Homeschooling: It's Not What You Think

It's always funny to me to discover the preconceived notions people have about homeschooling. I've heard it all. Something I've noticed too, is that a person's idea of what homeschooling "should" be is often what keeps them from doing it. They say, "oh, I could never homeschool" because they think they could never do it like [whatever example they are holding up in their head]. But guess what? There is no one right way to homeschool!

You want to know what homeschooling isn't? It's not what happened during lockdowns. I would cringe when people would say "we're homeschooling now" just because their kids were home doing school. Homeschooling is not being locked in your home and forbidden to go anywhere. Trust me, the homeschoolers were just as miserable as the kids who go to school during that time.

I have had the privilege to see a wide variety of homeschooling methods. I've seen classic styles all the way to "unschooling". When I was in middle school, I had friends who had a schedule very much like what public school kids would experience. They had set times for subjects and their day was very time-oriented. Then I also had friends who didn't do much in the way of curriculum. They used a method where their kids learned to learn through books. These kids are some of the smartest people I know and all through their lives they have learned what interested them. And trust me, they have learned a LOT of things.

These two methods are wildly different but both are homeschooling. Both are the parents guiding their children to learn. Both families did a style of homeschooling that worked for them and their kids. But do you want to know a secret?

You don't have to homeschool the same way all the way through or for each kid!!!!! When we started homeschooling, we did one type of curriculum. It was a rather structured system with tests and everything. As we got older (and my mom learned more about other options), we moved away from that model and got more creative. I did three different math curriculums in my life. I loved learning and doing my school out of workbooks with lots of writing. My brothers preferred to do their work on the computer and through watching videos. We had different learning styles and homeschooling allowed my mom to let us learn according to our strengths.

The thing about homeschooling is that you, the parents, are in control. If you are using a curriculum and you don't want to do some portion of it, you don't have to. If you realize that something is not serving your family well anymore, you can switch. If your kid is struggling in a subject, you can stick with that level for as long as you need to. Maybe another kid is advanced in another subject. They can work a few grade levels ahead.

If you think you can't homeschool because you can't do it like someone you know, guess what? You don't have to do it that way!!! And you can adapt as you go and your kids get older. Don't tell yourself you can't homeschool your kindergartner or first grader because you can't teach chemistry. That is so far down the road that it's not worth worrying about now (and news-flash, you don't have to teach chemistry). If you really wish you could homeschool or you think that would be best for your family but you think you can't, I want to encourage you that you absolutely can. There are so many resources available out there it's almost overwhelming but I would say, just look at a few, pick one, and start, You can always switch things up later.

Have questions about homeschooling? Let me know! Between my mom and me, we can definitely help you!



*Note: while the number of people homeschooling for non-religious reasons is growing, the large majority of resources out there have a Christian framework, including most of the resources below.


RESOURCES
Classical Conversations
Sonlight
Five In A Row
LifePacs
Math-U-See
18 Helpful Resources For Parents
The Homeschool Mom
Phylicia Masonheimer
Heart & Soul Homeschooling