How to Handle When You Finish Homeschooling, Interview with Stacey Lane

One of these days, your youngest will graduate from homeschool high school. What happens then you finish homeschool? Does the world come to an end?

Stacey Lane is a long-time homeschool friend who has been active in the homeschool community for years. Her youngest homeschooler

She has now graduated 3 teens from homeschooling (because of his interest in joining the military, her youngest asked to go to a military prep school, so his homeschooling stopped at 8th grade…and there’s not ONE right way to educate your teens). The 2 oldest have graduated from college. Teen number 3 has just graduated homeschooling high school.

NOW Stacey is ending part of her parenting career and getting on with the next part of her life. How can she move on? How does she handle that transition?

Stacey suggests handling when you finish homeschooling like this:

• Spend a little time honoring what you and your family have accomplished. That means some sort of celebration:
  •  Celebrating the ups and downs of homeschooling
  •  Celebrating surviving all of those ups and downs
  •  Celebrating her years of identity as a homeschool mom
•  Hold am Omega Moms breakfasts
  • When the last kid graduates, have breakfast with moms and share those highs and lows and hopes for the future
• Spend a little time deciding how much of the homeschool identity you want to maintain
• Remember: there’s not ONE right way to be a retired homeschool mom
  • Leave it all behind
  • Stay around and mentor and/or teach (Stacey leans into this choice. She remembers her journey and wants to be around to encourage the next generation. She likes to be with people in their ups and downs. She likes helping them choose curriculum and resources. She likes reminding them that they can do it! AND Stacey gives this WISE advice: You’re called to homeschool, you’re not called to be perfect.)

Kym joined in with suggestions for moms when they finish homeschooling:

• Pray first, last and always
• Remember the power of mentoring (and being mentored, herself, by her friends and homeschool *colleagues*)
• Have a graduation party (for herself and her kids together). Check out 7Sisters post series here:
• Graduation Party Part 1: How to Plan Ahead
• Graduation Party Part 2: Drinks, Delegating, SetUp
• Graduation Party Part 3: Having Fun and Cleanup Tips
• Graduation Party Part 4: How to Make Graduation Announcements and Invitations
• Graduation Party Part 5: How to be a Good Guest
• Graduation Party Part 6: How to be a Good Guest Part 2

Vicki joined in with these suggestions:

• Get other homeschool moms to have a graduation party (a big party, so you don’t have to plan this transitional event alone)
• Give yourself permission to do some things you’ve been putting off for decades:
  • Vicki loved learning with her kids. Now she’s taking classes online for free. SO: Take a class (lots of free classes on MOOCs like EdX)
• Explore different volunteer, hobbies or career opportunities. Take it slow. Give yourself time.
• Allow yourself to explore new visions for yourself
• Remember: A mom’s mind plans her way but God directs her path.
  • Remember: A mom’s mind plans her way but God directs her path.
• Start a midlife bucket list of things you’d like to do
• Remember: God’s not worried about your future!

One of the things Stacey has taken on is helping 7Sisters with various tasks and managing the Facebook Group (join us, we all have such interesting discussions there).

Join Kym, Vicki and Stacey for a rollicking discussion about how to handle when you finish homeschooling.