7 Homeschool Mom Worries To Let Go of Right Now
If there’s anything I’ve learned about homeschooling, it’s that I’ve spent way too much time worrying about it.
Any fellow worriers out there?
We just reached a major milestone on our journey and graduated our oldest son. (Go us!) It’s been an emotional month looking back over the last nine years. At the risk of sounding like one of those old cliche moms, it went by so fast.
It really did.
Amazing how you can go from wondering when it will end to wondering where it all went. I’m officially a veteran homeschool mom. Go figure?!
When all was said and done none of the worrying I did over the years ever helped my son succeed. Worrying never solved anything.
It never made anything on the journey easier. It only ever made things harder.
My youngest son is going into 7th grade in the fall, and I’m resolving to worry less on this last stretch I have with him.
Join me in letting go of homeschool mom worries. Here’s a fresh list to get you started!
1. Teaching High School
I spent the majority of my homeschooling journey worrying about what homeschooling high school would be like. It’s intimidating, no?
How will I teach calculus and chemistry?
The answer is simple. You won’t!
At least not if you don’t want to anyway. There are so many resources available to homeschooling families that it’s easy to outsource any subjects you’re not comfortable teaching. Remember, there will always be a way to teach what you don’t know. Don’t let fear of high school keep you from enjoying the best years of the homeschooling journey. I loved homeschooling high school. It’s not as scary as you think!
2. Preschool
On the other end of the spectrum, let’s not get carried away worrying about “homeschooling preschool.”
Every once in a while I’ll see some version of this question pop up in a homeschooling Facebook group: “I just started homeschooling my 3-year-old. What curriculum do you recommend?”
Sigh…
Play-doh. I recommend Play-doh.
I don’t comment because what I really want to type in response is something along the lines of Seriously? Three?
Read aloud, pretend play, color, create, watch Paw Patrol. Heck! NAP with your three-year-old. (I’m sure you could use it). Soak up every single second of this chubby finger phase you can because these precious years are fleeting and you don’t want to waste them worrying about “homeschooling” your toddler.
But I don’t say any of that because it’s a Facebook group and we all know how scary those can be.
Moms of little ones, just be the rockin’ mama you are. That’s the only lesson needed for now!
3. Other Homeschool Moms
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” ~Theodore Roosevelt
Isn’t that the truth?
Other homeschool moms can be intimidating. Conversations around the co-op coffee pot can be a little overwhelming at times. One mom swears by the Charlotte Mason method; another mom believes unschooling is the way to go. Some moms buy school in a box, and other moms dutifully piece together the perfect unit studies for free at the local library. Online classes or not? This publisher or that publisher? Ahhh!!!
It is so easy to fall into the comparison trap in the homeschooling community. Do what works for your family and feel good about it. Period!
4. Naysayers
There will always be people that don’t understand your decision to homeschool. They come in all shapes and sizes. Family, friends, strangers in line at Target.
Just let it go and enjoy your journey. You can’t change others’ opinions, and you’re not homeschooling your children to prove anything to anyone. It’s simply a lifestyle choice. Embrace it! Be proud. Homeschooling is NOT an easy job!
5. Keeping the House Clean
I used to be an excellent housekeeper. Then I started homeschooling. The end.
You’d think because you’re home all day that you’d have plenty of time to clean up the place, but you’d be wrong.
It’s just the opposite, actually. Being home all day only means you’re never able to clean anything because humans are always there! Add homeschooling on top of the everyday circus that is your household, and you’ve got an even bigger mess.
No matter how hard you try, there will always be dirty dishes in the sink. (This is feeling a bit like a life mantra at the moment.)
6. Finishing Every Lesson in the Book
At the start of every school year, I get a fresh new planner and sit down with a tall stack of crispy curriculum. Then I proceed to torture myself with this very broken lesson planning technique. Maybe you can relate?
I immediately look to see how many total lessons there are and divide that number by 30 (weeks of school) and then I divide that number by 4 (days a week) and voila! I have lesson plans. This gives me a rough idea of how many lessons I need to complete each week to finish the curriculum. Or so I think.
It takes about one week for this plan to fall apart. And then you know what I do? I do it all again.
How many lessons are left? Divide. Divide.
This happens about 758 times during the school year, and we never finish. Ever.
Complete what you can. Do your best. (Nobody ever finishes every lesson!)
7. Socialization
I admit I do worry about this some, but it’s a waste of time.
My boys have never been extremely social, and that doesn’t have anything to do with homeschooling!
Listen, your kids are who they are. They’re going to make friends. They’ll get out into the world in their own time, and when they do, the right people will love and appreciate them for who they are. It’s really that simple!
What are the homeschool mom worries you’d add to the list?
