Dad homeschooling his son around Australia gives message to parents
A single father has written an open letter to parents of school-aged children who are struggling to homeschool during the coronavirus crisis, telling them not to stress about ‘keeping up’ with worksheets and textbooks.
Cameron Dubin, 36, lives in a caravan full-time with his 11-year-old son Jaiden after quitting his corporate job seven years ago to find a more balanced lifestyle with his only child, who has autism.
The pair, who are currently self-isolating in Queensland, Australia, are experts in learning from the environment around them, with Jaiden never having picked up a regular workbook in all his life.
Cameron Dubin lives in a caravan full-time with his 11-year-old son Jaiden after quitting his corporate job seven years ago to find a more balanced lifestyle with his only child
‘I am seeing a lot of posts from parents stressed about school work,’ Cameron wrote on Facebook.
‘Many of those are from parents who are already feeling the pressure when it comes to making sure their kids don’t fall behind with their education whilst at home.
‘Some are madly searching for textbooks, worksheets and other curriculum to attempt to mimic the classroom at home.
‘As a single parent and someone who has homeschooled for the past six years, my only advice to you is stop stressing about school work. Your family’s mental health, and your bond with your children are far more important areas to focus your efforts.’
Cameron said that this is the first time in a long time both children and parents have been around each other full-time and they should take advantage of that situation.
Jaiden has never been to a formal school and yet reads at an above average level and is on par with his peers when it comes to maths
Instead of fretting about the future, they should be connecting, building and strengthening relationships, he recommended.
‘This will be a time in their lives which children will always remember. Do you want them to have memories of fighting and yelling over school work, or ones where you spend quality time together?’ He said.
‘It’s very easy for a child to catch up on school work, but it’s far harder to undo the damage that can occur on their mental health, or to repair fractured relationships within families.’
Jaiden has never been to a formal school and yet reads at an above average level and is on par with his peers when it comes to maths.
‘He has learned fractions through cooking, angles at skateparks, basic maths concepts through budgeting and his only source of English “work” is writing posts for our blog,’ Cameron said.
‘He has learned fractions through cooking, angles at skateparks, basic maths concepts through budgeting and his only source of English “work” is writing posts for our blog,’ Cameron said
‘I have used his interests and passions to make learning fun, useful, and engaging. This has negated the need for formal lessons where I tell him what to learn, and Cyberark Exam dumps when.’
So he urges parents and caregivers to forget about ‘keeping up’ because the added pressure isn’t helpful to anyone.
‘Do some cooking, write a letter to a friend or family member, build with Lego, search for science experiments on YouTube, watch a documentary, plant a garden, learn to make music or edit video, or kick a soccer ball together,’ he said.
Seven years ago Cameron Dubin (right) was so stressed at work and struggling to parent a son with special needs (Jaiden pictured) that his boss paid for counselling sessions
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‘This is what homeschooling looks like for many families who choose to do it, it does not entail hours and hours on end of structured lessons.
‘Please, be kind on yourselves and be kind on your children. This is whole new reality for many of us, so it’s more important than ever to be understanding, compassionate, and patient with each other, especially your children.’
Seven years ago Cameron was so stressed at work and struggling to parent a son with special needs that his boss paid for counselling sessions.
Ironically they were meant to make it easier for the 36-year-old to stay on top of his full-time job, but instead it helped him see how much the pursuit of money and possessions was weighing him down.
He just wanted to be the best dad he could possibly be for Jaiden, FEMAIL reported previously.
When Jaiden was three his father quit his nine to five role as a corporate IT tech, sold all of their worldly possessions and purchased a caravan
‘Life was like groundhog day. Raising a child with autism as a solo parent, working a high stress job and travelling 2.5 hours every day meant I was a stressed-out mess,’ Cameron said.
‘I never had any quality time with Jaiden because the spare time I did have, all I wanted to do was relax. I lived on a concoction of caffeine and nicotine to get me up and keep me going all day, and often relied on alcohol to get me to sleep at night.’
The only quality time the pair had was five minutes worth of cuddles in the morning, when they were up at 4.45am to start the day.
So when Jaiden was three his father quit his nine to five role as a corporate IT tech, sold all of their worldly possessions – including a highly modified car Cameron had owned for 10 years – and purchased a caravan.
They spent 18 months on the road together but it wasn’t the typical ‘van life’ experience that showcases ‘Instagrammable’ photos
The Dubin duo moved into a rural property in Blackbutt, Queensland, after their year-and-a-half escapades in preparation for school but Jaiden was thriving on a diet of homeschooling and outdoor adventures
‘Unlike many other travelling families who claim to do it ‘on a budget’ I didn’t have $150,000 to spend on a car and caravan and instead did it for less than $20,000,’ he said.
‘This included the car and modifications, the caravan, solar power and everything else I needed to live comfortably.’
They spent 18 months on the road together but it wasn’t the typical ‘van life’ experience that showcases ‘Instagrammable’ photos.
Instead the focus was on pushing Jaiden out of his comfort zone and overcoming many of his social, emotional, sensory and communication difficulties.
The Dubin duo moved into a rural property in Blackbutt, Queensland, after their year-and-a-half escapades in preparation for school but Jaiden was thriving on a diet of homeschooling and outdoor adventures.
‘After three years we started to talk about travel again. We both decided we enjoyed the lifestyle so we once again sold everything, bought a caravan and off we went,’ Cameron said.
Some days the pair will sit around and play board games, watch documentaries or play Lego and others they will be bush walking, riding bikes and swimming
By way of earning money, Cameron writes as a freelancer on the topics of travel and parenting, has done some solar work, virtual assistant work and campground/caravan park maintenance
‘We have not done ‘the lap’ of Australia’s coastline. For us travel is about strengthening our bond, helping Jaiden overcome his struggles, immersing ourselves in nature and connecting with people along the way.’
Some days the pair will sit around and play board games, watch documentaries or play Lego and others they will be bushwalking, riding bikes and swimming.
‘We live cheaply, travel slowly, free camp most of the time, we do house sitting and limit the amount of paid attractions we do and instead focus on the free and cheap things,’ he said.
‘Once you remove your rent or mortgage, car payments, the fancy “stuff” you’re paying off, the electricity bill, house and contents insurance, child care fees and public transport costs, you don’t actually need that much money to survive.’
His son is still learning on the road in a form of education Cameron refers to as ‘unschooling’, and they are registered with the Home Education Unit in Queensland
The family actively seek out homeschooling groups to engage with on their travels so they never feel isolated from the community they’re living in
By way of earning money, Cameron writes as a freelancer on the topics of travel and parenting, has done some solar work, virtual assistant work and campground/caravan park maintenance.
He also receives the family tax benefit and a carers payment for being the sole carer for Jaiden, who is now 11.
His son is still learning on the road in a form of education Cameron refers to as ‘unschooling’, and they are registered with the Home Education Unit in Queensland.
The family actively seek out homeschooling groups to engage with on their travels so they never feel isolated from the community they’re living in.
Above strengthening their bond as father and son, the biggest reason to continue has been how seamlessly Jaiden has progressed.
‘Many people with kids on the autism spectrum keep them inside a box of comfort, never encouraging them to try new things, push their own boundaries or conquer their fears,’ Cameron said.
‘Many people with kids on the autism spectrum keep them inside a box of comfort, never encouraging them to try new things, push their own boundaries or conquer their fears,’ Cameron said. ‘But I do the opposite’