If you’re listening to this episode, then you’re either currently homeschooling or you’re thinking about it. If you fall into the second category, then most likely the biggest question on your heart and mind right now is, “Could I actually do it? Could I become a homeschool mom?” Spoiler alert: the answer is a resounding yes!
(Quick note… If you’re really seriously considering stepping into homeschool, then I want you to take just a quick second right now and go to teachmetohomeschool.com and then join me back inside of this episode.)
So if you’ve ever thought about homeschooling or started to research it, then you’ve probably quickly realized that there are mountains of info, and tons of bunny trails that you can find yourself spiraling down. While I absolutely believe that hours of homeschool research that turned into late night binge researching sessions are completely worth it, (I know because I’ve had many, many 2 and 3am nights myself reading those endless articles and digging through homeschool blogs and curriculum company websites), what I really want to do here today is to boil things down for you in order to bring you the most concise and important information possible so that you can get the facts you really, really need in a very short amount of time
So here’s what we’re going to cover today…What homeschool is not, what homeschool is, your mindset and heart set, why you should homeschool, and why you can indeed do it and do it well.
Homeschool Statistics
So I want to start off by sharing some stats with you from this little printout publication that I have right here at my desk. It’s called the Homeschooling Primer.
On average, homeschooled students score 15 to 30% higher than those who were not homeschooled on standardized academic achievement test.
Homeschooled students have a higher college graduation rate of 66.7% versus 57.5%. Many top colleges now actually prefer home-educated students because they are seeing a higher rate of homeschooled students graduating and finding employment. Plus, those students tend to show better time management skills, and they tend to be more independent and overall better prepared for college life.
And then some stats from a website I came across called cross rivertherapy.com… They published this quote: “Since the start of the 2020 pandemic, homeschooling has been on the rise with an estimated 30% increase in enrollment since the beginning of the 2019 school year. While the total number of homeschool families remains relatively modest, its rise has impacted traditional school enrollment and the way that we view education.” So it definitely has changed the way that I view education in so many ways.
What Homeschool is NOT
So let’s dive into what homeschool is not I want to burn this into your heart and soul and your brain. Homeschool is not public school at home. And I know for our family personally, as we just stepped into homeschool this past year, I knew it was going to take some time to shake off the public school mentality routine, and it was going to be challenging to not try to just recreate or duplicate public school at home because bottom line is homeschool is not public school at home. Homeschool is not pressure to perform according to someone else’s standards, or honestly, even some bogus government standardized testing. We’re in the state of Iowa and every state’s laws read differently when it comes to homeschooling. But in Iowa, we are not held to certain standardized testing. Now I will say at the end of this school year, I did have my three kids take somewhat of a standardized test on purpose just for my own knowledge, so I could kind of view and gauge where we were. As I expected, they were way ahead in almost every single area; spelling was the only area where they scored average. And honestly, I expected that because spelling is the one thing that we actually did not tackle in our first year of homeschool. But overall, there’s not this pressure to perform, and you’re not held to these government-based standardized tests, which really takes a lot of pressure off. More on that a little bit later.
Homeschool is also not weird. Okay, well, it sort of is. But honestly, we find that term weird or weirdos, the weird homeschoolers, we find that term endearing these days. What I mean is that it’s not this old stigma of weird from years back. If you would have asked me what I thought of homeschooling 10 years back, probably even five years back, to be honest, I would have said, those are the weirdos.
But the thing is, it really is not that weird. It’s actually becoming more and more common and more and more popular as people are taking a look at all the things that are changing in our world, all the things that are coming down from the government, all the things that are infiltrating the schools and our kid’s curriculum and therefore infiltrating their mind; things have changed, things are changing. It is no longer weird to homeschool. And again, even if you call me weird or said my family was a bunch of weirdos because we homeschool, we actually really embrace that term these days. So we’re the weirdos and we like it that way.
What Homeschool IS
So what is it? What is homeschool? Well, first and foremost, homeschool is freedom. If you could ask me one word to describe what homeschool is, I think this is the word I would most likely choose. So time freedom, I think more snuggles in the morning and less of those rushed mornings where you are scooping everybody up out of bed or knocking on doors multiple times, pulling back the covers shuffling your kids around, throwing some sugary breakfast at them and rushing them out the door to go get on the school bus where they’re going to be influenced by who knows what and who knows who…instead, think of sleeping in a little bit and morning snuggles and reading together on the couch and breakfast around the table together and actually having time to pray before meals and all those good things. Lots of time freedom, structure freedom, schedule freedom, travel freedom, faith freedom, curriculum freedom, freedom from other people including the government’s opinions and agendas, freedom from peer pressure and outside influences. To sum it up, I would say you get to march to the beat of your own drum, so to speak.
