As we wind down our fun in the sun – summer programs, and prepare for fall – I’m sitting here thinking back to all the programs we’ve facilitated over decades. I’m especially thankful for the unexpected EDventures over the past decade.

Over a decade ago Mi Families facilitated early education programs, trainings for early ed providers, and parenting classes in classrooms and homes. I worked with kids and adults while my boys were to school. Like many mom’s I worked while they were on “traditional” school paths… until my husband asked me to try homeschooling them. One needed to “catch up” and the other needed to “slow down.” One was getting lost in a system that was pushing him ahead when he wasn’t ready, and the other was literally getting lost because he was a “runner” and wouldn’t stay in the classroom – or even the building.

The runner had 3 years of special ed programs and traditional classrooms with group speech therapy before homeschooling. Within months of us taking him out of classrooms and getting him 1on1 speech he began to talk and lost most of the “red flags” that labeled his needs. As he began to talk we realized he could read. He was fast at learning new skills and still fast at running, so we put him in lots of sports and found groups through community and church programs, etc. We found homeschool groups for him and his brother and they found friends and thrived.

My boys would have survived school, but they thrived with homeschool. This fall the 100mph boy has been accepted into an Engineering Academy where he’ll be doing “early college” through the community college and career tech center. His brother just finished a graphics arts program at the career tech center, where he was awarded Student of the Quarter and Honor Roll multiple times. He will continue at CTC for their Writers Studio program. My boy who had multiple learning labels, including dyslexia, has plans to be an author / illustrator! This boy went from needing multiple therapeutic services and other services to finding his gifts and talents as an artist and storyteller. He started homeschooling in 2nd grade and is starting his senior year.

This year we will have a senior, 11th grader, and 2nd grader. My kids have spent their educational years doing their core subjects at home in their own timing and own learning styles. They spent their educational years having opportunities to travel, having opportunities to learn to fly, having opportunities to take classes of interest and meet friends with similar interests – instead of just friends based on same age classrooms. They spent this past decade with many of the same friends who weren’t separated into different classrooms every year. They have friends who have become family. We are friends with their friends families. I’m so thankful for the unexpected EDventures over the past decade and the supportive friends we have met along the way.

If you are looking for homeschooling support email me at Christi@MiFamilies.com. Email me if you’d like to join our homeschooling groups and meet more friends as you navigate such unexpected EDventures. Here are the EDventures we are prepping for this fall.

Heads up – ALL programs have limited spots so if you’d like to save a spot get in touch soon!

Hope to see you this fall!!!