There’s More Than 1 Right Way to Homeschool Successfully

Whether this is your 1st year of homeschooling or your 10th year, knowing that you can always change course is essential to a successful homeschool. And we need to be reminded that our homeschool won’t look like others’ — and that’s the way it should be.

When we started homeschooling, I did what felt right — I looked to other homeschoolers I respected. The veteran homeschool moms, the not-sure-what-I’m-doing-but-I’m-honest moms with just a few years of experience, and fellow newbies whom I respected.

That got me RightStart Math, Hearts of Dakota boxed curriculum, and the idea that my 4 & 2-year-olds would gladly gather at the table for hours.

(RightStart had too many ‘things’ for me, I didn’t like HoD telling me what to do, and I was lucky if I got 15 minutes out of my 4yo. The 2yo was too busy doing what 2-year-olds do.)

I learned pretty quickly (but not for the last time) that what worked in other homeschools might not be the best for our homeschool.

Your family & your kiddos all have their own needs. And those needs change from month to month and year to year. Successful homeschool families adapt because they know there’s no single way to homeschool.

Tell me how to schedule my day.

When we start homeschooling, many of us look to public schools for what a day, week, & year should look like.  There are clear benefits by doing so.

• Breaks that (more or less) coincide with public school friends mean time to play with them during the day. 
• School days & weeks reflect the typical work schedule for our spouses & other family members. 
• Weekends are free to take advantage of activities that are planned for the weekend. 

But what if your family needs something else?  

The flexibility we have as homeschoolers really shines when it comes to our schedules. 

• A 3 or 4-day week leaves you a day or two to schedule all of your appointments, field trips & other outings.
• Homeschooling around Dad’s shift work schedule allows for maximal family time that a regular schedule simply can’t. 
• Museums, zoos, and other field trip destinations are often less busy during the school day. 

As a (now-retired) military family, we often schooled during the evenings & weekends when my husband was away and took off days at a time when he returned from a training or deployment.  Time off in the military is rarely as convenient as two weeks off (of our choosing!) during the summer.  

And it’s not just our daily & weekly schedule that looks different from one homeschool family to another. 

• A year-round schedule means frequent breaks throughout the year to travel, plan, or just relax. 
• When we lived in the Southwest, summer afternoons drove us inside, while many winter days sent us outside in the beautiful 50-degree sun. 
• A roadschooling family may hit the books hard on travel days & ease up on set-up/tear-down days, allowing a schedule that looks different every week. 

Even families who keep a ‘typical’ schedule will have very different days. 

• Slow-to-start families may have a light morning & heavy afternoons. 
• Those with nappers in the home may find that is the best time to work individually with older kids. 
• Or they may take that time for everyone to have their own quiet work time. 
• Teens need a longer work day, while little kids may be out exploring for the day by 10 a.m. 

But she’s using __________ Curriculum/Method

Perhaps quicker than anything else, curriculum choices and methods/styles divide up homeschoolers. 

But do you remember when you were a new mom & every decision seemed ripe for dividing up moms at the park or playgroup?  Now that your kiddos are older, though, do you even know the parenting styles of everyone in your homeschool group?  With experience comes wisdom, and that includes the wisdom of knowing that ideals are just that and parents adapt. 

The same is true in the homeschool world. 

• That dreamy Montessori or Waldorf-inspired school space may look rather different in your suburban home. 
• Days spent stomping through fields & climbing trees aren’t so easy when you’re in the heart of a city. 
• No technology can be an impediment to a child with severe dyslexia or dysgraphia.

Sticking with a curriculum that isn’t working is just a hop, skip, and a jump to Frustration Town. My older son has thrived on a literature-based curriculum.  He loves to read and easily moves between a stack of books each day with different books from day to day.

My younger son, though, thrives with fewer pieces and a schedule that looks pretty similar each day. We’d have to move to Frustration Town if I used Build Your Library or a similar program with him. 

Kiddos & homeschools all need different things.

Trying to force your homeschool or kiddo into someone else’s mold just isn’t going to work. If you’ve had your mind on X and X doesn’t work, let yourself grieve that loss. Shifting course isn’t always easy & it’s okay to have all sorts of feelings about that.

Whether it’s curriculum, methods, a schedule, or even joining a homeschool co-op, successful homeschool families succeed by doing what their kiddos & their homeschool needs.