Sandy The Safe Space

07/11/2026

WOW… just WOW! What an incredible day🥹❤️My heart is still so full of happiness and joy. There’s so much to share, so many little moments to reflect on and so much gratitude to express from our Fridays social meet that I host from my home.

Every Friday, Seeing so many kids and mums leaving with confidence, happy faces,hearing the beautiful words of appreciation and knowing that families genuinely value having this space means more to me than I can put into words.

So much creating, connecting, exploring, belonging, playing, socialising, swimming, cuddling and feeding our friendly chickens, hanging out with our bush wallabies, painting, building and simply enjoying being together.

And the best part? The kids are making memories, finding friendships and having the freedom to just be children and we mums can relax and connect with other families too.

As I always say,There’s nothing kids have to miss out on because we choose to homeschool. In fact, there’s so much to look forward to. More adventures,
More friendships,
More spontaneous play and
Plenty More beautiful memories to make. Please tell me again we homeschooler miss out on socialisation🙄

Our safe space circle seem to end in much the same way, with kids not wanting to leave, parents chatting a little longer, happy tired faces, full hearts and already talking about when we’ll all get together again.

Here’s some of the things the kids have been saying lately that have honestly melted my heart.

✨“I’m not ready to leave!”
✨“Can we come back tomorrow?”
✨“Why do we have to leave?”can we stay little longer (This is usually after they’ve already spent the whole day here and it’s getting dark😂)

But some of our most recent and favourite comments have been:

✨“Mum, I LOVE this safe space.” 🥹
(This child was so overwhelmed with happiness that there were happy tears.)
✨“Mum, this is the best party house ever “🎉😁
✨“Mum, I love coming to this safe space. And I love Sandy Why didn’t we come before?”😁
✨“I love this pool party safe space!”
✨”I can wait to come back again and play, especially the pool. And I love my new friends and Sandy and her hugs.

And honestly, what more could I ask for?

This is exactly why I started The Safe Space Circle.

Over the last 5 years of our homeschooling journey, I’ve been looking for somewhere my kids and myself could feel completely comfortable being ourselves, without masking, pressure or expectations. Not another program or paid service there are plenty.Just a safe space where friendships could grow naturally, different needs were welcomed without judgement and us parents could find our people too.

Even living in South East Queensland, where there are so many homeschooling families and communities, I struggled to find the kind of space I was looking for for my own kids.

So I decided to take that leap and create it.

I wanted to help bring back that sense of village that so many families are missing in our busy modern lives. A place where our children belong, friendships grow and we can support one another along the way.

And slowly, beautifully, I’m seeing that vision come to life through the families who keep showing up, the friendships being formed and the connections growing each week through The Safe Space Circle means more than I can put into words.

So grateful To every family who has joined us, returned, shared a kind word, helped create the atmosphere or simply made themselves at home, thank you. You are all part of what makes our village super special.

Here’s to more play, more connection and more village moments.🌿❤️

06/11/2026

What an incredible offering for us homeschoolers! Thanks Suzy from word oysters magazine😊

05/11/2026

Here’s how homeschooled students make the leap to uni a new article by dr Rebecca English & Rowena Barrett.

Check out this article from Dr Rebecca English and Rowena Barrett on pathways to Uni for some reassurance and understanding of how that works. My own 3rd born did a Cert IV and then started a Bachelor of Laws this year lots of options and choices. https://blog.aare.edu.au/2026/11/05/how-homeschooled-students-make-the-leap-to-uni/

01/11/2026

It’s okay to take a break from everything and everyone. You don’t always have to be available, keep showing up or explain why you need some time for yourself.

31/10/2026

Homeschooling is a journey, not a race.

Your child doesn’t have to learn everything at once, follow someone else’s timeline or reach every milestone at the same time as others.

You don’t have to rush, compare or have it all figured out.Keep moving forward at your own family’s pace. Allow room for growth, detours, rest and discovery.

Trust the process. Trust your child.

Progress doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s to be meaningful

28/10/2026

Thanks for putting this together Clark. Take a look at those numbers. More than 34,600 Queensland students are now registered for home education or enrolled in distance education.

Strictly speaking, distance ed students aren’t homeschoolers. They’re enrolled with a state-based school (public or private), whereas homeschoolers are registered with QHE. That said, from my time supporting families on the homeschool path, most distance ed families see themselves as homeschoolers.

And that’s only the families we can actually see. Others are educating outside these systems and may not appear in any figures at all.

Clearly, home-based education is no longer a small, alternative choice made by a handful of families.

It’s becoming a significant part of Queensland’s education landscape. And I think we need to ask ourselves why.

Behind every number is a family. A child. A story. And a decision that usually involves a lot of thought, uncertainty and courage.

For some families, it’s about flexibility. For others, it’s health, disability, bullying, anxiety, needs that weren’t being met, or simply realising their child needs something different. I know this firsthand.

Our family came to home education after school began to take a toll on me and my kid’s overall wellbeing. We needed time, safe space and the freedom to put healing and living life ahead of academic expectations.

We had to unlearn the idea that education always means worksheets, timetables and sitting at a desk.

Sometimes it looks like play, curiosity, creating, exploring and following an interest.
Sometimes it looks like rest and giving a child the chance to feel safe again.
And sometimes the biggest breakthrough isn’t academic at all. It’s watching your child start to enjoy being a child again.

So the conversation isn't about whether every child should be homeschooled, or whether school is wrong. It's about whether we can accept that no single approach will suit every child, especially as families ask more about mental health, neurodiversity, relationships and what meaningful learning really looks like.

After years of supporting neurodivergent families and building community, what I’ve learnt is this: families don’t only need options. They need connection, understanding and a village where they never have to justify the path they’ve chosen.

It's also worth remembering that registered homeschoolers are estimated to be only a third to a half of all families who homeschool. That means the real number of children learning at home could be much higher, with some estimates putting the combined total across Queensland's home education and distance education at 60,000 to 70,000 or more.