As we think about the word freedom, there’s freedom in so many areas. When your family is homeschooling, homeschool is also opportunity. It’s an opportunity to truly live out Proverbs 22:6 which says, “Train a child up in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” How many times have you heard this verse, and sort of let it sink into your heart? I feel like to homeschool is to let it fully sink into your heart. Because as you are teaching and raising up and homeschooling your child, you’re truly training that child in the way that you should go in so many areas, not just those core subjects. But it goes so much deeper and so much farther beyond that… life skills, faith, all these things. And when they’re old, they will not depart from it. Think about being able to pour into your child’s heart in that way.
Homeschool is also diligence and excellence for the glory of God. In fact, we named our homeschool last year “Hedrick Christian Academy” and our motto is diligence and excellence, for the glory of God. And it’s really incredible because with homeschool, you get to nurture and build upon the gifts and the talents and the passions that God put inside your children, because it’s not cookie cutter, like public school. You get to take the things that they’re truly interested in, and good at and passionate about, and really dive into those things and begin to study them and work on them with diligence and excellence.
Mindset, Heart Set and Knowing Your Why
When it comes to homeschool, mindset really, really matters. And so does what I call your heart set. Because the truth is that there are hard moments and hard days. And most weeks, everyone’s hard day is not on the same day, and you need to know that walking into it. That’s just the truth of it. Every day is not perfect. Every day is not fun, every day is not a breeze. Is it worth it? Absolutely, yes, every second. And the amazing, wonderful, beautiful good days where everyone’s building relationships and really digging in and learning? Oh, my goodness gracious, they make those hard moments so worth it. So your mind and your heart have to be set on absolute truth and goodness when it comes to homeschool.
Ultimately, really what I want to speak to is that you have to know why you are doing it. We’re going to talk about a few great reasons why you should homeschool in just a second. But it comes down to you knowing why you want to homeschool.
Your heart and your mind also need to be focused on staying in it for the long haul. And choosing to set aside that mentality of if it gets hard, I’ll just throw my kids into or back into public school. If that’s how you approach it, I can pretty much guarantee it will not go well for your family. You’ve got to know your why. Your heart set and mindset matter and you’ve got to choose to be in it for the long haul.
I also want to say that your kids’ mindset and heart sets matter to and their hearts and minds will largely feed off where your heart and mindset are at. Last summer before we started homeschool, I took a walk with my youngest who is very much a social butterfly; he actually really enjoyed being in public school, and enjoyed being around his friends at the time, but I remember taking a walk with him before we started school and just saying, “buddy, I know that there’s a lot of unknowns. Would you just trust me? Could we walk through this together? Would you trust me that I really do have your best interests in mind, that I love you, that I want the best for you and that I’ll be here with you every step of the way?” And I remember at the end of that walk him, we gave each other a really big hug and he said, “Mommy, I trust you. Let’s do this.”
On our first day of school, which I had lovingly spent hours planning out a wonderful first day of school last year that looked nothing like public school where we took a four-wheeler ride, we did a nature study, we had crafts, we made homemade pizza for lunch, all this fun stuff that I had planned that looked nothing like public school and to be honest, it kind of freaked my oldest daughter out. Because it was so different than what she had been groomed to come to know school as for the eight years that she was in public school. And to be honest, we kind of had to work through it together and it was tough. Our first week of homeschool last year was a three day week, and I just remember feeling all the emotions, up and down. Like, this is amazing. Why isn’t everyone doing this? This is so hard. I don’t know how I’m going to keep doing this. This is incredible. We’re building a relationship and then, oh my gosh, I’m going to quit. I can’t do this. But again, I remembered that I had decided I was going to be in it for the long haul, and I knew there were going to be hard days, but I knew why we were doing this, and I knew it was going to be worth sticking it out.
