Acknowledgements

This book would not exist without the support of many people. Some walked closely with us in this journey. Others helped at specific moments that turned out to matter more than we expected.

First and most importantly, my wife and my children.

Homeschooling was not my decision alone. It was something we chose as a family. Many of the experiments I describe in this book required their willingness to try something unfamiliar. They trusted the process even when the path was not always clear. Their patience, participation, and honest feedback shaped much of what we eventually learned. I am deeply grateful to them for walking this journey with me.

My sister also deserves special thanks. Through many phases of my life, including several unusual experiments and ideas, she has always been supportive. Her encouragement over the years has meant more than I often say.

When we first began considering homeschooling, there were none around us doing it. At that time, Mahendran played a crucial role. When I first reached out to him, he generously spent time explaining how homeschooling worked for his family. Our first conversation was long and detailed. Later we spoke again on a podcast. Eventually he invited us to his home, hosted us for dinner, and patiently answered many more questions. Those early conversations gave my wife and me the confidence to at least try this path. Without his encouragement, we may never have started.

I should also thank my friend Krishnakumar, who introduced me to Mahendran in the first place. When I told him we were exploring homeschooling, he immediately connected me with Mahendran after meeting him at a startup event. That one introduction changed the direction of our journey.

Many friends and colleagues also opened their workplaces so that my children could see how different professions function in the real world.

The first such visit was to my friend Sukwinder’s industry. When I explained what we were trying to do, he immediately agreed. He walked two young boys — who were then only six and eight years old — through the factory floor, patiently answering their many questions and explaining how the machines worked. That visit sparked a lot of curiosity.

Several others extended similar generosity.

Manish Varma opened his warehouse for us.
Rishabh welcomed us to his dairy farm.
Anurag took time to explain the operations of the bank branch he was managing.
Sundar Singh showed us his furniture workshop.
Murali walked us through the Venus water heater factory, and also the school he manages.
Roshan gave us a detailed tour of a shipbuilding yard.

Each of these visits helped the boys see how different professions work in practice — the environments people work in, the skills required, and the kinds of problems they solve. These experiences became an important part of our homeschooling journey.

I would also like to thank Abhilesh, a reporter with The Indian Express, who took interest in our experiment and wrote about it. The article he published gave us encouragement and a sense that what we were attempting was worth documenting.

Over the years, many people asked thoughtful questions about what we were doing. These were not dismissive questions but curious ones. They forced me to think more carefully about our choices and our approach.

Among them, Amritha deserves special mention. She asked many such questions and repeatedly encouraged me to write about our experiences. In many ways, this book exists because of that encouragement.

There are many others who helped in small but meaningful ways. Homeschooling, we discovered, is never truly an isolated effort. It often grows through the generosity of a wider community.

People often say it takes a village to raise a child. In our case, it certainly took a village to educate them.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to acknowledge the foundation that guided this entire journey — the Word of God and the guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

From the beginning, our decisions were shaped by our faith and by prayer. The verse that helped us begin this journey was:

“I will teach you useful things and guide you in the way you should go.”

This was the promise that convinced my wife to begin this experiment with me. Over the years, we have seen that guidance unfold in many small ways.

I cannot say that we always knew what we were doing. But we were continually guided.

For that, we remain deeply grateful.