Michelle Padrelanan

A dear friend and sister in Christ, a leader in the homeschooling community, Dr. Donna Pangilinan-Simpao has passed away.

Rest in peace, dear friend.

May the Lord wrap your family and those you left behind in comfort and peace.

No matter how many times I combed my hair, it still looked like a mess.
But honestly? That wasn’t the biggest thing on my mind.

Canvas LMS. Cardinal Edge. Thesis. Internships. IDs. Parking stickers.
Welcome to student life at Mapúa.

Day one of grad school—and I’m diving in, messy hair and all. May dala pa akong notebook pero phone camera lang pala kailangan ko. 😁

Finally, it’s my turn! This homeschool mama is going back to school.

This is it, Pansit!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗱 𝗗𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟯/𝟱)

𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙚/𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨

A pressure cooker can handle a lot—building up steam and cooking things quickly. But if you don’t release the pressure in the right way, or if you try to force it open too soon, it can burst. In a way, my homeschooling approach during the first few years was like that pressure cooker. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was putting a lot of pressure on my daughter—pressure to fit into a mold that just wasn’t right for her.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲
I’ll never forget the time I took her to the pediatrician because she was having unexplained complaints—itchiness all over one day, vomiting and stomach aches the next. After asking her a series of questions, the doctor turned to me and said, “Ever notice that her complaints begin as you start homeschooling?”

I was stunned, to say the least. Was homeschooling really causing my daughter so much stress? That question made me take a good look at what I was doing.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Looking back, I realize that it wasn’t just homeschooling that was the problem—it was the pressure I was putting on her to be someone she wasn’t. My daughter is an artistic, curious, quirky, and fun little girl who can’t stay still for long. But instead of recognizing and embracing these strengths, I was trying to fit her into a traditional, sit-still-and-focus kind of learner. Naturally, she just couldn’t do it, and the pressure was too much for her.

𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀
I wish I’d understood sooner that every child has their own strengths and learning styles. Homeschooling is about letting your child grow and develop her natural strengths and abilities. It's not about forcing them into a one-size-fits-all mold. That meant letting my daughter move, create, and express herself, even in class. To be honest, it was not until she was in her teens that I realized what she truly needed from me—namely, acceptance for who she is.

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲
So, if you find yourself trying to make your child fit into a particular mold, take a step back. Ask yourself:

What are their strengths? 💪
How can I nurture those strengths in our homeschooling journey?

Just like a pressure cooker, too much force can cause a burst. But when we release that pressure and embrace who our children really are, that’s when the magic happens. ✨

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵? 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴—𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜'𝗗 𝗗𝗢 𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗙 𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮/𝟱)

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁

One of my biggest regrets is not documenting those early homeschooling years. Back then, we didn’t have smartphones. While I had a digital camera, saving the photos took a lot of effort. I had to go to the corner computer rental shop to download the photos to a CD or USB.

Taking pictures was easy, but saving them was a hassle. I thought I’d always remember the important moments, but now that I'm older, I’ve forgotten many of them. Well, it's just the way our brain works. If we don't constantly retrieve memories, the tendency is to fade. Age doesn't help with keeping memories, either.

If I could go back, I’d take photos every time something memorable happened. Now, taking photos seems like second nature for most. You simply take out your phone, pose, and snap.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆

With today’s technology, documenting your homeschool journey is so much easier. Smartphones can take pictures, record videos, or even capture an audio clip of your child reading or singing. Syncing your phone to Google Photos can automatically organize
everything for you. You can even create online scrapbooks by using Google Docs, Slide, or Canva. It's a great way to track progress. What's even better is that a simple search through Google Photos can help you come up with an event from the past. Now it doesn't just live in your brain; it's in your files.

I know, I know, it sounds like I'm just adding another task to your already busy days. But I promise you, years from now, you’ll be grateful that you can look through your files and see what happened in the past. Imagine looking back at your child’s handwriting as it improves year by year—that’s something truly special. Or hearing your child sing or recite a Bible verse or poem—that's amazing!

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁!

It can even be a fun project to organize as you end your school year. You and your child can look back and keep a record of her progress. It's a reminder of the hard work that you all put in and your child's achievements and learnings.

So, take a moment each day to document your journey. You’ll have a beautiful, organized record of your homeschool experience to look back on, inspire you, and encourage your children.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴? 𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴! 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜'𝗗 𝗗𝗢 𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗙 𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭/𝟱)

After 20 years of homeschooling four children —and seeing two of them now thriving in their careers—I've been thinking about the early years of homeschooling and reflecting on our family's life back then. As I look back, I realize that there are a few things that I wish I could have done differently.

𝗠𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁: I wish I did not allow guilt to overshadow the good that I was doing.