By a couple of weeks in, it was everything I ever could have dreamed of, and more. And by the end of this last school year, my kids honestly would never go back to public school, because they love it. And I love it. And we’re all in it together, and we’re all on the same page when it comes to our mindset and our heart set.
Why You Should Homeschool
So let's talk about why you should do this, why you should homeschool. Well, to be honest, there are a million reasons why, but I want to share just my top three with you today.
- Discipleship: No one else is going to teach your kids about Jesus for you. They may get little snippets here and there in Sunday school. But fact of the matter is, no one else is going to sit down with them, and dig deep into Scripture to uncover God's design and intention for how we can pursue holiness and how we can live for Him. In great contrast, the world today, they're going to feed your kids all kinds of bogus lies about what life should look like, and what's right and what is wrong. That line is so blurred and so dark today. But instead, homeschool, is discipleship, and it's the opportunity to teach your kids about truth in all areas.
- Relationships: In my experience, the most intentional time with my kids that I've ever had in my entire motherhood truly has happened over this past school year, during homeschool time. It's been kind of a wild flip, because it used to be that in the summer, the kids would come home from public school, and I would try to squeeze in all the things over the course of summer. And then BAM, time was up. And I remember just this sinking feeling of school starting again, and I know that's not the case for everyone, but it really was the case for me. I think it's just what God put in my heart to want to spend time with my kids and enjoy them, and spend time learning and growing and teaching them. And every year on the first day of public school, I would drop them off at the school, and honestly, I would cry the entire drive home. And I never knew what that was about, like that just heavy feeling, and almost sadness and grief. And now it makes so much sense to me that it was like I was dropping them off for another nine months to barely see them again until next summer. Now, it's kind of flipped because it's like we have nine months where we're learning and growing and doing life together. And then in the summer, they're kind of relaxing and taking a little time off and having a little free time of their own to just do childhood things and to get bored, and then they can get outside and be inventive and imaginative and creative and have some of that just free play time which they really actually need. And then I'm actually getting some work done in the summertime. But truth be told, I'm looking so forward to the start of the school year coming up and my kids really are too. And I think the number one reason why is because we have really, really intentional time together. It truly is some of the best time and best relationship building that I've ever got to have and do with my kids over the course of my entire motherhood.
- Fostering a love of learning: Homeschool is truly a lifestyle of learning. And it turns into this thing of school and life. They're not really separated because we're learning together and growing together and just doing life together all the time, no matter where we are, or what we're doing. And the other thing is, your kids will actually learn way better and retain way more if and when you're able to help them learn in the specific way that they learn best. So there are actually several different types of learning and different types of learners that hopefully we'll dive into in an episode down the road. But the point is, again, homeschool is not cookie-cutter, like public school. You can help your child learn in the way that they learn best, whether it's through movement, or music, or whatever it might be.
- Bonus Reason: I have to throw this one in here on why you really should jump in home school. This is not the main reason by any stretch of the imagination, but it's just like this really cool bonus that comes along with it, and that is that homeschool is a redemption of your own education. And I truly mean that. I have truly enjoyed learning alongside my kids, I have learned so much more, so much deeper and I have retained so much more than I ever did in 13 years of the public education system. And it's awesome. There's a homeschool documentary that you should definitely check out. It's called “Weirdos”, and it's available on Amazon Prime. If I haven't already nailed down why you might want to consider homeschool inside of this episode, then my guess is, if you choose to watch this documentary, you'll be 110% on board after seeing it.
Why You CAN Homeschool
At this point, you might be thinking, okay, Katie, that's great. You've got me sold or you've almost got me sold that homeschool is a great thing. But here's the thing, I can't do it. Here's the thing, Mama friend, you CAN do it. You are no different than every other homeschool mom out there who at one point in time, or many points in time, question herself and said to herself, “I cannot do this thing”, including me. I don't know how many times I told God, I can't do this thing. Please don't make me do this thing. I can't do this thing. Go back and listen to the episode, “We started homeschooling”, where I tell the story about how I kind of wrestled with God on this.
So, let's cover why you CAN do this thing:
- You can learn anything: These days, you can honestly learn to do anything between the Google search bar and YouTube. Let's be honest, we have no excuses today with the resources that are at our fingertips. My daughter has a friend that just learned how to crochet really well over the summer, just from watching YouTube videos. There are so many great resources out there that you can find between Google and YouTube. And the truth is, you do need to know about some basic things before you start, such as your state's homeschooling laws. So I encourage you to start doing some research. Just open up that Google search bar, open up YouTube and start researching homeschooling in the state of _____.
