The Joy of Slow
Embracing the Joy of Slow in Homeschooling and Life
Lately, I’ve felt a quiet pull toward slowing down—not just in my daily life but in our homeschooling journey as well. The world moves fast, and there’s an unspoken pressure to keep up, to check boxes, to make sure we’re "on track." But something in me has been whispering that learning—and life—aren’t meant to be rushed.
Then I came across The Joy of Slow, I was my December read and the book has lived in me since as books seldom do. It felt like a warm affirmation, as if the book was speaking directly to my heart at just the right moment.
Letting Go of Outside Pressure
Homeschooling comes with a unique freedom, yet it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to replicate traditional timelines or feeling the weight of outside expectations. This book reminded me that real learning happens when we allow space for wonder, curiosity, and deep connection. It reaffirmed something I knew deep down: we don’t need to rush through lessons just to “stay on schedule.”
Slowing down means embracing the rhythm of our home, honoring my child’s natural learning pace, and seeing education as something organic rather than rigid. It’s in the long walks where we notice the changing seasons, the lingering in a book because it sparks deep conversation, and the quiet mornings where creativity flourishes.
Slowness as a Gift
When I think about the moments that feel most meaningful, they are never the hurried ones. They are the ones where time felt expansive—where we were present. The unhurried mornings with warm tea and candlelight. The afternoons spent following a thread of curiosity, whether in a book, an art project, or a nature discovery.
Slowness is a gift, not an indulgence. And yet, it takes courage to embrace it in a world that celebrates speed.
Releasing the Urgency
Reading The Joy of Slow helped me release some of the urgency I had unknowingly absorbed. It reminded me that our homeschool doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. That rest and rhythm are just as valuable as structure and productivity. That deep learning happens in the pauses, in the spaces between.
And so, I am choosing slow.
Not perfectly, not always—but with intention. I am choosing to trust in the unfolding, to listen to the natural rhythms of our home, and to believe that learning doesn’t need to be measured in speed but in depth and joy.
If you’ve ever felt the pressure to rush through learning or to keep pace with an invisible standard, I highly recommend The Joy of Slow. It might just be the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.
The Joy of Slow by LESLIE M. MARTINO
