Making the decision to homeschool can feel daunting. There are many factors to consider when trying to decide whether to homeschool or not. In addition, there are misconceptions about homeschooling that may cause you to wonder: is homeschooling right for me?

How Do You Like Homeschooling?

This is probably one of the most asked questions I receive as a homeschooler.

My reply? I love homeschooling!

The question usually comes from people who don’t homeschool, and most likely never will. That’s okay.

But I sometimes wonder if they are asking because they’re curious if I really, truly, (how is it even possible?) enjoy how I spend most of my day.

My hearty and sincere response seems to take people by surprise. It can leave me wondering if they expect me to tell them that deep down I really hate it.

Or to be fair, perhaps they are just curious if homeschooling is right for them? 

With the sudden onset of the COVID-19 quarantining and closing of schools, many families became homeschoolers almost overnight.

Sometimes something you never imagined you could do, is now exactly what you find yourself doing! It would be fascinating to know how many families might continue homeschooling after their experiences.

For the mom that now feels homeschooling is exactly what she wants to continue with her children: this article is for you!

It’s also for the mom who wonders: is homeschooling right for me?

My Journey To Homeschooling

Let me give you a little background. We were living in the inner-city at the time my firstborn was ready to start kindergarten. We had purposefully chosen to live and work in this particular neighborhood as part of a ministry center that served the poor.

It was a challenging environment to say the least. We lived in a lovely, old house that had once been the parsonage of an old church located next door.

We had a beautiful yard we had crafted into a little oasis in the concrete jungle. It was our place of sanctuary away from the often difficult work we were doing. 

The neighborhood, by contrast, was quite the opposite. At times threatening and often unsafe, it was not uncommon to see prostitutes on the corner, or someone getting high on the steps of the quaint little church next door.

There was an elementary school a few streets over, but within the context of this neighborhood, I struggled when I thought of sending my son there.

We attempted to live fully in the neighborhood by making this our community where we lived, worked and worshiped. I felt a great deal was at stake when I considered sending my son out of the protective confines of the nurturing and safe environment we had purposefully crafted. I wasn’t convinced he would be safe, educated, or adequately nurtured there.

Academically, we had engaged in fairly laidback preschool learning together; some of the basics, like learning the ABC’s and numbers 1-10 and lots and lots of reading together.

It seemed surreal that this child, whom I had spent every waking hour with since his birth, would now be heading off to school. I didn’t feel ready for it.

Somehow, it didn’t set quite right with me, and it wasn’t just simply because I felt the local school would fail him or he wouldn’t be safe there. The more I thought about these unsettled feelings the more I realized the truth behind them.

Making the Decision To Homeschool

I was the primary person of influence in my child’s life all day, everyday. By sending him to traditional school, I realized I would lose a great deal of this important influence.

Someone else would have the privilege of deciding what he learned and experienced. He would essentially spend more waking hours in a school building with other kids and a teacher than he would with his own family.

He had a little brother now and they were best friends, playing together all day long. Now, they would be separated for 8 hours a day? How might this affect their relationship now and in the long run?

I was also concerned about the drastic reduction of his time just getting to play freely during the day. Knowing that free play and unstructured learning is crucial in the development of children, I wasn’t happy with what the typical kindergarten experience would offer my child.

I cherished our mother/son relationship, and I cherished nurturing his learning and development. I was not yet ready to give that up.

Thankfully, I didn’t believe that I had to give that up. As his mother (and ultimately with the agreement of my husband), it was my choice and privilege to decide what would happen next in this little boy’s life.

I realized in my heart that his best learning and development would happen by continuing his education at home.

I decided then that homeschooling was right for me. Thus began my experience as a homeschooling mom.

Is Homeschooling Right For You?

If you resonate with any parts of my story, then you probably have the heart of a homeschooler. Each family situation is different, and only you can decide if homeschooling will work for your family.

The good news is that there is great flexibility to homeschooling, so it can work with many family types! It is possible to flex a homeschool schedule around parent work schedules, learning challenges, financial considerations, etc. 

I challenge you to identify what your goals and purposes are as you determine if homeschooling is right for you. Do not let the fear of how to start hold you back.

If you have decided that homeschooling is right for you, I have already outlined 5 Simple Steps to Start Homeschooling, so you can get started today!