#homeschooling

#homeschooling

Parenting approaches like co-sleeping and continued breastfeeding were part of my identity. I praised effort instead of results and consciously provided my children opportunities that emphasized exploration. I believed these core values would foster the genius minds I dreamed of. I imagined my kids learning experientially through art and travel. I studied the Waldorf and Montessori education models and threw myself into promoting whole-child learning.

Nathan Trevallion, a former chef from Bristol, and his wife, Catherine Birmingham, a former horse-riding teacher from Melbourne, bought a dilapidated property in a wooded area in Palmoli, in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, in 2021. The aim was to raise their three children Utopia Rose, 8, and six-year-old twins Galorian and Bluebell as close to nature as possible. They grew their own food, generated electricity via solar power and extracted their water from a well.

From sunup to sundown, every day was a rush, and dinner was always late as we scrambled with the kids to get homework done. Our mornings started at 5:30 a.m. Waking our four children up - now 6, 9, 11, and 14 - an hour before the sun rose was becoming a daunting task. It felt like we were becoming robots.

During elementary school, I often resisted being homeschooled or attending a private evangelical Christian school, so the summer before seventh grade, I begged my parents to let me return to public school. They agreed, but that transition was also difficult. I felt like a fish out of water, completely naive and innocent in terms of pop culture and developmental knowledge. In other words, no matter which form of schooling I endured, there were real challenges: physical, mental, and emotional.

As a child, the Columbine school shooting impacted my elementary school experience and beyond. My naivete about safety was instantly shattered. It was the first time I realized that danger could come into a classroom at any moment. Years passed, and I became a mom. As my daughter approached school age, school rules changed, active shooter drills became the norm, and every parent dreaded the emergency call that their child's school was on lockdown. I didn't want to live in that daily state of worry.

Authorities are asking the public for help locating a 9-year-old girl who disappeared last year in Santa Barbara County. Melodee Buzzard was reported missing on Tuesday after a school administrator realized she'd been absent for a "prolonged" amount of time, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Melodee is homeschooled, and no one has checked on her since October 2024, ABC News reported.

The first year we lived in the US, we were in a gated community with other young families. Everything felt new and exciting - an adventure - just what we wanted. We arrived in the summer, and I remember loving the sun, constantly being at the pool, and spending endless hours with Freddie and the other young families in the neighborhood.

Former NFL star Shaun Alexander and his wife, Valerie, are adding another player to their team. The Seattle Seahawks' all-time leading rusher announced on the " Up & Adams Show" with host Kay Adams on Sept. 24 that Valerie is pregnant with the couple's 14th child. "We're just now starting to tell people, but No. 14 is in the belly," Alexander said. "We're just now starting to tell everybody."

One of the biggest shifts has been a growing demand for unique experiences. By taking advantage of flexible work opportunities, more Americans are embracing the appeal of a digital nomad lifestyle. What was once seen as an option mainly for solo travelers and young couples is now growing among a new demographic: families. Recent studies show that digital nomad families have increased in 2025, with about 15% of digital nomads now traveling with their children.

"Just start!"

Here's the truth: I don't prioritize friendship in this season. Not because I don't like you. Not because you're not amazing, but because my time is my most expensive currency. And if I give you any of it, you're a big freaking deal.

Many parents are stepping away from the traditional school system due to concerns about the quality of education, school safety, standardized testing, and misaligned values.

AI not only makes my life easier in some ways - it also helps my kids prepare for the world they're entering. AI is inevitable.

Do you know of anyone closer to the family (either socially or through family connections) who shares your same concerns? Is there someone you trust who might be able to raise these concerns person-to-person?

"Like, let's say the school system. I'll think, 'Why do kids f**king go to school?' Truly. It's so dated," Kourtney says.