When the pandemic hit in 2020, Ashley Archambault was in her second year of teaching, juggling her new career with the demands of single motherhood. Her son, then in kindergarten, experienced the abrupt school shutdowns and the shift to virtual learning alongside her. Initially, the break from the classroom felt like a respite for Ashley’s frazzled nervous system, strained by balancing work and parenting. But as the months wore on, both she and her son longed for the connections they’d lost—colleagues and students for her, friends for him.
Faced with the uncertainty of returning to in-person schooling that fall, Ashley made a bold choice: she quit her teaching job and decided to homeschool her son. Concerns over the virus, coupled with the lack of viable virtual options at her son’s school, pushed her to explore alternatives. She discovered a county virtual school for homeschool students, which appealed to her because it kept her son on the same curriculum as his peers while offering additional teachers to support his learning. This decision marked the beginning of a two-year homeschooling journey that would reshape their lives.
Tailoring Education to a Child’s Curiosity
Homeschooling offered Ashley a unique opportunity to customize her son’s education around his passions. She had always believed that students thrived when learning was tied to their interests, and homeschooling allowed her to put this philosophy into practice. If her son was fascinated by animals, for instance, she organized trips to the zoo or library visits to dive into books about wildlife. This flexibility fostered a love of learning, as lessons became adventures tailored to his curiosity.
Adjusting to homeschooling wasn’t without challenges. Ashley had to establish a new routine, balancing her son’s lessons, assignments, and creative learning opportunities while working from home. It took weeks to find a rhythm, but the effort paid off. Her son excelled academically, benefiting from the one-on-one attention that allowed him to explore subjects deeply and at his own pace. For Ashley, the joy of watching her son engage with topics he loved was a highlight of their homeschooling experience.
The Social Void of Home Learning
Despite the academic successes, homeschooling revealed a significant drawback: the absence of social interaction. Both Ashley and her son missed the connections that school naturally provided. For her son, the lack of playtime with peers was palpable; for Ashley, the isolation from colleagues and the broader school community weighed heavily. She found herself nostalgic for moments like picking up her son from school, when he’d run into her arms, brimming with excitement.
Ashley also recognized that constant togetherness strained their mother-son relationship. She missed the space to miss him, the natural separation that school provided, which allowed their reunions to feel special. The temporary nature of homeschooling, combined with the financial unsustainability of leaving her job long-term, began to tip the scales. After two years, Ashley knew a return to traditional schooling was necessary for both their well-being.
Back to Public School: A Social Revival
In 2022, Ashley and her son made the transition back to public school. For her son, the return was a social triumph. He reveled in reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, thriving in the lively atmosphere of the classroom. The social aspects of school quickly became his focus, filling the gap that homeschooling had left. Ashley, too, returned to teaching, rediscovering the professional community she’d missed.
However, the shift wasn’t seamless. In the homeschool environment, her son had benefited from personalized attention, allowing him to delve deeply into subjects. In the classroom, he faced the challenge of adapting to a group setting, where individualized focus was harder to come by. Ashley noticed a dip in his academic engagement, as the allure of friends sometimes overshadowed schoolwork. He had to relearn how to be an independent learner, navigating a setting where teachers couldn’t cater to his every curiosity.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Both Worlds
Reflecting on the experience, Ashley remains torn between homeschooling and traditional schooling. Each approach offered distinct advantages and challenges. Homeschooling allowed her to nurture her son’s academic strengths and interests, fostering a love of learning that shone through in his progress. Yet, the social isolation and financial strain were undeniable drawbacks. Public school, conversely, provided the peer interactions and community both craved, but it lacked the tailored academic focus her son had thrived on at home.
Ashley’s journey highlights a broader dilemma for parents navigating educational choices. Homeschooling can offer unparalleled flexibility, but it demands significant time, resources, and emotional energy. Traditional schooling provides structure and socialization but may not always meet a child’s unique needs. For Ashley, the answer lies in a hybrid approach: supporting her son’s interests outside the classroom while encouraging his independence within it.
A Path Forward: Balancing Interests and Independence
Now, as her son settles into public school, Ashley focuses on fostering his passions beyond the classroom. Whether through library trips, extracurricular activities, or family projects, she continues to nurture his curiosity, ensuring that the spark ignited during homeschooling endures. She also encourages his growing independence, helping him navigate the social and academic challenges of school with confidence.
The experience has left Ashley with a nuanced perspective on education. Her story resonates with countless parents who faced similar choices during the pandemic, weighing safety, learning, and social needs. As communities continue to recover and adapt, her journey underscores the importance of flexibility, creativity, and community in shaping a child’s education. For Ashley and her son, the homeschooling chapter was a transformative detour—one that enriched their bond and left lasting lessons about learning and love.
