5 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Started Homeschooling

Homeschooling is one of those things I never expected I would be doing. That means there are things that I wish I had known about our schooling adventure before we began homeschooling.

That is why today I am going to share with you some of my wisdom so that you can be prepared!

If you have been homeschooling for any amount of time you will likely agree with this list.  If you haven’t started but are thinking about it, take this all in… all of it!

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Started Homeschooling

1. There will be bad days

Oh yes, there are going to be some bad days when you start homeschooling.  In fact, there are going to be some very bad days.  

You may even end some days before lunch, with the entire lot of you in tears.  But,before this turns you off from your decision to homeschool remember that the bad days are nowhere near as many as the good days.

I am betting that for each bad day you have you will have at least 3 good ones.  The bad days when your son is having a hard time remembering what the letter ‘M’ sounds like (even though you have been learning it for a week straight) will be long forgotten when your son finally learns how to read full sentences.  

I promise there is nothing, nothing at all, that feels as good as when your child grasps a skill they have been struggling with.  Your children will struggle and those struggles lead to successes and that my friend is what we homeschooling moms live for! I definitely wish I had known about these wins before we started homeschooling!

2. You will have to be flexible

If you are one of those very structured, live by the books, kind of people, this is going to be a tough one for you.  Some days you are going to have to toss out the entire lesson plan!  Oh, you read that right… some days are just going to go way off plan.  This, my friend, is why I have stopped writing down our lessons for the day entirely. There are days when we just don’t get to science or finish our math lessons.  That means that we have to push that work to the next available spot.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to move things around too often.  But when an issue arises you will want the ability to be able to move things around to accommodate your schedule.

3. You will talk about homeschooling a LOT

It is likely that you are already a stay-at-home mom which means you are already used to spending your days talking to little people all day long.  Your husband is likely accustomed to you talking to him about all of the milestones your children have hit during the day just as soon as he walks through the day; because let’s face it… you are super excited to see another tall person.

Now that you are taking on this brand new adventure you are going to be just as consumed as you are by your children’s antics of the day.  That means that you are going to want to talk about curriculum, lesson plans, pencils, notebooks, and the rest to anyone who will listen. You may want to warn others of this, I wish someone had warned me before we started homeschooling!

4. Non-Homeschoolers won’t “get it”

It’s true, they won’t.  They don’t understand the weight you feel knowing that you alone are responsible for the knowledge your children will acquire before leaving the walls of your home.  It is a heavy burden that homeschooling families carry but it is one that we gladly accept.  While our non-homeschooling family and friends listen to our stories and offer friendly advice, keep in mind they just don’t “get it” and that is perfectly fine!

5. People will quiz your children

This is most likely my biggest pet-peeve of homeschooling ever.  A few years ago a relative asked my daughter to explain to him what photosynthesis is.  This is something she had yet to learn about. When she couldn’t (she was 6) he was appalled and wanted to know just what we teach our children.  Never mind the fact that she could add double digit numbers in her head, had exceptional handwriting, and was far above grade level with reading.  Instead she was behind, by his estimate, based on his quiz.

This is something that you are going to encounter with cashiers, restaurant servers, gas station attendants, and likely anyone on any given day when you are in public.  Remember point #4?  Non-homeschoolers just don’t get it. People feel the need to ask our children questions about their education. They will quiz their knowledge while leaving you feeling like a failure.

There is good news!

Before we started homeschooling, none of this made sense to me. And, while all of what I said is true, homeschooling is the best decision I have ever made for my family.  I get to spend each and every day with my children.  I got to be the one to hear my son read his first sentence and teach my daughter how to multiply.  There are going to be bumps in the road, as there are with any schooling decision you will make.  Just remember that it is all worth it!  The good always, always out-weighs the bad!

What would you add to this list?