THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA

While living and learning alongside my first child, the idea of homeschooling slowly came into focus. And when my daughter was born, 4.5 years later, it turned into a very attractive option for our little family.   

I was lost at first. I had so many questions. There were tears of frustration, hand-wringing worry about “messing up my children’s future”, false starts, and setbacks. And while I may have lacked confidence about how to teach my children every subject in school, I quickly learned there was so much more to an education than what the standard schooling model proposes. 

I shifted my mindset and my focus. We dedicated ourselves to living and learning. 

We said YES! to adventures and exploration. 

We dove deeply into topics we loved and gave ourselves ample time to rest and recharge. 

Fast forward 15 years and my first born is now in college and my daughter continues to live the self-directed life.  

The Barefoot Way emerged because of the trials and errors we faced. It is a result of the grace and insights my children offered me. It is a culmination of all I have learned to date and it is a marriage of science and ancient wisdom about how children learn, what humans truly need, and why being in conscious relationship with one another is what well-being is all about.   

Becoming “educated” is much bigger than what takes place in a classroom setting. It is the culmination of everything one does. As The Alliance for Self-Directed Education says:

Education is the sum of everything a person learns that supports them towards living a satisfying and meaningful life.

If something is not sitting right with you about our modern-day schooling, you are not alone. A shift is happening.  Families are seeking a more robust, healthy, and connected way to learn than what government schooling offers or suggests. 

The system is impersonal. Homeschooling is personal.