{Honest Women} We have a large family and we homeschool

We are a large blended family of 6 from Johannesburg. I am married to Steven and momma to Noo*, who is 13 years old and my son from my previous relationship who now lives with his dad, Koko* is 8, Fifi* is 6 and Pixie is 4*.

I come from a large family. My dad is one of 8, my mom one of 4 and I am one of 4. Hubby comes from a small family. Both his parents only have 1 sibling and he is one of 2. Having a big family is in my blood, I guess.

After I had Koko, I was told that I would need fertility treatment to have more children. A month later, we found out I was 7 weeks pregnant with Fifi, talk about a shock! My doctor still speaks about it when I come to see him. I had always wanted a large family, but after many miscarriages (10 pregnancies in 9 years) I was happy with the children I had.

Once we realised that we were going to have a 4th, we decided she was going to be our last. All my pregnancies were very difficult and I spent 6 months in and out of hospital during Pixie’s pregnancy. During her birth, my gynae told me that my uterus was dangerously thinning and that she was born just in time. So even if we had wanted any more, which we didn’t, it would have been dangerous for me to have another child.

I had a hysterectomy 2 years later due to Adenomyosis (a large growth on my uterus). Even though I would love to have another child now, it’s not going to happen. Our family is complete and adoption is not an option for us.

We are in our 7th year of homeschooling. I started homeschooling Noo in 2009, 3 weeks before Fifi was born. He went into the school “system” in 2012 in preparation for him moving in with his dad for high school. Noo was born with Hirschprung’s Disease and as a result of that, we decided to homeschool him until he could cope better with the side effects of this horrible disease. We have since decided that we are going to homeschool all the children until such a time where homeschooling is no longer beneficial for them.

Through trial and error, we now use the School-at-home style for the older 2 and the Montessori Style with Pixie. You can read more on the different styles of homeschooling here on my blog.

In the beginning, we had great support from some friends but family was a little more difficult to win over. Over the years some family members are still not pro-homeschooling, but most have come around. We have a great homeschooling support group and have made great friends in the process. When you teach your own children, it’s rewarding watching things click. That moment your child grasps a concept.

When deciding homeschool, research both online and by speaking to people who homeschool. It’s important to have a look at the actual material in use and people’s response to those programs.

I have been asked many questions over the years about how/why/where we homeschool. You can read all about those questions HERE.

Noo is no longer homeschooled, he went into the school “system,” so to speak, at the beginning of Grade 5. He had no transition issues.

Being a large family has both its pros and its cons.

Pros
Our children are close and love each other to the moon and back.
Having siblings who watch you back at all times is the best gift we could have given the children.
Always having someone to talk to, play and share secrets with.
Never being lonely.
Hearing your children screech with laughter while they are playing with each other.
There is nothing I love more than watching my children cuddle while they watch movies. Noo and Pixie are especially close (there is a 9 year age gap here).
The little ones learn a lot from their older siblings… via osmosis.

Cons
I very rarely have time by myself, for myself. This is something I have consciously had to make time for.
When one decides to have a large family, you need to realise than you are going to have to make quite a few concessions. We rarely go away on holiday and when we do, it’s usually to family. My 3 youngest children have never been to the coast, but they have spent more time than any other city family I know on a game farm where my mother worked for many years.
Space is at a premium.
Cost: Having a large family requires serious money management skills.
Needing a 7 seater vehicle: Finding a car big enough and within our price range has been challenging. 7 Seater vehicles are crazy expensive, even second had vehicles are priced way up there.
The noise: I’m pretty sure my kids make more noise than the nursery school up the road, LOL. There are days, not often, where I just want silence.

I couldn’t imagine having a small family now that we have these crazy kids. They are truly my world. We are always together and know each other’s quirks.

*Not their real names

Social Media Links:
Websites:  Monsters Ed Homeschooling Academy – my personal homeschooling blog

Year Round Homeschooling – Monthly contributor and Happiness is… – recipe blog
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Captions for attached Photos:
Photo 1: Koko, Fifi and Pixie at the Florida Fire Station in Johannesburg
Photo 2: Pixie working on fine motor skills
Photo 3: Koko has taken to photography. He takes his camera everywhere
Photo 4: Koko waiting for his swimming lesson
Photo 5: Koko made an air powered robot (the air comes from the balloon at the top)
Photo 6: Pixie colouring in a Barbie colouring in book
Photo 7: Fifi busy with an art project for father’s day
Photo 8: Pixie, Fifi and Koko all working on their father’s day gifts for Steven