We Were Terrified. Then We Started. — One Family's First Year of Homeschooling

When Sarah and Tom pulled their seven-year-old daughter Lily out of school, they were terrified. Lily had been unhappy for months — anxious on Sunday evenings, quiet in the mornings, and slowly losing the spark that had made her such a curious, joyful child.

We didn't know what we were doing, Sarah admits. I kept thinking, what if we make it worse?

They started with Brave Wings Year 2 on a Monday morning in September. The first week was rocky. Lily kept asking when break time was. By Wednesday they'd abandoned the plan and gone to the park.

But by week three, something shifted. She came downstairs on Monday and asked: What's our Big Question this week? She'd never once asked what she was learning at school.

By Christmas, Lily was reading more than she ever had. She'd built a weather station in the garden, written a story about a seed that travels the world, and started a rock collection that took over the hallway. She wasn't just learning — she was enjoying learning. I'd forgotten that was even possible.

The biggest surprise? I started learning too. Lily and I were discovering things together, and that changed our whole relationship.

Sarah's advice to parents considering the jump: You'll doubt yourself every single day for the first month. Then one morning your child will say something that makes you realise they understand something deeply — not because they memorised it, but because they lived it. And you'll never look back.

Note: This is an illustrative story. We'd love to feature your real family story — contact us if you'd like to share yours.