I've been a homeschooling mom since 2012, and I've learned a few tips and tricks over the years. Your first year of homeschooling can be scary and overwhelming — but if you follow these five tips, they'll help you on your homeschooling journey, just like they helped me.
The 5 tips
Tip #1: Know your state's homeschool laws
It's so important to know your state's homeschool laws, whether you're homeschooling or just thinking about it. I refer to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) every year to make sure my laws are still the same — they're a great resource with lots of free information, and you can become a member, but you don't have to.
I live in Mississippi, which is considered a homeschool-friendly state (little to no regulations, no home visits, standardized testing, or professional evaluations). Mississippi's laws are simple: all children between ages 6 and 17 on or before September 1 must start school, and every year on or before September 15 you submit a Certificate of Enrollment to your public school's attendance officer for the children you're homeschooling. Mississippi doesn't require teacher qualifications, standardized testing, specific subjects, or a set number of days or hours. (See Do You Live in a Homeschool-Friendly State? to check yours.)
Tip #2: Learn what works for you and your children
This is a trial-and-error process — or at least it was for me. I had to learn which type of homeschooling method worked best for us, discover my own teaching style, and figure out my children's learning styles. There are 10 types of homeschooling methods to explore, and understanding the 7 ways children learn made a huge difference for us. Give yourself permission to experiment until you find your fit.
Tip #3: Do not compare yourself to other homeschool moms
Do not compare yourself, your children, or your homeschool to others. What works for one family or one child may not work for yours. I know that's easier said than done — I did it my first year, and it made me feel like I was doing something wrong or failing my children in some way.
Do you ever feel like you're failing at the mom thing? Am I doing what's best for my children? Am I teaching them everything they need to know? Are they in enough activities — or too many? I ask myself these questions more than once a day. It took me a long time, many sleepless nights, and countless hours of talking to other moms to realize I'm not alone — and neither are you. In this age of social media, it's easy to compare, because most people only post the best parts of their lives. As a dear friend told me, "That is why true friendships are so important — to go through the trenches together." Once I stopped comparing myself, my children, and my homeschool to others, everything changed for the better.
Remember that you love your children, stop and try to enjoy the mom thing — and remember that you're a mom, and you've got this.
Tip #4: Find a homeschool group or support system
Finding a homeschool group or support system helped me so much my first year. I learned which curriculums worked for other families (and which didn't), and I got to ask endless questions — even ones I didn't know to ask — at park days, field trips, holiday parties, and in Facebook and text group chats. I've been homeschooling since 2012 and I'm still always learning something new with the help of my support system, which is made up of my social media accounts and my local homeschool group. A homeschool group isn't just for the children; it's a place of learning, encouragement, and support for parents too. It takes a village, and I've been blessed with a great one. (More on this in How Homeschool Moms Find Support.)
Tip #5: Find an all-in-one curriculum for your first year
I always recommend an all-in-one curriculum for first-time homeschooling families. An all-in-one curriculum contains the main subjects — usually reading, writing, spelling, math, language arts, history, and science — and sometimes an elective like art or music, depending on the grade level. I've used My Father's World since 2014 and I love it: it lets me teach multiple grades at the same time, and I teach Bible, science, history, and electives like art and music together as a family. A few all-in-one curriculums to look into:
- My Father's World
- Abeka
- Sonlight
- K12
- BJU Press
- Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool
- Memoria Press
- Oak Meadow
- Veritas Press
- Timberdoodle
And if you're on a tight budget, three free homeschool websites worth exploring are Khan Academy, Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool, and K12.
Be gentle with yourself
Your first year is a big leap, but these five tips — know your laws, learn what works, don't compare, find your people, and choose an all-in-one curriculum — take so much of the stress out of it. You don't have to be perfect; you just have to keep showing up. For more of the programs I trust, see my resources page, and grab the free starter checklist below.
Free homeschool starter checklist
A simple one-page checklist to make your first homeschool year far less stressful.
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