California grandmother relates homeschool experience to save money, strengthen family bonds

For Annie Nicol, a retired nurse practitioner, the COVID-19 pandemic extended her career – and introduced her to a new one in homeschooling.

“I perhaps would have retired sooner had COVID not hit,” the Petaluma, California, resident told Business Insider. “The support structures were somewhat destroyed, and people were afraid. I felt I needed to mentor some of the people who would be taking over my position.”

During her work, she helped her grandson at least three days a week after the pandemic disrupted his learning.

“He has another set of grandparents who live outside our community and wanted to be involved,” she recalled. “Hence, we started doing the homeschool thing, splitting responsibilities.”

Nicol represents a growing number of grandparents who help support their homeschooled grandchildren – including financial aid, teaching and educational documentation.

“My commitment started with a ‘We have to do this,’” she said. “I appreciated what he was learning, and it helped me learn new things and understand his needs. It’s really fun to see when he is engaged and by what. It’s kind of what I did when I was somewhat teaching my patients.”

‘It’s giving, taking, and sharing’

Nicol spoke openly about the financial challenges her family has faced over the years, including their current situation where her son and grandson live in a tiny house on her property.

“I went into nursing instead of medicine partly because of a divorce and needing more flexibility in my life, especially with taking care of my kids,” she explained.

“The biggest financial issue right now is that my century-old house needs a lot of repairs, so I’m trying to strategize.”

To save on expenses, her son and grandson “basically have a bunkhouse,” Nicol observes – about 200 square feet overall.

“My grandson has a bedroom in the main house, too, where he keeps his trains, Lego bricks, and school work,” she said. “He prefers to bunk close to his dad in the outbuilding at this time. We all eat dinner together at home.”

Nicol also praised her grandson’s other relatives, who help her with his education.

“His other grandma, who was a teacher, and his auntie, also a teacher, would come down from their community and volunteer one day a week at his school. They really wanted to be involved in their daughter’s son’s life.”

The family’s homeschool arrangement involves a supervisor-teacher who “manages the curriculum to meet California’s standards,” according to Nicol.

“I do what’s called Studies Weekly, which uses a somewhat Socratic method. You’re looking for a deeper response rather than just spitting out information.”

Although she retired at 75, the 76-year-old remains fully invested in her second career of raising the next generation.

“I’d look for that glimmer in their eyes that says, ‘I got it,’” she told journalists. “When he rolls his eyes or looks the other way, I see that I don’t have his attention. It’s important for me to know that he’s grasped the concepts. It’s giving, taking, and sharing.”