Welcome to my blog! My name is Kelli Wilson, and I live in Walpole, NH. I homeschooled our daughter for all of her third and part of her fourth grade school years. I used an eclectic, mostly self-designed curriculum and this blog was a way for me to keep track of our progress and make connections with other homeschooling families. Although our daughter is now back in public school, I still have my son at home with me. He attends a preschool program two mornings a week but I thought it might be fun to do some “preschool” stuff with him at home, too. I plan to keep it low key, focused on home life, nature, and the arts (inspired by the program offered by a typical Waldorf nursery) — basically, what we are already doing at home everyday but a little more structured and planned out. I really missed blogging here, and I hope that having this space open again will inspire me to be a better mom (and teacher!) for my kids.
I love hearing from other homeschoolers, or parents of little ones, or just about anyone interested in homeschooling, education, pedagogy, etc., so please feel free to comment and ask questions.
Why did we homeschool?
We homeschooled for a lot of reasons but mostly because my daughter is very advanced, academically, and the public school she attended did not, or could not, challenge her at the time we made the decision to pull her out. She also has unique social and emotional needs that made it difficult for her teachers to help her in a regular classroom setting — her second grade year in public school was an absolute disaster! My research into the lives of gifted children has shown me that intense emotions, explosions, and perfectionism are all par for the course. However, many schools don’t have the funds to establish or maintain a gifted program, so children like my daughter face myriad challenges — from piles of trivial worksheets to teachers who don’t understand how such a bright child can get completely derailed by a math problem. Thankfully, a lot of the more trying emotional issues have worked themselves out with the passage of time. She has been very successful at public school since she returned in her fourth grade year.
Want to know more?
Visit my personal blog, Monadnock Mama.