Adrienne Bolton is a freelance writer and veteran homeschool mom. She began homeschooling in 2009 to meet the needs of her oldest son who struggled with the public school setting. Her boys have had different experiences with homeschooling, but both have thrived in spite of her. Her oldest son transitioned from public school after fourth grade and her youngest is 100% homegrown, having never stepped foot in a traditional classroom. Now with one son in college and one working his way through high school, she is proof anyone can do this. She writes with humor and heart, peppered with occasional snark and sarcasm. When she is not writing or working you can find her with a good book in hand, snuggling her massive Pitbull fur baby, or making something yummy in the kitchen. She loves to cook, bake, and be outdoors in the sunshine. The beach is her happy place and she's a true flip-flop wearing Florida girl. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for this article because I am such a worrier!!! I know I shouldn’t, and I know it serves no purpose but I guess it is just in my nature. Thank you for the reminders about how fast the time goes 🙂 I’m so excited to teach high school! My kids are only 7 and 8 so I have awhile yet, but I am much more comfortable and patient teaching older kids.
The worry I would add is “Is what I am doing working?” I always feel like I am second guessing everything on the parenting and homeschooling front. I know I am giving it all for my family and there isn’t much more I can do 🙂
Wonderful article. Pinning 🙂
I don’t worry anymore. Maybe when I first started. Maybe when I started teaching my youngest which has severe autism. A little when the started high school or applied to college. Have no fear. Pray. I only have one left–I have been doing this for 26 years. I am still alive–my kids are still alive. We all made it through so far. They have good careers. One is married and has a family and is a lieutenant of guards at a state prison. One is a computer programmer, one is moving to NYC to work at a fine restaurant as a waiter and one is leaving for college in the fall for neurobiology, The last will be with us always. It all works out the way it is supposed to work out. Loved your article.
Wow, loved EVERY WORD!!!! This soooooo spoke to me and I needed it badly!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!
Great article thank you! The worry I would add is, “Am I doing enough?” As a mom (and former SPED teacher) I worry that I’m not doing enough with my middle schooler who has several learning disabilities. I often think there is more I could be doing or I should be doing this or that. It is stressful!
I love every bit of this. EVERY. BIT. My favorite part- PlayDoh and naps at three! YES!!!!! Don’t make it hard on yourselves or your children, Mamas! Relax! It will all be fine!
Yep! You nailed it! My kids all reading and writing even though I was panicking about not knowing how to teach them. They are now in grade 1, 3 and 4 and doing super well. My house is never spotless as it as one day, in fact, there is always mess all over but hey, we’re all super happy! 😀
Thanks so much for this list of things not to worry about. I am definitely a worrier and have had to work through all those things. Only with heavenly help can worrying be overcome!
Of course, it’s not like moms with kids in traditional schools have nothing to worry about! We just worry about different stuff…. or try not to worry at all?!
thank you so much for this. i could so relate. so well said. glad you mentioned the three yr old play-doh. haha. so true…all of it. thanks for the laughs. i was laughing b/c it really is all very true. 🙂
Your article is one of the best I have read on homeschooling. I have been through so much of this and could not agree more. We played a lot at three and really had a lot of free time until fourth grade. My daughter attended public school for the last six months of this year, 6th grade, and did fantastic. We are going back to homeschooling this year. I once was told by a homeschool mom that I should not be homeschooling because I ordered teacher’s manuals… ahhh, the beauty of homeschooling. My favorite quote is: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” ~Theodore Roosevelt. Wonderful article! Thank you.
Amen on that last part– I grew up with my mom being a bit guilty for not home schooling, and defending it largely with “well your grandmother was homeschooled and she was seriously odd.”
…long story short, I am a LOT like my grandmother. And her “homeschool” was that her mom was the local teacher. She went to college at like 16, back when it was sort of finishing school/find a husband. And got education rather than a husband. Our kids are going to be seriously odd no matter what, unless we end up with a family freak who is…um…totally normal. 😀
Trick I use for keeping “on schedule” for curriculum is to over-schedule, slightly. Set it up so that the “normal” amount you do in a day will get you through the stuff in half the time. (depending strongly on how complete the thing is.)
Then, when they run into issues….change the curriculum. They can’t figure out what number goes where in long for division? Switch to print=outs of division for a week or two. They go ga-ga for “where do babies come from”? Jump over to “life cycles” or something.
Only thing I’d disagree on is the three year old curriculum– there are some really fun games on starfall and education dot com which kids will do on their own, and absorb a lot. It’s basically just games and mildly annoying songs with fine motor control.
…oh, and it taught my four year old to read, on his own, with his sisters’ help…..
One of the best things I’ve ever read on homeschooling. The thing about the 3 year old. I seriously get asked that question about once a week. Love your answer.
Loved the comments about how you used to have a clean home and now you homeschool, the end! That made me laugh out loud. Also the part of divide, divide, divide with the lessons, that is hysterical and sooo true! It’s nice to know that others think like you do and we’re all in this together.