Well, here we are. Living through a crazy season in our world. Schools are beginning to make announcements about their plans for this coming year, and parents everywhere are feeling a liiiiitle bit (or a lot) hesitant over the whole situation.
So many friends have reached out to me and asked questions about homeschooling, what it looks like for us, how we got started, what we love about it, what the struggles are in our home, and a thousand other questions. And while I would have LOVED to sit and chat with everyone individually for 4 hours and answer every question you each have to ask, I simply didn’t have time to accomplish that.
That’s why, instead, I did something that I honestly felt really scared to do. I struggle with feeling “unqualified” or “uninvited” sometimes, but in this case, I felt like I needed to step up and do the thing I was scared of.
So I hosted an online discussion to chat about how moms can approach homeschooling with confidence. I put together some tools and resources for parents to check out, and I shared what homeschooling has looked like in our home over the past 10 years.
Do I believe every mother is called to homeschool her children? No.
But do I believe every mother is capable? Yes.
Of course, there are caveats, but overall, I believe God has given EVERY mother exactly what she needs to raise her children to the glory of God, whether at home or at school.
I believe this because it’s found in the Bible.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man (and woman) of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)
So if you’re a mom who is considering homeschooling for the first time, I want to first share with you that you CAN do this. I want you to have the confidence to pursue this if you feel that is what God has laid on your heart in this season.
Here is the call I hosted on Zoom about confident homeschooling:
(Why do I look like that in the preview image? Because I don’t know how to work YouTube, that’s why. Just bear with me here. If anything, take this as a prime example of how you do NOT have to know everything to be a homeschooling mom.)
After the call, I emailed out a summary. This summary will feel like it is missing pieces if you haven’t listened to the call, so I encourage you to do that first…
Step 1: Determine your family’s goals.
Step 2: Look up your state’s requirements for homeschooled students. If you need to formally unenroll your children from your local district, be sure to do that.
Step 3: Invite your kids into the discussion as you begin to focus on the year.
Step 4: Make a plan for record-keeping.
Step 5: Purchase curriculum, if desired.
Step 6: Breathe and have fun!
While I personally believe that choosing a specific curriculum is the LEAST important decision when it comes to homeschooling, many people have asked what we use, so I wanted to share some of our favorites that we have used over the years:
Math-U-See – elementary through high school
Mystery of History – elementary through high school
Science In The Beginning – elementary
Apologia Science – middle school, high school
The Logic English – basic language curriculum for introduction at any level
For add-ons, we have enjoyed utilizing:
Curiosity Stream – all documentary streaming site – $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr
Librivox – free public domain audiobooks
Amazon Prime – TONS of educational documentaries
Museum memberships with ASTC reciprocity
We talked a little bit about this on the call, but I want to emphasize again that children are always learning, even when they aren’t doing “school work”. I am including this chart so you can be assured that you do NOT need a lot of time sitting at a table “doing school” to complete your state-required schooling. Keep that in mind when you see these charts. Remember that just because your child isn’t completing a written assignment, they are still always learning!
For safe reading booklists with age and gender recommendations, we love and use the lists available from:
Remember that homeschooling isn’t JUST about your children. It’s really a family affair! Parents need support too, and these are a few books that have encouraged and inspired me in our homeschooling journey. These are books that I would read again if given the opportunity:
1. The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart
2. How Children Learn by John Holt
3. Everywhere All The Time by Matt Hern
4. Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie
Finally, I want to share just two more quick links with you that I think are valuable…
Having your children at home all day can feel very exhausting – especially if you’re trying to do it all on your own! If you have older children AND younger children, this is a beautiful article on how to foster those sibling relationships (and free you up in the process):
Teaching Older Kids to Help Younger Siblings (without being bossy)
You won’t screw up your kids! Check out these 100 Famous Homeschoolers!
I am excited for you as you embark on your homeschool journey! Remember that homeschooling isn’t anything new. It’s the way education used to always be done!
You CAN do this, mama. You are equipped and you are capable.
Now, go have fun!