- You can do better: I want to just speak the truth to your heart that you cannot do less than public school unless you just don't try it all. Hear me out. Now I do want to note there are some good things and some great teachers in the public school system. There are some tremendous blessings and great lessons that came out of my kids being in public school, some foundational things. I will say if I had it to do it over again, I wish I would have homeschooled my kids from the start. But that being said, they were in public school. And there were some great foundations laid. There were some wonderful teachers along the way. But overall, the thing is that it's cookie-cutter, and they only have so many hours in the day. And they have so many kids that they're wrangling that they actually end up wasting a lot of time. They stand in line, they try to wrangle the kids back in when they're getting squirrely, they've got questions, they've got bathroom breaks. I mean, it's just the truth. And then you've got the government push, which probably that speaks for itself, I don't really probably need to go down that rabbit hole. And then I will say sometimes, and we did come across this, although there are some wonderful, wonderful teachers, there are also teachers in the public school system with some personal agendas that, let's be honest, they're pushing on your kids. It happened to my kids, and there's no doubt in my mind, it's happening to your kids, too, that there are teachers and your local public school system who are pushing their personal agendas on to the kids. And for me, I just was done with that.
- You are equipped: Here's the truth: There are people less qualified, and less smart than you who are successfully homeschooling their children. Hear me out, God chose you to be the mother of your children. You are qualified and equipped, and smart enough to be able to figure out what you need to figure out in order to educate your children. People have been doing this for hundreds of years. I mean, honestly, since the beginning of time, people have been teaching and training and raising up and discipling and educating their own children. So the truth is, yes, you can do it. And if the Lord is tugging on your heart, then yes, you should do it. If he's called you to it, he'll help equip you to see you through it. Not that you won't have to do some work or some research or some reaching out to find support, not that you won't have to make some sacrifices, you probably will have to do those things. But I can absolutely positively guarantee you that it will be worth it if you answer the call.
So if you're waiting on permission, or some kind of a sign mama friend, this is it. This episode right here is it.
Recently, our local newspaper and Facebook page for the local public school came out and they were putting out their school supply list for the year and oh my gosh, I got like all the feelings when I saw that come out. Here it was, early summer, and they were publishing the school supply list for the upcoming school year, and I just have to say, I had all these feelings around that. But the number one thing I was feeling was, I'm so glad that my kids are not in public school. And this is not to shame anyone whose kids are, I really just want to reach out and encourage your heart and tell you where we're at over here in our family and how it's changed our lives. I just I had this feeling of like, gosh, I'm so glad that's not my kids. And we can go “school shopping” in August or September or heck, October and pick up just a few things that we need because it's way less about the fancy backpack and the new shoes and clothes and the awesome smelly pencil pump pencils, and it's so much more about a lifestyle of learning and relationships and nobody has to have the cool anything because nobody cares. Because we're all equals and we're all on the same page here and we're just a family doing life together.
Another thing I saw on social media recently that invoked all the feelings for me was a post I saw about a breakfast thing for the moms and dads, and this post was talking about changing “muffins for moms” and “doughnuts for dads” to gender inclusivity. And again, I could go down that rabbit hole, but I'm not going to do that here today, but that was just another moment where I was like, no, just no.
It is time that we take a stand, Mama. I posted this quote last summer and it actually prompted another family in our local community to start homeschooling when we did. And what this post said was, “she believed she could change the world, so she decided to homeschool her children.”
Look, the homeschool life is a good life. It's a life where you get to disciple your kids, to raise them up to love God, to love people, to love what is right and pure and true, to know the truth, and to love learning. It is a life that is so worth it. And if you couldn't tell, a life that I'm very, very, very passionate about. I want to support you on your homeschool journey, Mama.
So two quick things… First, make sure you're subscribed to this podcast because intermittently we're going to be airing quite a lot of homeschool content. And I'm excited to share that with you and support you in that way. And then second, if you didn't already go do this, go visit the website, teachmetohomeschool.com
With that, I pray that you found so much value in today's episode. Please share it with any of your friends who might be considering homeschool because I would absolutely love to be a support for them on their journey as well.
