I began homeschooling mostly out of necessity. With four kids and one income, Catholic school tuition was unaffordable, and we knew we wanted a religious education. I decided to give homeschooling a try for a year while we continued to discern the best option. We gave homeschool a trial run (an hour a day of core subjects over the summer) and quickly could see the progress our kids made, the joy that we found in facilitating their learning, and the simplicity of our lifestyle. Through prayer and practice, we have found homeschool, at least in this season, to be the best choice for us.
Since beginning this journey, I have been met with a lot of curiosity. One comment I frequently hear is, “I have always wanted to try homeschooling, but I don’t think I could do it!” While some have a desire in their hearts, circumstance, lack of confidence, or fear of failure keeps them from giving homeschooling a try. Of course, not every family can or wants to homeschool: Both parents need to work outside of the home, parents’ or kids’ physical or mental health needs preclude an ability to pursue homeschooling, or families are just generally happy with their current school situations—and those things are all good discernment! But I wanted to write this article, not to convince anyone that homeschooling is the better form of education (it isn’t) or is morally superior (it definitely isn’t), but because I hope if you, reader, are curious but hesitant, I can allay some of your fears.
How Do I Know If Homeschooling Is Right for Me?
For me, this decision was made foremost with prayerful discernment. Initially, the prospect of homeschooling brought me joy and inspiration, not dread or fear (although not every question or concern I had was answered). My husband deferred to me a lot in the process because I would be the primary educator, but we did discuss whether we thought homeschooling would be good for our family life, for our marriage, and for our kids’ spiritual, intellectual, and social development. Ultimately, without the ability to predict the future, we did have to make a bit of a leap of faith, but we trusted that God would help us see a solution to concerns that may arise. We also had to remind ourselves that no decision is permanent. If God called us to homeschool for a time but then called us back to the classroom, He would provide the way to make it happen.
How Do I Get Started?
Once you feel ready to take the leap into the homeschooling world, deciding when or how to begin can feel really intimidating. Looking into homeschool laws and requirements is an important start, so you’ll know how many days or hours a year you’ll need to put in or if there are any other requirements for your state.
In 2024, there is certainly no shortage of curricula, so choosing a curriculum can also be overwhelming. You may want to look first into the types of options out there and decide what fits your needs, then choose a specific school or curriculum. (Keep in mind you can try different programs for different subjects.) Do you want to pay for an online program that plans and directs your year, eliminating any guesswork from you? Would you like an open-and-go curriculum that gives you more control over pacing while leaving you less prep work or planning what to teach in the course? Do you want freedom to build your own lessons from scratch? Consider the costs of the programs if necessary. If you are interested in joining a co-op or hybrid to offload some of the teaching workload, those are great options, too.
Keep in mind, too, that you are allowed to change your mind. We have tried a few programs in the past that we didn’t love, and we changed midway through the year or even mid-book if it really wasn’t working. The beauty of homeschooling is that we have ultimate say in what and how we teach our kids.
How Do I Know How to Plan My Day?
A structured day is always nice in theory, but the practical realities of kids—illness, appointments, struggles, or just the case of the “sillies”—can sometimes impede our best-laid plans. I have found that a general rhythm, rather than designated time intervals, keeps us on target, but depending on personalities, you can adjust to meet everyone’s needs. You may consider how often you want your kids to be independently working or playing, how long learning intervals should be, how many hours you need to put in to meet state requirements or keep them on level, and what other commitments you have (extracurriculars, part-time work, babies, etc.) that may affect timing. In different seasons, our schedule has adjusted to accommodate our needs, so remember that your days can be fluid.
Final Thoughts
While homeschooling has been a joy for my family in this season of our lives, I can’t say what God will call us to in the future. Year to year and child to child, we will discern how education fits into our family. Public school, private school, Catholic school, homeschool—all offer beautiful benefits for families, and the Church leaves the decision to parents to decide what works best for them and their children. But if homeschooling is on your heart, I would encourage you to pray about it and, if possible, reach out to a homeschooling family you know for further suggestions or ideas. If you truly feel God is calling you to give it a shot, I would encourage you to not let fear or others’ commentary stand in your way. Regardless of my circumstances or competence in a given day or season, I know that God’s call and my love for my kids are the most important factors that will help me form my children into the people God has called them to be.
