Don't Let Fear Rob You of the Joy in Homeschooling

I have let fear keep me from doing a lot of things in my life. It has stolen a lot from me. And I even let fear keep me from finding joy in homeschooling my kids for a while. Particularly the fear of what people would think or say. It kept me feeling inadequate as their teacher and really enjoying this time I had with them. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way at all! Fear doesn’t have to rob you of the joy of homeschooling. I hope this blog post will encourage and empower you to embrace the homeschooling journey with confidence.

Recognizing Common Fears

First, I want to acknowledge that fears like “Am I qualified to teach my child”, “Will my child fall behind”, “Will my child miss out on socialization”, “What will others this of this decision” and many more are all normal and okay to ponder. But fear keeps you small and when you’re acting small, you’re not growing and trying new things. This is a gift to give to your children too, teaching them that fear doesn’t have the final say.

Overcoming the Fear of Inadequacy

This was a big struggle of mine. I had some very well-meaning people in my life tell me that I didn’t have a degree in teaching, so I wasn’t going to do a good job teaching my children, or they were at least concerned about it. Here’s the thing, I know my children best! As parents, we are our children’s first teacher and we DO know what is best for them including their academics.

There is an abundance of resources available to homeschooling parents to help with the things that are not our strong point. Case in point, math is NOT my thing. So, I researched and found a curriculum that would be the teacher for me and thankfully my children learned well with the way it was taught. If they hadn’t, then I would keep searching and utilizing the groups and people around me to find one that did. Think about that, each teacher at school is teaching a specific class (or maybe several but not EVERY one) that the child needs to learn. You MUST believe that you WILL figure out whatever is thrown at you. And there are many resources to help you do that.

Addressing Academic Concerns

Fear of messing something up for your child’s future is real for sure. But what I’ve come to understand and see for myself is that what I cultivated with them on a daily basis was going to help them far beyond the college years. Conversations about things that came up in the curriculum were usually an excellent opportunity to infuse our values and beliefs as a family. Don’t dispute the things beyond academics.

One of the greatest things about homeschooling is that your child gets a tailored education to their interests at their pace. That is gold! I can’t tell you how many times my son was ahead in his work in traditional school, and there wasn’t a thing the teacher could do. He either had to wait for the others to catch up or be given the work for himself to figure out. Having him schooling at home allowed him to move as fast, or as slow as he saw fit. That’s a huge benefit! And it can work for the child that needs the little extra time to grasp concepts too. They will get more one on one time with you to work on concepts that are harder to grasp than they would at school, which will build confidence.

And remember, you have resources and support systems to help with educational things too. Things like tutors, educational consultants, and local homeschooling groups to name a few are there to help YOU feel confident, too.

I personally did not keep grades until my children were in high school. This relieved a lot of pressure when it came to that part of the academics. I used my own judgment, and not a letter/number grade on if they had mastered the concept or not. I know that people have opinions about this method and that’s okay, but it’s what worked for us.

Ensuring Socialization and Extracurricular Activities

This is a big concern for a lot of parents, but when you get into this world of homeschooling, you start to see that there are opportunities everywhere for it. The library in your area has reading times or other group activities that are usually age appropriate for the younger kids. And as they get older, sports teams, clubs or community events are usually how this is fulfilled for them.

There are also opportunities within homeschool groups for meet ups and also co-op opportunities as well. If you seek out these groups on social media or through word of mouth, there’s bound to be something that will work for you.

I do want to say that this can be fulfilled for your children even if you have a circumstance that keeps you home bound during peak meet up hours. I ran an in-home childcare when I first started homeschooling so I couldn’t go anywhere during the day. We got both our kids involved in sports and did play dates at our house a lot! So don’t think your circumstance counts you out. There are so many opportunities out there. You just have to think outside the box sometimes 🙂

Dealing with External Judgment and Criticism

I struggled with this one the most 😣 I was so scared that someone would just walk up to me and tell me how stupid I was for making this decision for my children (Which by the way NEVER happened and was actually the opposite); or that because we made the decision to homeschool, I was looking down on their decision to have their children in public school. I really got myself in a tizzy about this; I made myself almost physically sick over it. Please don’t do that to yourself.

I’ve really come to understand that what is best for myself and my family might not be what is best for yours. And when I see EVERYONE is doing their best for their family, it took all of the pressure off! Also, people are allowed to have their opinions about anything, it doesn’t mean they have to be your opinions. I know that I am doing right by MY kids and that’s all that matters. And as I got comfortable and confident with homeschooling, this didn’t bother me much at all.

Embracing the Joys of Homeschooling

I’ve been saying for years now whenever someone asks how homeschooling is going that I will never regret having this time with my children. I got to be with them all day long, pouring into them, doing life WITH them. It has been such a gift, and it will be your gift too!

You will have a closer family bond; you will get to personalize their education and you will have flexibility in all of this!

Also, being able to celebrate small victories and milestones will keep the joy spark alive too 🙂

 I just want to remind you that fear can be a powerful force, but it doesn't have to control your homeschooling journey. It kept me from fully enjoying, for the first couple of years, the incredible experience of teaching my children at home, and I don’t want that to happen to you. Embrace this journey with confidence, knowing that your unique insights and dedication to your children's growth are more valuable than any fear or doubt. You are more than capable of providing a rich, fulfilling education tailored to your children’s needs. Celebrate the small victories, seek support when needed, and cherish the precious time you have with your kids. Homeschooling is not just about academics; it's about building lasting memories and a stronger family bond. I hope this blog post has encouraged and empowered you to start or continue your homeschooling journey with confidence and joy.