Meet Helena, Tonya and their tiny tribe from Long Island, NY

The friends met five years ago through a Christian Homeschooling Co-Op. At the time, everyone was feeling isolated due to the pandemic and the majority of us were craving some sort of normalcy and community. Tanya said, “Finding the co-op was such a blessing. It was refreshing to be connected a few days a week with like- minded individuals who are all raising their children with similar values. We didn’t just become peers when we met, we became a tribe. We have spent the past five years traveling together for the sake of giving our children a real world education. Helena said, “It really does take a village to raise children. We believe that’s the only way they should be raised; surrounded by community. Isolating ourselves in this day and age is something that is easily done. We aren’t meant to go through life alone. We are meant to walk hand-in-hand with one another, supporting each other.” Helena is from the Czech Republic and her husband is Slovakian. Their children are fluent in three languages and well-versed in world travel, which they believe is the best form of education. They said, “Our society teaches us to measure our children by standardized exams and preforming by specific numbers. We teach our children that if they do not conform and perform at those numbers that they don’t measure up. The most challenging part of moving from conventional education to homeschooling was learning how to move from the conventional thinking of what education is supposed to look like to what we believe the true value of education is.” They teach their children life skills such as entrepreneurship, homemaking, money management, and trades, just to name a few. Their children are not locked into standardized testing and a number does not define their worth. The most important lesson that Helena wants to teach her children is, “Be as humble as you can in this lifetime. Learn to slow down; really slow down and enjoy nature. Appreciate the small, great, and beautiful miracles this earth and your life have to offer.” The most important lesson that Tonya wants to teach her children is, “Whatever you do in life, it should always come from a place of love. If you lead with love, you can never go wrong.” The little tribe spent the night in our Motel last night and this evening they are on their way Albany to explore the wealth of history located in our New York State Capitol. Thank you for visiting and making us part of your adventure!