Tips for New Homeschoolers from 10 Veterans

The decision to homeschool isn’t always an easy one. Even after the countless hours you spent creating that long pros and cons list leading you to the decision to homeschool, you’re still stuck second-guessing if you made the right choice for your child’s education.

Stop. Breathe. You’re doing just fine. Believe it or not, you’re not the first parent to struggle with the transition into homeschooling, nor will you be the last.

To help, we asked several homeschool veterans for their tips for new homeschooling families. Whether you’re looking for words of encouragement, or tips for teaching, these homeschool vets will ease the homeschool intimidations and leave you feeling more confident with your child’s education.

Homeschooling Tips for New Homeschoolers

1) Give Homeschooling Time

“1. Give yourself three years to figure out how homeschooling will work for your family.

2. Teach the child-not the curriculum.

I heard both of those words of wisdom early in my homeschooling career and they helped give me confidence to push forward when I felt like giving up.” – Christa

2) Invest In Your Math Curriculum

“Don’t skimp on the math curriculum. Don’t try to get by on free stuff, trying to make the kid fit the curriculum. Cut back on groceries, whatever you have to do, but start with a good curriculum, **especially in math.** Trying to make “free” curriculum work is far more expensive in terms of tears, frustrations, a child developing a math phobia and devastated self-esteem, and the damage done to the parent/child relationship.” – Anni

3) Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

“Don’t compare yourself, your home, your kids, or your schooling to anyone else’s or any formal institution. Leave the house…take field trips, play groups, church groups, music, and sports.” – Christina

4) Each Child is Different

“Each child is different and learns differently; don’t expect the same out of each child. Don’t compare your child to other homeschooled or public school kids. Your child is unique.” – Carol

5) Don’t Overwhelm Your Kids

“Don’t overwhelm young kids with curriculum and activities. Let them have time to just be kids and play on their own, rather than shuttling them to a million activities; that is my biggest regret.” – Sasha

6) Regularly Go Out as a Family

“Take one day a week to get out as a family. Find some friends with a similar philosophy and try to get together regularly.” – Katherine

7) Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

“My advice after all these years is don’t sweat the small stuff. Work toward implementing studies on each individual child’s interests. If you want to use pre-made curriculum, supplement those with outside things.

Time is irrelevant, as extra time spent in one area will be made up in another that comes easier for them. My youngest is graduating college this year and because of his self-discipline he learned in homeschool, it was relatively easy for him in a very difficult major. Assign the work and make them responsible, and if you are working to mastery, it does not take long for them to figure out they don’t want to keep going over the same things for weeks if they don’t take responsibility for their work.” – Elizabeth

8) You Got This!

“Your fear will turn into strength when you realize, ‘you got this.'” – Beverly

9) Don’t Try to Recreate School at Home

“Don’t try to recreate school at home. Think instead about creating an environment of experiencing exploration and a love of learning.” – Ramona

10) Don’t Give Up!

“The first year you will all want to quit. The second year you will all want to cry. The third year you will all scrape by. The fourth year you will feel like, “we got this, we need more challenge! Let’s design our own curriculum!” So don’t give up; it is so worth it!” – Derek

Homeschooling 101 eBook

No one knows your child better than you. We trust parents, and we want you to have the confidence to make the right decision for your situation.

We have compiled this eBook to help you through your decision. You’ll learn:

• The History of homeschooling
• How to find your state’s homeschool laws
• The different styles of homeschooling
• Tips from both professionals and veterans
• Where to find practical and inspirational resources to improve your homeschool experience

Enter your information below, and we will email the eBook to you right away.