Hello Reader,

It's 7:06 AM. I have no idea how much time I have, but I know I need to start somewhere.

I've been practicing what I preach and honoring this transition back to homeschooling with space. But if I'm honest, there's been a creeping fear of saying the wrong thing. It's been small, but steady, and it's been easier just to stay quiet than to say my world has been fundamentally rearranged.

I didn't want anyone to question it.

I didn't want sympathy either.

I wanted celebration.

And time.

I wanted the time I'd been missing out on while my daughter was in school and the time that I'd missed with her after school when she needed space to decompress.

So time I've been taken.

We've celebrated, made new friends, found a new rhythm, and we're reviving our love of learning. Together.

I often talk about not letting outside voices get in the way of listening to your own voice, and I needed to practice this, too. So I removed my voice, took myself off the air so to speak, to keep extraneous voices from getting in. Because there's no need for sympathy - this was a conscious decision, not a last resort. We love homeschooling. We love the freedom it gives us and how easy it is to meet individual needs.

This decision wasn't a result of failure to thrive or anxiety that got too extreme. It wasn't for lack of love for her teachers and what they had done for her.

It was simply a decision rooted in the recognition that what worked well for her last year was no longer the right fit. It was time to adapt and figure out what the right fit was.

Of course, there are bits and pieces we are still figuring out, but I'm feeling grounded enough to write to you all. To open the windows and let the world back in.

I always ask myself as I'm writing how this is relevant to you, and here's what I've got this morning. You may never choose to homeschool. That's totally up to you and your family. But you will face challenges as a parent. Your kids will face challenges on their own, and it will ripple through your family. When these big life moments arise, the best gift you can give yourself is a support system and the personal skills to get through it. You want someone in your corner who can help you build the skills you need to get through, someone who will help you hear your own voice - and your child's - clearly. In those moments when you want to close the windows and weather the storm, don't wait. Reach out. Find someone to bring a little light to your world.

As a coach, that's exactly what I'm here for: helping you face your life and parenting challenges with grace and confidence, so you can continue to build the connection you already have with your child. My door is open to you. To take the first step forward in coaching together, go to https://juliamcgarey.com/#work and schedule a consultation. You'll find information about my prices on the website, too.

Your partner in parenting,

Julia McGarey

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