Starting out, I had mixed emotions of excitement and fear. I was excited because I was doing something new, and I was scared because I didn’t know how it would turn out. I wasn’t a trained teacher, nor was I a good student myself. But I was determined to teach our children. Along with that determination, though, came a heavy dose of guilt.

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁

I remember that, at night, when I was alone, I constantly questioned myself if I was doing the right thing. Maybe I was harming my kids, probably even permanently, by not sending them to school. I was responsible if they fell behind in their studies and struggled to keep up. The guilt was always there—guilt for not sending them to school, guilt for not doing better, guilt for the days when life got in the way of our lessons. It weighed me down and made those early years so much more stressful than they needed to be. Plus, the stress affected the children. Take note: at this time, I wasn't so aware of the stress; I just accepted it as a part of my life.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

As the years passed, I realized something important: homeschooling isn’t about bringing school home. I’m a wife and mom first, and life doesn’t stop just because it’s time for a math lesson. There will always be times when other priorities have to come first over teaching, such as going to the doctor, visiting our parents, or a family crisis.

I used to be so frustrated when I looked at my perfectly scheduled calendar and saw that we were behind on our lesson plans. Over time, I discovered the value of turning every experience into a learning opportunity for my children. When life got busy, I involved my kids by giving them tasks related to what I did. Happily, I discovered that they learned just as much, maybe even more, from those life experiences than from books. I was very happy to see them becoming book-smart and life-smart.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸

If I could go back, I'd tell myself not to be burdened by so much guilt. Guilt is fine if you are really guilty of wrongdoing. But if you feel guilty because you had to prioritize other things, then release yourself from the guilt. Every experience, especially the tough ones, became part of their education, and we all grew from it.

I'm still actively homeschooling my teens, so I'm still here with you on this journey!

Now, I’m curious—have any of you felt this way during your homeschooling journey? If you could start over, what would you do differently? Let’s share our experiences and support each other in the comments.

And if this resonates with you, I’d love to connect more. I’ll be sharing more reflections, tips, and resources on my page this week; feel free to follow along and join the conversation!

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨.” (Sydney J. Harris)

Join us at 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹'𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 and discover windows of opportunities that a US education can open for your child! Be sure to attend this 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 happening on 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴 at U.P. Town Center - Ayala Malls Quezon City, and 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟵 at The Mind Museum, Taguig City. It’s time to go beyond boundaries for your child’s future!!

For more info, visit flow.page/beyondboundaries

Happy Mother’s Day!

LAST CALL, thrill-seekers and future leaders of Luzon! 🌟🎉

The SHARP Youth Leadership Camp is inviting you to an adventure of a lifetime!

Mark your calendars for April 22 - 25, 2024, as we gather at the spectacular Ecoville Farm Resort in Caliraya, Laguna. 🌴

Why should you be part of this extraordinary journey?

🌟 Unleash Your Potential: Whether you're homeschooling or attending a traditional school, if you're 13 or older, this camp is your chance to ignite your inner star power like never before!

💳 Amazing Rates: Don't miss out on our incredible rates! Grab the Regular Rate at Php 6,000 or snag the Discounted Affiliate Rate (A&Q and CGE) at only Php 5,000!

And guess what? We've got layaway terms to make securing your spot as easy!
😉

What's included?

1️⃣ Camp fee
2️⃣ Round-trip shuttle bus service
3️⃣ Delicious and healthy full-board meals
4️⃣ All the camp materials you'll need

There's more in store for you– it's a gateway to:

✅ Crafting memories that'll last a lifetime
✅ Building lasting friendships
✅ Elevating yourself personally and professionally to new heights!

Don't let this golden opportunity slip through your fingers!

Ready to say YES to laughter, growth, and unforgettable adventure? Hit that link below to secure your spot NOW:

- https://form.jotform.com/BTH_Admin/sharp-luzon-2024

For other inquiries email us at [email protected] or message us at +63 945 669 3888

‘The essence of adolescence is...the drive for novelty, social engagement, increased exploration, and creative expression.' - Daniel Siegel, 'Brainstorm'

Our homeschool youth camp fosters exactly this kind of growth! I'll be speaking on youth mental health - let's empower our teens together. "

Inviting parents who want to expose their teens to opportunities for leadership and self discovery.

Join us on March 8, Friday, for an info session for the upcoming SHARP Youth Camp. This is your chance to ask the camp organizers about your concerns and questions regarding the camp. For security reasons, we require meeting attendees to register to get the zoom details.

You may register through this link: [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrc-itrz0iHdWDI6y3wizpy-ilu11mvCAs](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrc-itrz0iHdWDI6y3wizpy-ilu11mvCAs)
Cornerstone Global Education
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