When my oldest was in between fifth and sixth grade, we found ourselves in a sticky situation. We could no longer afford her private school tuition, but she was such a gentle soul, and we had a hard time imagining her switching to the local middle school with its rough-and-tough reputation. We’d already had problems with bullies when she was little. I mean serious problems—the kind that required pressing charges and emergency dental procedures. That was why we’d transferred her to a small private school in the first place.

Somehow we came to the conclusion that in seventh grade, she’d return to the world of public school, but for sixth—well, she’d just stay home. I would register with the state as an official homeschooler. We’d do all the required record-keeping and testing. I’d teach her what I could, and she would go where I went. How much she’d learn, I wasn’t sure, but I figured one year of experimental education wouldn’t make an enormous difference one way or another.

I was right, and I was wrong. No, I didn’t wreck my child’s intellect or work ethic that year. But it did make a big difference to both of us. To this day, she remembers that time in her life as “the best ever” and me—I’m grateful every day for the year she stayed at home. Life is short, and childhood is even shorter. My daughter is 19 now, about to turn 20. Thank goodness for that time we had together.

I realize we were very lucky for several reasons. One, my job tutoring at the community college meant I could easily bring my daughter along. No one really noticed or a cared if a well-behaved 11 year old sat nearby, reading a book or doing math quietly while I worked. My co-workers liked her—they were amazed at how “good” she was—and she learned a lot by eavesdropping, frankly. Afterwards, we’d sometimes talk over what had gone on. It was like Take Your Daughter To Work Day all year long.

Another reason we were lucky was the lake next door. All we had to do was cross the road for biking, walking, and wildlife. In fact, I’d chosen our somewhat scruffy rental house just for that reason. The neighborhood wasn’t great, the park nearby wasn’t the safest in town, but the opportunities to get out in nature were awesome. Alligators, turtles, herons, geese—I didn’t have to talk her into feeling wonder at their antics, and she sure got to see them up close.

Here are some of the other things my daughter did during her sixth grade year:

—Mastered public transportation and street smarts. I didn’t have a car, so we rode the bus to my workplace and back—always an adventure! She quickly learned there are all kinds of people in this world. Once a very zonked-out man walked up, hugged me before I could stop him, and handed me an apple. “Don’t eat it!” my daughter begged me in a whisper as he walked away—as if I was about to take a bite.

—Lots of reading, aloud and outside, if possible. We read The Hobbit and some of my favorite childhood books, both literary and“commercial.” The best part was trying to do funny voices for the characters. Harry Potter in a southern drawl is hilarious.

—Walks and bike rides! The trail around the park was five or six miles long. In the beginning, that wore us out, but by the end of the year, we could do it twice, no problem, if we wanted.

—Science/nature studies Luckily, she loved field guides, so using them to identify mushrooms, birds, leaves, etc. was a fun and easy way to explore. I also assigned her creative projects, like “make a comic about a planet,” and she kept an observation journal. No, it probably wasn’t rigorous, but it was fun.

—Chess! She learned to play and I re-learned. Then we threw a tournament for stuffed animals, using a “Sweet 16” bracket to see who would be the ultimate champion. She’d play one animal and I’d play the other. It helped that we were at about the same skill level.

—Acting! We were so lucky to have filming as an industry in our town. Being homeschooled gives you far more flexibility as a child to be on a TV of film set at weird hours. We will always have the somewhat odd memories, and my daughter used the money she made to buy a video game system she’d been wanting.

—People skills By far, the most important thing she learned was maneuvering in the “real world” and getting along with strangers, co-workers, bosses, people at businesses we dealt with, etc. No, she didn’t get the peer socialization she would have had at school, but she’d be back at it again for seventh grade, so I didn’t feel too bad. Sixth grade was the year my daughter learned how to interact with everybody else, be observant, stay aware, take care of herself, and not eat apples handed to you by strangers (Thanks, Snow White).

If you get the opportunity to keep your kid around you for a while instead of doing the traditional school routine, enjoy the heck out of it. Remember that it doesn’t have to be expensive or impressive. Give them some experiences that’ll help them grow into a functioning adult one day. Help them get the most fun out of being the kid they are right now. Give them some control of their time, but keep enough for yourself to “do right” by them—to give them the guidance they need. Laugh a lot. Go exploring. Take pictures! They’ll remember the love, and you’ll be glad you grabbed this time and held on while you could.