I have been where you are right now. I have felt the anxiety, fear, helplessness, and shame parents feel when their children are miserable at their school. I knew something had to change for our family, yet I hadn’t a clue how to do it, let alone if I could do it. I was aware of homeschooling, but I had long ago convinced myself that it wasn’t an option for our family. I assumed I didn't have the skillset to teach my child, that our lifestyle didn't match what I saw online, that she would be lonely. All the usual excuses we give ourselves when we see there is another education option. But when your child is deeply unhappy and you worry for their academic skills, suddenly those excuses don’t seem so important after all.

My daughter was not thriving at our local public school. After three years there, rather than having developed a close set of friends and a warm relationship with her teachers, she instead was coming home crying on a weekly basis. My husband and I did our very best to encourage her, provide her with strategies for navigating that environment, but nothing was helping. Over time my once outgoing child was becoming a shell of herself. The schoolwork she was bringing home was often half done, her once beautiful handwriting now a hurried scribble. Her teacher commented that she was often distracted, focused instead on whatever issues happened at recess that spilled over into the classroom social dynamic. My husband and I chose public school because we believed that she would receive a quality education and lifelong friendships, and neither were our reality.

There are those days when you realize you just can’t live the way you have been. That was the day I picked up the phone and called my close friend who was a homeschool supervising teacher and had been homeschooling her daughter for several years. I explained to her what we were experiencing and let her know that we were desperate to change our situation and felt homeschooling was the best alternative. I am forever grateful that I chose to make that call. She provided me a foundation, a framework, a sense of direction, and the confidence that with the right support we could do this. Homeschooling has since changed my family’s lives in so many positive ways. I created DeLacy Learning for families who are experiencing the same struggles, but don’t have anyone in their personal life that can offer them guidance.

I am here to help you form your foundation, your framework, and craft an incredible homeschool experience specific to your family’s needs. I have spent several years immersed in curriculum, attended homeschool conventions, and listened to experts share their wisdom across a wide range of homeschool topics. I have studied educational models, who they are designed for, when they work best, and how they align with different learning styles. I have researched skill building techniques, explored how to make family unit studies work for households with multiple children, and consulted with homeschool supervising teachers to understand what actually leads to a successful homeschool experience. Every recommendation I make is grounded in the kind of deep, dedicated research that most families simply do not have the time to do on their own. You do not have to figure out where to start, what to read, or who to trust. That is what I’m here for.

I know what it’s like to jump feet first into this new world and not have a clue what’s awaiting on the other side. I’ve had the uncomfortable conversations with family, friends, neighbors, and parents of our former public school. I’ve seen the eyebrows raise, the sudden shift in tone and demeanor as they say, “Homeschool? Are you sure you want to do that?” followed by all the reasons they would never. I want you to know not only can you do this, but it can be better than you ever imagined. I look forward to partnering with you and helping you reach any goals you have for your homeschooling experience and family.