EVER considered homeschooling your children? It’s not an option for the faint-hearted.

Cheryl Tong likens the homeschool journey to a long, winding path.

“At times, this winding path will cause us to be ‘behind’ in our journey. At other times, we cut the corner and end up ‘ahead’ of others because our journey is able to eliminate unnecessary travelling and waiting.

“At the end of the educational journey, rather than having been forced to travel on a rigid, standardised ‘package tour’, they’ve enjoyed the journey a lot more because it’s been tailor-made to their interests and needs.

“I believe that each homeschool programme should be unique to each child,” says Tong.

She adds that you just have to persevere for rewards greater than a pat on the back, a paycheque at the end of the month, and other tangible benefits.

“As a mum of three young, high-octane boys, there have been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed by the unpredictable behaviour of my boys. But the inspiring story of Thomas Alva Edison has helped put things in perspective,” she says.

Go to The Star’s ParenThots website (www.parenthots.com) to find out how this mother of three active boys took the plunge to homeschool them.