS Speech Therapy
Thursday 1-1:30
FREE (for S but L attends as well)
Circus Fitness
Thursday 6-7
Myself and L attend
£7 per person
The Nest
A consent based, self-directed, nature-led learning community for young people aged 5-16 which I founded with Gina in 2022.
Leo
Friday 10-4
£30
Woodland’s Outdoor Kindergarten (WOK)
S attends
Friday 10:30 - 3:30
FREE Council funded place
French School
Saturday 10-12
L & S attend
£35 per child per month
Play Time
We value free play and make sure there is plenty space for play moving freely indoors and outdoors, with friends, family, siblings and solo. It’s always self-directed. I am present, generally doing things around the house and available to help facilitate, but not entertain!
Home education/un-schooling is a whole family/community, collaborative endeavour. For us it is not just about the children. It needs to work for everyone. If you are interested in ways in which I fit in my creative work and how I feel home educating may open up time that I otherwise would not have if I worked from 9-5 you can hop over to my Substack for a read: More Time Not Less Creative tips which bend time! The surprising reality of home educating, mothering and creativity.
And leaving you on a note of authenticity… There have been many changes for us over the summer and on our return from our 6 week bike packing trip we felt a need to realign our week in response to our evolving individual and family needs. This translated into S & L joining The Den, an extra ‘work’ day for myself, shorter Steiner group days and Capoeira in place of Circus.
I am fascinated to learn how others make home education work for their family and also to hear questions coming from those who don’t currently home educate but are considering it. So please, if you so wish, leave a comment below.
