I was educated at home - and I turned out okay

That's right, I was home-schooled.

From Prep to Year 12, to be precise.

Twelve long years where I didn't once step in a school, and my only teacher was my mum.

It was my normal.

But in my 26 years, I've realised for most people, it's anything but.

Until now.

Coronavirus has seen ‘home-schooling’ suddenly become Australian parents’ gob-smacking reality, as children are pulled out of school in droves and plonked at the kitchen table.

And while traditional home-schooling is certainly different to remote learning, I am living proof that teaching your children from home will not destroy them.

In fact, learning at home can have some incredible benefits I am only beginning to grasp, nine years on.

Firstly, flexibility.

We had our daily routine: breakfast at 6 am, chores until 9 am, school until lunchtime then another hour or two of learning — if we needed it.

This routine was key in keeping us motivated.

But within those hours, there was flexibility for my two older brothers and me to learn at our own individual pace.

It also gave us the space to maximise on our individual learning styles — and they varied dramatically between us three kids.

While one brother disdained structured learning and had a passion for hands-on tasks, the other was a painstakingly perfectionist academic.

And then there was me.

I was all about getting things done as quickly as possible, to an adequate standard.

Because I knew if I could blitz through my assignments early, I'd have hours free to pursue extra-curricular passions.

But while we all learnt differently, we all came out with the same qualities — most markedly, self-motivation and an unstifled creativity.

I am by no means bagging traditional education.

There are certainly negatives to being educated from home — for instance, we all hate competition because we didn't really encounter it at our ‘school'.

And we missed out on other opportunities offered at schools, such as a variety of group sports, drama classes, bands and so on.

But I do want to press one point — the same point Shepparton mum Cheryl Jandesu emphasises in a recent News story.

Your children will be okay.

By schooling them from home in the coming weeks (or months), they will not be ruined.

In fact, this could be an incredible time of growth, both as individuals and as a family.

If you're worried about your kids being socialised, don't — their siblings will continue to socialise them, as will the adults in their lives, until this pandemic is over.

As for you, you've got this.

My mum wasn't the perfect teacher — I'm sure she made mistakes along the way, she was learning, just as much as we were.

But she listened to us, loved us and worked to give us a holistic education.

And I have no doubt, you can do the same.

More stories on remote learning from the Shepparton News

Parents face mammoth task as remote learning kicks off

This Shepparton mum taught her children at home over 25 years - here are her top tips